Christmas Tour

Here's our Christmas Tree.  It is an Alpine Country tree. It has a white pearl chain and the ornaments are all our favorite things. I also have two special ornaments one from a dear bogger friend Veronica and a new one this year from a new blogger friend Linda. 

 Under our tree we have a snow village. Each year after Christmas we purchase 1 new house and a few of the people or accessories. It is amazing how quickly the village grows from year to year.

 Every village has to have a Walmart and here is ours hah

 This is my villages version of Rockefeller center for my New York hubby :)

 I love our little rustic Nativity. 

 Can't forget the Grinch !

 And lastly our stockings.  Gary, Maryellen and our doggie Solomon. His stocking is handmade by my Mom, Sollie's grandmom.  It is a doggie bone with bells. He's had it since he was a puppy.

Hope you enjoyed our little Christmas tour.  May you  have a wonderful blessed Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year.

Byers Choice Christmas

Hubby and I went to Byers Choice in PA yesterday. They had the Great,Great Grandson of Charles Dickens performing A Christmas Carol.  He was wonderful!  Amazing how he simply stood on stage with out props and basically told the story using just his voice and facial expression.  You were captivated. So neat to get to meet him. He told stories about Dickens and his writing.

Here's my  hubby on the way in to Byers Choice. They have a lovely little bridge from the back parking lot. It is quite long.  It looks like a Covered Bridge of the old days.

 They had a wonderful high school choir entertaining us while we shopped in the Byers Choice shops.
I bought the new one this year "Yes Virginia the Is a Santa Claus".  It is so sweet. I've always loved the meaning of that story.

 When you go through Byers Choice they have rooms and rooms of villages set up with the Byers Choice dolls.  This is the factory where they are manufacturered.

 Here I am at the entry way to Byers Choice.

 The grounds are just beautiful they have these two wonderful statues of children.  It truly is a happy place. It must be such fun to work there.

 I love the old stone houses in Buck County PA.  This little village had one and it looked so real.

 If you look closely at this one you will see the Byers Choice dolls are chef's.  Much to my husbands delight. He loves cooking (thank the Lord for me hah)  I bought him one of these little chef dolls for Christmas he is holding a huge mixing bowl.  He picked it out. hah

 And of course you can't have Christmas without the Nutcracker.  They had a huge shelf just full of them.

It was a blessed day.  If anyone is near enough to visit Byers Choice I would recommend it. It is really fun and so very festive at Christmas.

Christmas Dinner Concert - America's Keswick

Last night was my yearly "girls night out"  we head down to a wonderful place called America's Keswick. It is a Christian Retreat Center and also a Addiction recovery rehab  for men with all types of addictions. The men attend treatment programs and  learn about Christ and serving others.  They have been doing this for 86 years and there rate of success is remarkable !  They can do all things through Christ!  They are supported entirely by donations and this allows them to preach Christ.  Each man only has to pay $ 240 for the entire program.  Imagine that at a secular rehab.



They also raise money with retreats and concerts and all kinds of wonderful programs.  Every year I attend the Christmas Dinner concert.  The men of the colony cook and serve all the food.  It is so festive and just wonderful.  We had a delcious stuffed chicken breast, peas, carrots and a wonderful chocolate mouse dessert. After dinner we had the huge blessing to hear The Rick Webb family.  They were wonderful.  During intermission the men from the colony get up on stage and sing "Victory in Jesus" and one of the men give their testimony of how God has changed their lives from addiction to recovery and restored their marriage and families.  It is always so wonderful.  Keswick is a great place.  The grounds are just beautiful. There is a lake and you are in the woods.  Just so lovely. I am so thankful for a place like this that is rebuilding broken lives and families.  So thankful is is just 1 hour away and I can visit often.

Check out the website, it is a wonderful place to visit and go on retreat !

http://www.americaskeswick.org/

Living Waters Lancaster PA Voice of Christmas Show

Hubby and I went out to Lancaster PA today to the Living Waters Theater to see Voice of Christmas. It was such a great show.  Singing, Dancing and wonderful Christmas music. With the concentration on Jesus !

