Housewife, 54

All right!  Here I am posting just a couple of days after Christmas this year... instead of months later! It was another quiet Christmas.  Very nice in it's own way.  We did not do a lot of shopping this year - both of our kids have decided that they really don't want excessive gift-giving, for different reasons, but that is fine with me.  A gift or two is always good, but the excess that we see from our consumer-based media is not at all what we want anymore.  I hope my older son sticks with this idea as his boys get older.  My brother and sister-in-law have maintained a modest Christmas with their kids, and I respect them for that. In any way, it was a very nice time. I DID find myself sewing one gift, but I got it done a good FOUR DAYS early!  Unheard of for me!  I'm usually finishing up something after everyone else has gone to bed. Younger son in his made-to-order shirt from Mom. Now, that is out of order... let's get back on track.... I did a bit of

It is undoubtedly my favorite holiday of the year.  The one time of the year when all of the family comes home.  And food....Have I mentioned that I love to cook?  This year we did not go overboard with the food, though.  We are learning that no matter how good it is, eating rich, "special" foods for an entire weekend is gluttony... and makes you feel icky.  Especially when you get on the scales the Monday morning afterwards. This year we flipped celebration days.  Hubby's birthday is the 23rd, which was Friday, and Thanksgiving is on Thursday, but the kids were all driving in on Thursday so couldn't be sure of arrival time (toddler and an infant in a car for 9+hours???).  So Grandpa's birthday celebration was Thursday night after everyone arrived, and we did our Turkey Feast on Friday. It was a lovely weekend and fun with kids.  Now I am just going to insert a bunch of photos. assembling a Gingerbread House kit Being busy like daddy (in the other roo