Christmas Eve 2019

As soon as we got home from Becky’s I grabbed my chore boots and went to the barn.

It’s a very mild Christmas Eve in North Iowa – not even freezing!

Hazel and Telly ran for the feed room as always.

There MIGHT be a Christmas mouse!

Mama Kitty was in her bed.

The Three Amigos stood up to see what was going on.

Daddio woke up and jumped to the floor.

Stepped into the goat pen to find only two goats! Betsy and Palimino One. Everybody else was outside because it’s so mild.

And then there’s the tribe.

I stirred everybody awake even though I didn’t turn on a light.

And I tried the video – we’ll see if it worked.

https://country-threads-chicken-scratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/img_0380.mov

And then I went into the goats’ inside hay area and found this – a hay bunk/manger with a depression roughly the size of a baby in the top of the hay!

I’m not kidding! Can you see that oval right in the middle? I have never seen this before ! What could possibly have made that shape in the hay? I have goosebumps just telling you about it – it is most definitely a God thing and I was lucky enough to see it – a manger where a little baby might have laid down in the hay.

How great our joy!

55 thoughts on “Christmas Eve 2019”

  1. Arrowhead Gramma

    Merry Christmas to you and Rick, Mary! ❤️🎄❤️

    Thank you so much for keeping the blog going through all the trials and tribulations of this past year.

    May you and Connie enjoy good health in 2020!

  2. Bonnie McKee

    Beautiful post. Thank you, Mary, for sharing the wonderful pictures and video. The indentation in the hay was my favorite 🥰.
    Merry Christmas!
    Bonnie, in Oregon

  5. Dorothy

    A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and yours. Love you much–thank you for all you do–animal wise and quilter wise.

  6. Patty

    Thank you for that visit to the barn this evening. It was meaningful. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  8. Jan VanDeWalle

    Love your trip to the barn, When we still had sheep I would go out on Christmas Eve and check to see if we would get a baby for Christmas, did on several occasions. Tonight we had Christmas with our kids , we get together with both of them and kids at our oldest sons house, for dinner and gifts..
    Merry Christmas and a Happy healthy New Year for both you and Connie and families.
    Can’t wait to see the new BH mystery quit.

  9. Shirley

    Not so long ago, we gave up the farm for a smaller place in town. Your photos and video brought back some wonderful memories. Thank you so much for the gift. Merry Christmas!

  10. Kathy in western NY

    All was calm and bright. A lovely serene moment to see the indentation. We can only imagine. You should have seen my dogs look up at me when I played your video! They looked like “ what the heck is mom doing now!”.
    Merry Christmas Mary and thank you for keeping your blog going for us to be your big wide circle of friends. I look forward to reading everyone’s comments with each post and hope they are blessed with good tidings today.

  11. Renee A

    Merry Christmas to you, Connie and family! Wishing you all good health and happiness in the New Year!

  12. Marilyn

    The story was like the night before Christmas story. What a delight to find the manager. God is always with us. MERRY CHRISTMAS. You are such a blessing .

  13. Ann

    That was fabulous! Loved the rooster crowing.
    Perfect indent in the manager where Jesus would of laid.
    Thanks Mary, just perfect.

  14. Kathy Hanson

    What a wonderful post! Your farm is so beautiful and such a joy, not only for you but for all of us to see as well! The video was fantastic! Just love being included in your farm and animals! Have a very blessed Christmas and may this coming year bring you good health, less pain and lots of love. You are such a blessing to all of us!

  15. Sandy

    Lovely Christmas story Mary, it’s 2am in new Zealand, can’t sleep, off to Taiwan this morning to spend 5 weeks with son and 2 year old granddaughter,there is going to be a reveal party! A new grand grand child due in April! Best wishes, sandy

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Sandy – what n exciting trip with a reveal party, too. Andrew is your son, right? He wrote to me and told me his mom was going to Taiwan – I think that’s you! He sent a very interesting note!

  16. Patricia

    MERRY CHRISTMAS! Love your pictures today. They bring back memories of my Grandparents farm. What a blessing you saw in the manger!

  17. Carmen Montmarquet

    Loved seeing all your critters, Merry Christmas to you and your family! May “2020” be your best year ever!!

  18. Susan the Farm Quilter

    Merry Christmas!! May your Christmas be blessed. A Babe in the manger…that is amazing!

    1. Cathy Davis

      Merry Christmas Mary! Thank you for sharing your life on the farm. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve 🎄

  19. Paula Philpot

    Couldn’t wait to see the Christmas Eve stroll to the barn, The manger scene is a God given gift to you for all the love you show your animals. So happy to know you Merry Christmas and also to your husband. Paula in KY

  21. Sandra

    Wished you a wonderful Christmas Day.Thank you for sharing a Christmas miracle. I shared the trip through the barn with my family.it reminder me to look for miracles in my life and to give thanks for our simple pleasures.
    Sandra

  22. Diane Bauer

    A very Merry Christmas to you, Rick, Connie, Roy, Becky, Reed, and your lovely tribe! You really are having a mild Christmas!! Thank you for the Christmas Eve visit to the barn! Yes, a God thing! He is ever present if we choose to notice!

  25. Donna O

    Merry Christmas Mary to you, Rick and all the animals you keep. Sweet blog today and interesting hay/manger where baby Jesus might have laid. I love you blog with all your quilts as well as the others you post.
    Enjoy the mild weather as I’m sure cold will return.

  28. Mary Rhodes

    Merry Chridtmas! I enjoyed the trip to the barn. All the animals stirred when you where in there! The video was nice! My Oreo Louise even watched it! Oh my the indentation in the hay! Wow! Yes God is everywhere. Here in SOUTWEST OHIO(Bethel) is mild. To be 60 degrees today. Merry To Connie and family as well! Enjoy the day!

  30. Martha Engstler Gettysburg

    Thank you for your pictures of your critters on Christmas eve. Looks like that you posted them when you should have been in bed. It gives me a wonderful warm feeling that you shared God’s wonder in your barn. Wishing you the wonder of Christmas in your life.

  32. Sandy

    Hallelujah! Christ is born! There is a little book about God Winks you might enjoy. Have you visited the Nativity in Algona? The WWII prisoners made it and it is preserved with lots of information. Beautiful and a great site. We call it babysitting for Jesus when we host for a time. Open till New Years, check the hours on its site. Merry Christmas!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Sandy – I had never been to see it until last year when I took Reed – it is fabulous!

  33. Carrolyn v

    What an idyllic life you have ….and share with your blog! A special Merry Christmas to you and Rick…and your menagerie!

  34. Sue in Oregon

    Thank you, Mary. That was beautiful. I still have shivers about the indentation left there for you to find. God is everywhere.
    Loved the rooster crowing at the end.
    You did it perfectly.
    Merry Christmas to all.

  35. Carol Garner

    God is good! All the time! Merry Christmas, so enjoyed your pics, God bless you, Rick and your barnyard friends, Happy New Year!

  36. Gloria B.

    Blessings to you now and into the future. Jesus left the indentation to remind us that He is with us. Thank YOU for reminding us again with every blog you share. Merry Christmas!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Gloria B – YES! That’s it! What if I hadn’t gone out there on Christmas Eve? I would missed that very obvious sign

  37. Vickie

    Merry Christmas to you and your farm family! Thank you for sharing everyone with us and that hay in the manger is very special, gave me goosebumps, too.

  39. Katie

    Feliz Navidad from Gilbert, Az..
    Amen for the Beautiful Barn pets..
    Many Blessings for 2020
    Good health to U
    ❤️Katie in Gilbert, Az.

  40. Bonnie

    Thanks for all the wonderful posts. I love seeing the animals. Merry Christmas and I wish you a healthy and very joyous New Year.

  41. Vicki in Seattle

    Thank you, Mary, for sharing your
    “Silent Night” with us. Beautiful!

    Have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year🎶🎄🎶🎄

  42. Rosalie

    I adopted 2 Black half grown cats and their mom about 5 years ago. After they were neutered the 2 boys decided to live with the goats- it was January! The fluffy boy disappeared after a couple of years but JoJo still hangs out with the goats and even goes out in the pasture with them. He frequently sleeps in the hay rack. He is fearless and will attack the dogs – so they all avoid him.

  43. Carol at Pin Oak Quilting

    “‘T’was the night before Christmas and all through the barn,
    Every creature was stirring … “

    I finally have a few quiet hours to myself as my brood went to see Star Wars (no thank you!)… father-son childhood bonding over make believe continues!

    I enjoyed your photos and your lovely rooster wake-up call… especially the sweet kitty. And your mysterious manger sighting… you never know where miracles abound. But surely a life-saving refuge such as a barn was home to a miracle once… it could, again.

  45. Rhoda Ebersole

    Merry Christmas to all on Christmas Day. To Connie and family also. Wishing you the very best in 2020.
    Hope to see Little Women soon as They paid attention to all the details while making the movie I heard on NPR yesterday.
    Thank you for all you do and wishing you quick healing on Knee #2.

  46. Jeanie S, Central IL

    Thank you, Mary, for sharing your wonderful Christmas Eve trip to the barn, so lovely. Goosebumps here!
    Merry Christmas to you and blog friends, wishing all of you a happy, healthy 2020.

  48. Janice Hebert

    What a peaceful place to spend part of Christmas eve. Loved the video! And the God wink, wow. Had tears in my eyes! Thank you Mary and Connie for this wonderful blog. Merry Christmas to you and yours and to all of your followers. Like others, I hope your surgery for knee #2 goes as well as #1 and I do hope 2020 is a happy, healthy year for everyone. Jan in MA

  49. Felicia Hamlin

    Mary, I couldn’t leave a message the other day so I am doing it now. What a wondrous site to see! Count yourself blessed. I have to watch the video yet, but I know I will enjoy it.

  50. Patty Rhoades

    Happy New Year! Just love seeing your animals. They are all so interesting! I grew up on a farm!

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