Here I am at Cracker Barrell for breakfast on the way to Lancaster. We were blessed to get the table right in front of the fireplace.  The fire smelled so good and was really warm on this cold day.

 This is the Theater. This is the last season they will hold shows in this theater. It will be closing after Dec 30th. All shows will now be in the large Sight & Sound theater down the road. Such humble beginnings.

 Here's my hubby, Gary outside the theater.  Love those old sleighs.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

I have so much to be thankful for . . .
My God and Savior Jesus Christ
Husband Gary
Doggie Solomon
Family
Friends
Our church & church family
We both have jobs!
Two cars that run
An affordable apt
Our health
Our marriage is strong
Living in the USA and our freedom
All of God's creation:
Sunshine, Snow, Rain
The four seasons Winter, Spring Summer, Fall
Flowers, Mountains, Oceans
Laughter, tears, joy, peace & love

How could you ask for anything more !

Thank you Father for all these blessings and those I haven't mentioned
We love you, The Azarian Family

Book Signing Joel & Victoria Osteen - Border's NYC 11/14/2010

Hubby took me to NYC to a book signing with Joel & Victoria Osteen from Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. They were both so delightful.  The books are wonderful too. Joel has a Christmas book out and Victoria has another children's book.  Here's a photo of the two of them together.

                     Here's Joel, he is such an encourager.  It was great to chat with him if even for a minute.

                                                   Victoria is lovely.  She is so pretty too. 

Branson MO vacation Nov 2010

Hubby took me to Branson MO for my birthday trip this year.  We had a great time.
Everyone is so nice and such fun things to do.  We got to see three shows.
1) Andy Williams Christmas Show 2) Tony Orlando and the Lennon Sisters Christmas Show and 3) Paul Revere & the Raiders show.  All the shows were great each one so different from the next.  We also went to the Titanic Museum, The Hollywood Wax Museum & The Toy Museum.  Below is a photo from the Hollywood Wax Museum.  Do you recognize the folks?  John Wayne, Elvis, Lucy & Charlie Chaplin. 

So great to travel in the Fall, the trees were just beautiful.  I loved being in the Ozarks.

 Here's my hubby in a huge rocking chair. 

 Here I am at Mel's Hard Luck Diner.  We went for breakfast. Had a great time. They have singing waiter's and waitresses.  We met a lovely girl named, Kelly Bryant.  She sang so lovely.  She sang I'll Be Home For Christmas and I cried in my eggs. hah (could be menopause, not sure hah)  We bought one of her cd's she was just delightful.

 This is an amazing toy museum.  They must have millions of toys. Both new and old.  I loved seeing all the toys I had as a child.  Wish Nick's, barbie's, trains, they truly have everything.

 This is the marquee for Andy Williams.  We ate at his restaurant Moon River before the show. It was so good. Delicious food.  Packed house.  Andy is getting older but he still has that amazing voice.
The dancer's were teenagers and they had on the neatest outfits.  You felt like they were really in the snow and skating and dancing along to the Christmas songs.  It was really wonderful.  Then he closed the night with Moon River ~  yes time to cry again !

 Here is my hubby with Paul Revere, he put on such a great show. We laughed until our bellies truly hurt.
Hubby loved it.

 This is a great Five & Dime, just like the old days.  This is in Downtown Branson. 

 This was a quilt in the Lobby of the Andy Williams Show.  A lady makes them every year. It has one solider from every state, that sadly died.  She has the family of the solider send her a photo from when they were children and she makes the quilt.  Hubby and I were so moved.  It really brings home just how much of a sacrifice our soliders make for our freedom.  To see these little faces and know the cost they willing paid for us.  So very touching.  We took photo's of the soliders from NY & NJ for each of us.

 This is the world's largest violin. You can't see in the photo but the string portion sticks way outside the building.  It is something to see. 

 This is Dick Clark's restaurant.  Hubby loved it so we ate there twice.  Yummy food.
Lot's of nostalgia.  They play  American Bandstand shows on the tv's while you eat.  Brings back so many memories.

Thank you to my hubby for treating me to such a wonderful vacation.  Really really enjoyed it.