Merry Christmas



'Twas three days before Christmas ...

We're five days into Christmas break and the big day is only three days away.  The excitement is definitely building.

Here's what we've done to keep ourselves busy the past few days ...

Saturday:  Skied at Park City and then ate in Heber at The Stew Pot.  Wow, the skiing was superb and dinner was amazing ... homemade chips with fresh salsa and delicious french onion soup.  Mmmm.  I'm trying to find an excuse to drive to Heber again real soon.

Sunday:  Went to church and relaxed at home.  That night we watched "A Christmas Story" and laughed. a lot.

Monday:  The boys and I went to see "Despicable Me," then spent the afternoon baking our gingerbread house.  That night we delivered neighbor gifts while sipping hot chocolate.  After the boys went to bed, Ben helped me try to assemble the gingerbread house.  Whoever decided that it's a good idea to use burning-hot-and-very-sticky-melted-sugar to glue these things together was crazy.  By 11 pm, I contemplated throwing the gingerbread house out the window after dropping one "wall" on the floor and breaking it in half.  I came to my senses, glued it back together with the "melted sugar glue" and we finished the uneasy task of assembling the gingerbread house.

Tuesday:  Decorated beloved gingerbread house, and did a little shopping (much to the boys dismay).

And, here's a little of what's planned for the rest of the week: 

Tonight we'll go to Fat Cats with friends

Tomorrow night we'll party with family at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building while over-looking the lights at Temple Square

Friday (Christmas Eve!) is the Annual Thomas Christmas Eve Extravaganza (yes ... I just made that name up) where we go bowling and then spend the evening at Ben's parent's home.  We'll eat prime rib, read a Christmas story, and ring the Christmas bells.

Christmas Day we'll open presents (if Santa comes!), go to the Emery's for scrumptious brunch ... quiche, then we'll visit the Thomases, and then come home and enjoy being together.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas-time favorites ... part 2

A few more things I love about Christmas-time ...

* my Christmas ornaments:

I've collected ornaments for as long as I can remember.  It's so fun to pull them out every year and remember where each one came from.

Some remind me of when I was little.

 Some remind me of my mom.

Some remind me of trips I've been on.  (I always try to buy an ornament when we're on a trip.)

And some remind me of my kids.

* receiving Christmas cards:

I always "decorate" a door in my kitchen with all of the Christmas cards sent to us.  I love to walk by and see so many cute pictures and messages from family and friends.  It makes me feel so blessed.

* and last but not least ... boys sleeping in Santa hats:

Love it.

Christmas-time favorites ... part 1

Wow, the month of December is crazy.  I'm beginning to wonder if the errands and to-do lists will ever end.  But even with all the endless tasks, unavoidable stress and sleep deprivation, I really do love this season.  There's a feeling of excitement and peace and love all rolled up together.

Each year, I love pulling out all my Christmas decorations and making my house feel "Christmas-y."  And, while the garlands, wreaths, and candles all add to that special feeling around my house, I have a few items that I really, really love.  Here are some of them ...

* my Christmas stockings:



I knit these beauties a few years back with my own two little hands.  Each one took countless hours (I'm not a very speedy knitter).  Maybe that's why I like them so much.

* my nutcrackers:

A soldier, a king, Santa, a hiker, a peddler, a shepherd, and more.  Some were painted by my cute mom, some were gifts from her, and I brought some back from Europe years ago.  I don't necessarily have a favorite.  Each is special for a different reason ... the fur scarf worn by the shepherd is the softest fur you can imagine ... the green baron was the first one my mom ever painted for me ... I brought the hiker back from Germany and it reminds me of hiking in Germany and Switzerland ... I could list something special about each one.  My boys love to see these old friends re-appear each year.