Santa Was Here!!

We have had the most magical Christmas.  Our break from the everyday hustle and bustle has been fabulous.  From impromptu gatherings with friends around the fire pit….to decorating Christmas cookies with neighbors….it’s been perfect.  My children SO enjoy our traditions that have developed over the years.  It’s really fun pulling them together to do things like making toffee for the neighbors. They love it.  I make sure I have all my chickens back in the house to start this process – and they help from beginning to end and love it.  Apple cider is going…Christmas music is flowing…I shut down my crazy self and get into ‘them’.  You get the picture.

Some of our Christmas traditions include planting Paperwhite bulbs to watch bloom in the kitchen…..I love the way they stink.  We planted these just before the children got out of school….around the 15th of December.  This is what they looked like Christmas Eve day.

We made a Gingerbread house….

decorated Christmas cookies with our peeps in the hood…..

…AND waited on Santa.  Lists were made, elves were hunted and just good old fashioned Christmas fun.  My children sang in church Christmas Eve (Oooh – just had a thought to bore you with a video…..but their choirs really are beautiful…we’ll see if I can make that link happen.)

Guess What…Santa came!

…and we spent Christmas morning enjoying our toys…..outside….with the neighbors and their toys.  Okay, yes, there were some mimosas and bloodies……and then oysters and beers…….but fun times had by all.

Look what Santa brought….. FORCED. FAMILY. FUN.

The day went on….and even the rain didn’t get us out of the yard.  The laughter NEVER subsided.  My oldest son finally said around 8:00 p.m. that he was done….it was time for him to shut down.

 

A 1000-piece puzzle was received as a gift…..and started Christmas night……  Many, many hours of puzzling later…..we have this!

Ah the Holidays.

Okay……here’s the deal.  The tree came down on the 26th…decorations got shoved back into the attic and I’m ready to strangle Karen Carpenter.  The snicker doodles are in the trash……I’m tired of scraping up wax from your new crayon maker and finding marshmallows from your new marshmallow gun is killin’ me…..hang up the new clothes……throw away the boxes….the Paperwhites have bloomed and it’s time for your lil’ a**es to go back to school.  That’s right….I had a blast and we squeezed the season for all there was to offer.  But buh bye.  Go’on so this house can remain somewhat in order for a millisecond.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve…..and my husband and I are headed to a dinner party with a Murder Mystery game.  My character is a reporter…..and my husband is an old, gray-haired housekeeper.  Thelma.  Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaahaaaa