Here Comes Friday

The baking supplies are ready. Friday is bake day. Oh, and cleaning day. Hmmm, and wrapping day. And ummmm, organize your life day. Oooohhh and Sam and Blake come home for Christmas on Friday!

When I have a looong list Hubby always asks, "so, what are you doing in the afternoon?"

Friday is going to be one of those days...

So this afternoon I am going to play.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Good Things:
*The decorations are up.
*The Cantata on Sunday evening prepared me spiritually for Christmas.
*Hubby and I had a nice lunch with Danny at Chantella's in Edmonds yesterday.
*My shopping could be finished but I am going on Thursday to Seattle Outlets.
*The weather is warming up.
*I finally planned the docents' Christmas party. BINGO!
*A girls' movie night tonight, Julie and Julia.
*I had a nice nap this afternoon.
*December mail is fun, thanks for all the wonderful cards.
*A pedicure is on the calendar for Saturday-yay!

Bad Things:
*The decorations are up EXCEPT for the greens.
*My shopping could be finished but I can't quit.
*The weather is warming up, and I want a white Christmas.
*I have a teeny tiny start of a sore throat and ear ache.
*I haven't been making dinner... tomorrow Max, I promise!
*No Christmas cookies have been baked here.
*No cards are being written.

The ugly would be the melting, gray, slushy snow and Max's response to No dinner tonight again.

A 'It's Good to Be a Parent' Night

Max had Tolo Christmas dance Saturday night. Max and Kassie looked so great. She is so pretty and her dress was darling. They went with Tyler and his date, Joci, and Jesse and Emily, and Chad and Erica.

Brian and Holly invited the group to their place for pictures, then an appetizer party for the parents. In the morning Brian and Holly's kitchen was still being remodeled, at 6:00 p.m. they had a party. Amazing or crazy, you decide.





Max drove, but not without a three point sermon from his Dad and constant reminders from Mom to be careful!
Definitely a night when it's fun to be a parent.

Girls' Traditions

Thursday evening was Girls' Night Out. This is one of my favorite nights of the Christmas season. Four friends, since elementary school, dinner out, gifts for everyone and so much talking and laughing I come home hoarse. What's not to love?

We started our evening at Sheryl's place. She had bacon wrapped, stuffed dates and a festive libation waiting for us. Her house is so festive and pretty for the holidays.

Before dinner we have a traditional photo with a toasting pose. I have these pictures since 1983. We haven't changed a bit!

This year I made mini albums for the girls of our day of Going NoWhere, and celebrating fifty. Doreen is wondering what is in her package. She looks like her niece Ruby in the picture.

A special evening built around friendship and traditions.

We Interrupt This Program

I took many photos yesterday of pretty, dazzling, beautiful seasonal sights. I may get to those later...

I was with someone yesterday, who went to the ladies room and came back with this bit of loveliness. She just had to share with us the state of the world. It's not looking good. In efforts to be GrEeN the quality of TP has seriously been on the decline.

Isn't that just the thinnest TP evah?

Later I will be returning to regularly scheduled Christmas wonderfulness. {promise}

Letting Go

Christmas is coming, it's crazy busy, so let's all be flexible. Speaking of flexible I took Miss Emilyn to gymnastics at the YMCA tonight. It's really cute.

I hope I can be flexible this season and just roll with what comes my way.

Hubby and I made a list, we know what we need. I spent some time on Amazon and ordered gifts. We made an executive decision to forego cards this year(Merry Christmas, please don't drop me!), no post-Cantata party, less gifts, no gifts for each other. It is all good just a bit hard for moi to let go. Even though I KnOw that it's all for my own good. Relax, it's all good!

Sam was on the NEWS in San Antonio, Texas. {love that}