Hiking up a Mountain for Christmas with a Pretend Santa Claus

Winter walk

We started our Christmas by hiking up Saint Baume to attend mass in the grotto.

Chelsea was dressed as if we were hiking the North Pole, and French Husband was trying to up one on Santa Claus by growing a beard. Please do not say you like it! If you do like it don't say it on this blog. Please don't.

 

Sleeping angel

 

Sacha was sound asleep.

I asked, "Is this what college life leaves me: A sleepy son?"

Once awake he was a machine I could not keep up with.

Once awake that is.

 

 

Mother in law

My French Mother in Law chic as always. This is her hiking gear. At eighty three she walked up Saint Baume in heels, with pearls and lipstick.

 

Christmas dinner

 

As for me, this little hiker's legs who felt like they are going to fall off, came home to prepare a sit down lunch for twelve.

 

Name tags

 

My Mother in Law and I made name tags the other day for each person, that is when I super glued my fingers together. Not something you want to try.

 

 

Christmas 12 dinner

 

Christmas lunch started at three, 

Eighty four dishes later we…

 

Christmas 2012 Collage

We opened our gifts.

 

 

Reindeer cookies

 

 

Chelsea made Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer cookies. Chocolate covered pretzels for antlers, and red m&ms for his nose. Too cute!

 

A nap at Christmas

 

My Grand Nephew, dreams sweet were guaranteed after three days of celebrating. 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

 

 

 

 



Comments

37 responses to “Hiking up a Mountain for Christmas with a Pretend Santa Claus”

  1. Merry Christmas, Corey!!
    : )
    Jul

  2. Massilianana

    Joyeux Noël to you Corey and to all the Tongueincheekettes !!!
    Corey your table looks fabulous . As for FH’s beard I vote ‘no’ ! 😉
    I hope Santa spoilt you and all your loved ones.Once again Merry Xmas !!!

  3. A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, Corey! May all your dreams come true!

  4. Shelley Noble

    Looks a spectacular holiday, Corey! Brava! Christmas lunch for twelve with hand made touches, after hiking a mountain for Mass?! Wow.
    I won’t say that I like FH (Furry Handsome) beard here, as you asked us not to. But I will say that I’m sorry you have to be married to a man who looks GREAT in any facial hair arrangement, given that you don’t like it.

  5. Merisi in Vienna

    Alright, someone has to tell him: FH, you look outright scary!!! *oooohoooo*
    Very brave, Corey who hiked up a mountain and then served a mountain of food!
    Merry Christmas to all,
    Merisi xxx

  6. karen hoida

    Enchanting! Thank you for sharing. Your table was beautiful!!

  7. Farmboy Husband doesn’t shave over the holidays, either. Then he lives to regret it the day before school resumes, when he has to shave.
    Chelsea, your reindeer cookies are très ingenieux (if there’s such a word en Français)!
    Corey, could you share your menu with us?

  8. Karen@PasGrand-Chose

    You must be exhausted! A very happy Christmas to all of you, Corey xxx

  9. Merry Christmas, Corey! Your Christmas lunch table is gorgeous!

  10. Merry Christmas!
    p.s. FH looks much better clean shaven, hope he shaves that beard and moustache off pronto.

  11. Celeste Coelho

    Merry Christmas Corey, and thank you for your kind wishes yesterday!
    Celeste

  12. FH looks even sexier but I have to deal with winter face hair too. It is a catcher of sneezes, drips, drops, coughs, cake and cookie crumbs, Christmas gnats, Christmas glitter, fruit flies, nap and sleep drool, and fantastical dreams that get trapped in the hairs. Those dreams never make up up the nose and on to the brain; they languish, and are forever lost when husbands shave. They fall to the floor and are swept away, with never a chance to see the light of day during a telling. *sigh*
    FH is just as sexy without embellishments. 😉
    Merry Christmas!

