Catching up!

Christmas was just one month ago. Time flies too fast! We had a lovely Christmas celebration and I was going to post pictures the weekend after Christmas. However, on Christmas Eve I felt a sore throat coming on and by Christmas Day I knew I was getting a good cold. I barely remember the days between Christmas and New Year's Day. I started getting better but not really well. It has only been the last week that I finally feel that my head is clear and I no longer have a cough! And so, I decided it was time to pack up the Christmas decorations so I can make way for some sewing projects. Before I do that..........I'll share my mantra/words for the year because they are important to this post. I get so busy that sometimes I don't stop to just "be". I am going to be less busy this year and just "be" a whole lot more. So the words to guide me in that mission..........Revisit......Reflect.......Refresh! Yep, I am going to revisit a number of activities, projects and plans that I did last year and simply never had time to post about. I'm going to reflect on them..........maybe some plans or projects will never get finished......so then I'll have to hit my "refresh" button. LOL!  Anyway, this year is all about just "being". Yes, just "being". I need to relax and I started that plan at Christmas. I just didn't plan on getting sick right after Christmas. Anywho.........I set the relaxing mood at the dining room table with this scene.................

I have never bought real flowers for my Christmas table in all the years we have been married but this year I bought a small bouquet of red roses and they added such a lovely touch to the table that I am going to do this next year. My husband is not a "flower guy" so last summer I decided that I would buy flowers for the table every time I went to the grocery store. It's a small splurge but I decided that I'm worth it at my age. LOL!

Our Christmas Eve dinner has become sort of a tradition.......Steve cooks a great big ham and I make potato soup. It is my son-in-law Daryl's favorite! The soup was thick and yummy......we actually didn't need bowls.

And our dessert was fudge that I made and all these delicious cookies made by Katie and family at Collette's daycare. By evening's end over half the tray of cookies was gone!

Addison had fun handing out all the gifts...........

 everybody got something that made them smile. Here's the "Tool Man" at our house..........

 and son Devlin is smiling because he loves to play pool and that little ornament features an 8 ball. I always find such fun stuff at the local thrift shops!

 Jacob was happy with a movie that Devlin got him .......

 and Addison loved her Monster High doll from Devlin.

 and I got the giggles over this gift .............it's containers of Chips Ahoy cookies from son, Devlin. He and Steve know that I cannot pass up these cookies when I am at the grocery store. Addison took the photo and it's a little fuzzy but so funny.

Then there was this gift for me from Collette, Daryl, Jacob and Addison. I unwrapped the package to find this note.........

I could see it was fuzzy socks, just what I had asked for but then, tucked between the socks was .........

Mr. Hooper!!! And why did I get Mr. Hooper? Well, when Jacob was little he liked to play with the Sesame Street house and characters that Collette got for Christmas when she was five years old. One day, Kaiser, who was quite a naughty puppy, did a really naughty thing and he ate Mr. Hooper! I was so sad. So, Daryl got the idea to go on E-bay and look for a Mr. Hooper to replace the one that Kaiser thought was so tasty. Once again, I found myself laughing and it was just so fun. That Sesame Street set was a Christmas gift in 1974 and now, all these years later, it's complete once again. So, that's just a little glimpse into our Christmas.
Today, I packed away the last of the decorations and made notes of plans for next year, because after all........it's just 11 months til Christmas! Sewing projects are in my plans for Tuesday. I have so many unfinished projects that there is no shortage of stuff to do in my sewing room. ;-)
Stay warm, stay safe on those highways if you are out in this snowy, icy weather. And if you are in warmer corners of the world......stay cool!
Sandi