This 2015 Christmas season, I got our outside Christmas yard decor and lights up and running by the Saturday following Thanksgiving of which is one of the earliest to date.  This page is basically a copy and paste from our 2014 Christmas as far as the indoor and outdoor decor but this year without the 12 feet tall snowman and the 8 feet tall Polar Bear and driveway lights.  The blower motor on the snowman apparently lost much efficiency and wasn't able to fully inflate the snowman and the company no longer makes the 12 feet one and down sized it to 8 feet.  Each year we tend to scale back a little due to products of maturity and the date on our birth certificates.........grin if you must.  My bride enjoys the Christmas season tremendously and we both keep elements of Christ in all of our decor both inside and outside since "Jesus is the Reason for the Season."   My bride did have some help this year decorating her Christmas tree from both our East Coast grandsons Trevor Lane Huneycutt and Travis Lee Huneycutt which was a big help to her and really appreciated.  As usual, I did the brawn stuff like setting up the tree and bringing boxes up from the basement, etc., whereas she does the more intellectual and artistic decorating.  Right before December started, by bride came down with cold and flu like symptoms aka The Crud and even after a visit to our family physician and a couple shots and high powered cough syrup, she was about down for the ten count right up until a few days prior to Christmas.

Our Star of David which is 10 feet across and about 40 feet off the ground was still in good shape from last season and only had a few bulbs burned out or broken and still looked excellent.  Our cross in the back yard operated for a week and several sections of lights went out and unplugged it and will refurbish it come Spring when the weather is more conducive.  Pix below of the Star of David above the three Peace On Earth angels: 

Most of our Christmas decor both inside and outside has remained unchanged the past 5 to 10 years and each year we downsize a little more but will continue to display the outside decor as long as I am physically able to do so.  In the future, I might have to employ the assistance of a bucket truck to repair and refurbish the Cross and the Star of David.  My comfort zone above the ground is now around 25 feet and 40 feet above the ground brings about some additional prayer for certain!

My bride and I are thankful for each and every day that the Lord allows and I am going to copy and paste something that I wrote in one of my short stories from five years ago which still sums up my view for our Christmas Holiday and Season.

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

With all the commercialization of our CHRISTMAS Holiday and so many attempting to get on the Political Correctness Band Wagon of not wishing to offend anyone and to me, they have no backbone and don't stand for anything that really matters and are mere puppets; "Pull my little strings and I'll do anything."  Without Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, there would be no Christmas since Jesus is the Reason for the Season and the reason for every day that we are allowed on this earth!   Whatever your personal Faith and Religion are, it is your choice and right;  I choose to be a Christian!  I have a lighted Star of David and a Cross elevated about 40 feet above ground to give symbolic tribute to Christ and the Christmas Season and several Angels to go along with the traditional seasonal decor.  Laus Deo "Praise be to God." 

With that said, below are some of the Porter Home Christmas Yard Decor pixs taken this year.  Click on the thumbnails for a larger screen view:

The nut cracker "soldier boys" on either side of the carport look as good as when my bride first painted them because they are under the overhang of the roof and don't take a beating from the elements.

INSIDE CHRISTMAS DECOR

The above are archived pixs from last year and pretty much the same this year except she changed the arrangements on some of them.

LINDA DRIGGERS VISIT AND GIFT EXCHANGE ON 12-21-15

One of my friends Linda Driggers from my former place of employment; notice I did not use the terminology work, came by for a short visit and we exchanged gifts.  Myself and a Correctional Sergeant were laterally transferred to Brown Creek Correctional Institution in 1995 on an Administrative Transfer for being bad boys and it was like throwing a rabbit in a briar patch.....grin if you must!  Below a pix of Linda:

Linda brought by some goodies, brownies and various items for my bride and I gave her a one pound box of See's Dark Chocolate with nuts.  Linda gave me a cookbook and a cookbook holder which will get some usage too.  Linda also got a chance to sample some of my homemade Cappuccino Brownies.  I sent her husband Jack a box of golf balls since that is his number one sport.  Below pix of the cookbook and cookbook holder:

Linda and Jack will be retiring on March 1, 2016 from the NCDPS and they both are looking forward to that date for sure.  Linda has a wonderful personality and will keep you grinning! 

CHRISTMAS EVE FINGER FOOD PARTY AND GIFT GIVING

The immediate Porter family met at our home for some finger food on Christmas Eve with my bride aka Joyce, Laura, Shane, Steve, Xander, Lisa and myself present.  Shane Hough's son Chris, the baby and it's Mother Allyse came by later for a short visit.  The Huneycutt Grand boys Travis and Trevor had other plans and unable to attend.  Our son  Bill Jr. and his family live in Vista, CA and we do miss them on these special Holidays!  We had a great time and below are thumbnail pixs taken.  Click on the thumbnails for a larger screen view:

This year, I made custom keepsake aka heirloom boxes for our three children, Brother, Sister and my bride.  The construction of those boxes are hyperlinked here.  Two of the heirloom boxes are in the above thumbnail pixs and each box is different in wood pattern design used, signed and dated by yours truly.  The men folk received a gift card and a 2 lb. stalk of my venison summer sausage Cajun blend and I received a big boy toy.