  13. Merry Christmas Corey! Thank you for the gift of your blog!

  14. Corey,
    Your table looks absolutely beautiful and a hike to the grotto for mass was wonderful I’m sure.
    Let me know when you have tired of that mighty fine bust in your living room. I’m good for the postage. 😉

  15. Merry Christmas, Corey! I hope that you and your family had a wonderful day; can’t imagine anything more fun & surreal than hiking up a mountain to mass, wow! Here in MD, we had some snow last night but sun today. Thanks for sharing & hope you get some rest. xoxo

  16. Lana Kloch

    what wonderful christmas traditions! how do you do it all. love the table setting… the meal must have been divine.
    so happy you have such a wonderful family there and here in willows.
    merry christmas

  17. This sounds like the perfect Christmas day. Your table is beautiful and I am sure the food was delicious!

  18. Sharon Penney-Morrison

    Well, in flat land Kansas their are no mountains to hike. Your husbands beard, well, I am partial to them because my late husband had one most of the years we were married….but don’t tell Yann I said that!!!!
    Blessings to you and your family this very Merry Christmas, from our home to your’s.
    xo

  19. Chelsea is so beautiful, even dressed as Nanuck of the North! Since I have never seen my husband without a beard in the 30 years I have known him, I will keep quiet. (I have always liked beards.:D) Your table is a delight to the eyes. Merry Christmas and much joy to you all.

  20. Okay. I won’t say it. However . . . LOL. Merry Christmas, Corey.

  21. diane – florida

    perfect, just perfect

  22. WOW, your sparkling wintery Christmas tablescape is beautiful!!! So pretty and festive. Merry Christmas!

  23. An Enchanted Cottage

    Corey, I’d love French Mother-in-Law’s secret to the Fountain of Youth 🙂 Merry Christmas to you all!
    Donna @ An Enchanted Cottage

  24. 24/7 in France

    Beautiful table setting – sounds like you had a very nice Christmas day: time with family, good food, and a nature walk – parfait!

  25. Merry Christmas Corey!
    My oldest daughter had her first communion at Sainte Baume 🙂

  26. Merry Christmas, Corey! Thank you for posting such lovely thoughts and images each day. BEST wishes for you and your family in the coming year!

  27. Merry Christmas, Corey and your family! You table setting is gorgeous beyond words!!! Beautiful pictures! I wished I was as glamorous looking as your mother-in-law 🙂 I hope Yann has this beard for a few days of colder weather only, ha-ha.

  28. Oh,and I love Chelsea’s cookies, an idea for next year’s Christmas 🙂

  29. Merry Christmas to you and yours,your table looks devine,I would love to know what you served up,french or american or a mix of both!

  30. How wonderful!

  31. What a beautiful table! (and all of this after hiking the mountain for mass!?). You must have stayed up all night preparing the food. Please tell us your menu! You have a beautiful family, Corey. Tell your mother-in-law to give us all her youthful secrets. 😉 Merry Christmas, Dear Corey. xo

  32. Note to FH: Why would one want to cover up a work of art?

  33. Your family looks so beautiful together, three generations all together. Beautiful.

  34. annie vanderven

    tous mes meilleurs voeux pour la nouvelle année, merci pour tous les bons moments de fou rire et les moments de grandes emotions que vous nous procurez et qui j ‘espere continuerons pendant 2013.
    Annie vanderven

  35. French mother-in-law is absolutely stunningly gorgeous. Tres chic. Ageless beauty. Elegant.
    Merry Christmas to all of you and yours.

  36. La Contessa

    HATE IT!
    I canNOT Believe this…. my husband and two SONS have beards too and I cannot stand them!Best of luck with that one!I dont think my comment posted on SACHA and how his name came to be ………cause I was on the IPAD and well sometimes the comment sections on BLOGS do not work!BUT I LOVED THAT STORY and how you recently found out!WHAT A GIFT COREY!MERRY MERRY.

  37. Beautiful table, impressive MIL. Please tell me you were joking about the high heels!
    Joyous Noel.

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