Christmas @ Cable Lake

Last year Wendy's older daughters, Janelle and Laura, suggested we have a "Cable Lake" Christmas. Wendy has been married three times and me twice. We don't have kids with each other, but we have six kids between us. These six met when they were older and were not, for the most part, raised together. Our extended families are starting to spread out and mature so that those family Christmases have less meaning. The Rechsteiner's quietly abandoned the "get-together" a few years back as it was impractical. Janelle and Laura wanted to start a new tradition for our somewhat non-traditional family and this was the second year...................

..........Wendy enjoys decorating and loves to do up the house in a "theme" color. This year was copper and brown. It matches with one theme that Target stores were promoting as well. She has about 6 basic color themes which she rotates and stores in big plastic bins. Her work really makes the holidays fun for me. It brightened a dreary day on Sunday, the day our Christmas fell on this year. Rechsteiner Christmas has traditionally been OFF Dec. 25th. It was sad to see her taking it all down today.....

...........I helped with the cooking, and made individual mostacciolis, a pasta dish with marinara sauce, hot Italian sausage, and pepperoni and mozzarella cheese baked to a golden brown on top. There were no leftovers. Wendy made flan, a Mexican holiday custard, and a whole blog is coming on that production.......

......Jake and Jason had set up Jake's ice house and put in some tip-ups to do some ice fishing throughout the day. We could watch the flags with binoculars from the living room. I am sorry I don't have any pictures of the ice house. It is the epitome of Jackpine savage with lake maps, pin-up girls, and 2 tv's adorning the walls. It has central heating and a cook stove. Many a pleasant day and some nights have passed in this place. Some fish have given their lives........

..........I bought a case of Andre Asti Spumonte for $3.39/bottle. Nothing like a fine wine to make a gathering into a celebration!! There were no surviving bottles..........

.......the probable impetus for the new family Christmas tradition was the arrival of two new grand babies, as first for Wendy. This is Owen with his parents Jim and Laura. Owen, like all kids, tears into a present with gusto so he can discard the gift and play with the box!!..

.........the other happiness for Wendy and me is Issac, here held by Aunt Callie and next to his Mom Janelle. Todd was in the ice house at the time of this photo, I believe. These two little guys start the next generation of kids for which Christmas is really the most meaningful...........

........it seems that all the family gatherings at Cable Lake end upon the pontoon. In the summer it is because it is beautiful there. In the winter, we call it "the Asti effect". We turn up the heat in the garage and sit on the pontoon, pretending it is "sunny and 80". The pontoon is on a trailer, which wobbles when you move about, much like when it is on the lake. Some people have gotten seasick. (kidding)............

......Callie invited her new boyfriend, Nick, to Christmas at Cable Lake. He looks a little uncertain about the pontoon thing. I hope he doesn't feel that having a girlfriend from a wacky family that pontoons in the garage is justification to dump her...........

......Rena has no problem with the pontoon and rarely misses the ride. We all placed bets on whether she will be at next Christmas as she will be 12 then. She is in perfect health. You will have to tune in then to findout............