A Christmas Tea

Sunday afternoon, Mom and I were privileged to host the ladies of our neighborhood for our second annual Ladies Neighborhood Christmas Tea. Though a number of ladies called and expressed disappointment that other obligations prevented them from attending, we enjoyed a refreshing time of visiting and eating with the few who were able to attend. We were especially grateful for the time to get to know a lady and her daughter who just moved in down the street about a month ago with the rest of their family.

As a side note, several times as I’ve spoken to people in the neighborhood and described to them where our house is located, I’ve gotten the same response when people make the connection:

Oh, the house with all the kids?

Yup, that’s the one! Our family isn’t that large – we’re down to six of us still living at the house. But due to the number of people we have here on any given day, the driveway and yard are usually occupied (rain or shine!) by numerous children shooting baskets or playing around. What a wonderful way to be known in the neighborhood!

The preparations for the Christmas Tea were a family affair, with each one helping out in different ways:


Mom, the tireless worker behind the whole operation pauses for a brief moment to smile as she hollows out cherry tomatoes and fills them with egg salad.


Naomi generously spreads a spinach dip mixture on the cucumber sandwiches…apparently a little too generously, according to Mom, who went back through the tray and scraped the excess off. Naomi later commented that someday she would have people over for lunch, not tea, so she could give them larger portions of food. :-)


Noelle is...umm...rats, I can’t tell what she’s doing, but I’m sure it’s helpful in some way, as Noelle enjoys helping out in the kitchen. Now that she’s learned that vinegar cannot be substituted for vegetable oil in brownies, I’m sure her helpfulness will increase even more...


Even the guys were a necessary part of the preparations – Dad and Joey scouted out this beautiful tree, trimmed it and got it arranged into position. The fresh evergreen scent is a favorite in our home at Christmas time.


The tree, the stockings, the lights, the wood fireplace…all a part of the cozy atmosphere!


The scrumptious goodies are elegantly displayed on the table, utilizing display techniques Mom and I learned while working at a Tea Room. Here’s another helpful technique we learned:


To drizzle chocolate, place a handful of chocolate chips in a zip lock bag and microwave until they are melted (mush around with your fingers to make sure there are no lumps remaining). Make a small snip in the corner with a pair of scissors. Squeeze from the opposite side of the bag to let the chocolate drizzle through the opening.


A group photo of those of us who enjoyed the afternoon together.


We prepared a gift for each lady to take home – a scone mix and the book For Your Joy by John Piper. (I ordered a box of 50 of these on the Desiring God website for only $15 plus shipping. I’ve been carrying them around with me so that as the Lord lays it on my heart, I can give them to others – clerks, servers, business owners, etc. – as I’m out and about doing Christmas shopping or taking care of other business matters. At this price, they’re not much more than a tract, and are significantly more substantial. A great way to express gratefulness to others for their service during the Christmas season!)

Lord willing, Mom and I will continue to hold a Christmas Tea in the years to come so that we can "publish throughout the whole [neighborhood] how great things Jesus [has] done unto [us]."(Luke 8:39)