Webpage created by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 12-25-15.

CHRISTMAS CONTINUES AT THE SMOKEHOUSE GRILL, JEFFERSON, SC.

The Porter family siblings, spouses, children and grand children met at the Smokehouse Grill near Jefferson, SC to finish our Christmas 2015 celebration.  Our extended family has met at the Smokehouse Grill for several years and have been pleased with the food and service.  As you enter the parking lot of the restaurant, you will be greeted by two large hogs (might be Angein Saddleback breed) that somehow have managed to escape the BBQ pit and look rather worn and weary which is understandable.  Below a pix of one of them:

Below are a few thumbnail pixs of the decor as you enter the front door and are welcomed by a wonderful aroma that quickly permeates the air getting your taste buds read for some serious action:

There were eighteen (18) present in our group and we got a room near the back not too far from the main serving line (hot bar) which is always a good thing.  I took some pictures of the food line and of our crowd getting their plates topped off and below are thumbnail pixs:

After everyone loaded their plates down and got seated, the room kind of got eerie quiet but once the hunger edge got knocked off, the volume picked back up to a normal state and we all had a wonderful time.  Below a couple pixs of the group seated and there was a couple spill over to the next table, being Jason Kearns' Dad Ronnie and Step Mom Martha:

Below Martha and Ronnie Kearns:

I got some additional pixs taken before I dug into my plate that needed side planks on it to help stack all the stuff in a vertical plane to keep from spilling over the sides and must have forgotten that I could go back for seconds when needed of which I later did anyway.......grin if you must! 

It was also Kambrie's thirteenth (13th) birthday; Oh No, a teenager for sure and her Dad presented her with a birthday card with some serious folding money in there:

My brother Allen was greeted by one of the new owners of the Smokehouse Grill, Missy Bullard who also happens to be his next door neighbor:

After everyone enjoyed their meal, we meandered out and hung around on the porch overhang of the restaurant and later departed for Allen and Betty Jo Porter's home to exchange gifts and celebrate Kambrie Kearns's 13th birthday.  Below a couple thumbnails taken prior to leaving:

EXCHANGED GIFTS AND BIRTHDAY PARTY AT ALLEN AND BETTY JO PORTER'S HOME

When we got to Allen and Betty Jo Porter's home, the Charlotte Panthers were tied up with the Atlanta Falcons but got taken down from their winning streak before we left.  My Sister SusieQ got us a pot of coffee going and it wasn't long before gifts were exchanged.  This year, I made all of our immediate family members; (Joyce aka my Bride, Bill Jr., Laura and Lisa), Brother Allen and Sister Susie Q, a special one of a kind custom heirloom box of which I have their construction documented on my custom keepsake box page.  The boxes were numbered, dated and signed by yours truly upon completion and they really appreciated them.  I had a special stone knife hand knapped by a man in West Virginia of which the stone knife has a cedar handle and laced with deer sinew for my Brother-in-Law Douglas Pettigrew which he really liked as well.  My Sister SusieQ made a custom bracelet for my bride along with other gifts.  Doug had myself a coon trap, knife and assorted baits for the coon trap.  My Brother Allen was stoked about his heirloom box and Betty Jo immediately laid claim to it.  Monica Kearns gave out some beautiful floor mats with a monogram initial insert panel.  Gift cards, folding money and an assortment of other gifts were exchanged and received and too numerous to list.  Below thumbnail pixs taken:

We had a wonderful time and as always, there is nothing better or more important than family and friends and "Two of the Greatest Ships that ever Sailed; Friendship and Fellowship."  It is God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that made all this possible by giving his life that we can have eternal life through him if we only believe.  John 3:16 KJV

After my Sister SusieQ, Brother-in-Law Doug, myself and my bride left, we went by our Mom and Dad's gravesite at the Anson Memorial Park and my Sister placed a beautiful flower arrangement on their grave that she made herself.  Below a couple pixs taken:

This has been a tough year with my Sister dealing with the death of our parents but Life continues without them but they are within our memories and we have many pictures and keepsake items of them to help lessen their departure but it sure does hurt and we too in due time will follow their path because Time waits for no one!

God bless each and every one of you and hope this coming year will bring peace, joy, happiness, increased faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, good health and prosperity to all of us.

Christ is the Reason for the Season but also the reason for every single day of our lives!

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 12-27-15.