Everett’s Christmas, December 11, 2016 (full size gallery)
This is not a Christmas party but a Christmas experience. In every room in the Everett household you are surrounded by Christmas. It is challenging just to see everything. And their collection is still expanding!
Woody and Minnie compete to see who is the official greeter but a vote is in for Minnie. The living room has a gigantic tree, a decorated Christmas mantle and a large screen TV with continuous Christmas hits. Then moving into the hall is the real treat – the old Christmas village with churches, hotels, stores, and moveable Christmas rides. It is an assault on the senses! There are three tables, most on permanent exhibit through the year but covered.
This year there is a new double second level with "elevators" plus extra buildlings in the layout.
There is a separate home attached with a inground pool covered over for Christmas. In this room are larger Christmas exhibits, including a manger scene, Santa in a balloon and a wire Christmas tree. (Don’t even try to count the trees in this house!). A long table was set for dinner. There were at least 45+ people which exceeds last year’s 44 and the previous year 42. There was the AP Hill commander and faculty from the University of Mary Washington.
We began with cheese and crackers, shrimp and wine and then the family prayer with everyone lined around the pool. Dinner was a covered dish of venison, chicken, turkey and gravy and too many vegetable casseroles to count.
We sang happy birthday to Cherry and Nancy celebrating this year. As the dinner ended, Helmut began a series of Christmas favorites on the violin and Jim Heimbach on the keys. Jim described the origin of "I’ll Be Home from Christmas" from World War II and added we still have troops in Afghanistan and who won’t be home from Christmas. There was also time to relax in the many chairs around the table for conversation.
At the end we processed to their dining room where there was an ornament for each us This room has all the Santas from all over the world.
If this party doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit than nothing will. Hats off to the Everetts for continuing the tradition and all who came to partake.