Hello and happy Monday Friends ~
I wasn't sure if I'd have time to pop in and do a post...but I'm working to do a quick one. When I get a chance I'll come around for a visit too! My in-law's head back to AZ tonight so we will be occupied today. But I have a little time this morning to say hi and I hope you've been having a wonderful holiday season. ❤️💚
I look forward to seeing what you've been up to - have you been having jolly holidays??
Matt & I had a magical Christmas here. We actually got some snow and had a white Christmas -which added to the special. We've been back to rain now - boo. So it's been brown and ugly again. But Christmas was dreamy and fluffy white. We did a fun pasta dinner and gift opening with my kiddos on the 23rd. Then we had a wonderful Christmas Eve brunch with my Mom and my Bro & SIL - until they had to leave early because my SIL's Mom was having a health issue. Thankfully she is doing well now 🙏🏻
Christmas Eve night was mass and fun game time with my kiddos.
Christmas Day we spent the whole day with my in-law's. My kids were with their Dad, and my in-law's came over from their air b&b and we wore pj's all day, had a yummy ham dinner, played cards and watched Christmas movies. It was wonderful and so relaxing.
We also took my in-law's out for a fancy dinner for their 50th anniversary on the 21st. Matt took the days after Christmas off of work so we we had more quality time with his folks doing activities, like one afternoon we went to the movie Wicked too.
It was awesome having my kiddos both staying here at the house. Matt's folks usually went back to their air b&b in the early evening. So we then came back home to late gamer nights, snacks & laughs with my kids. They also enjoyed hanging out with Matt's folks. Especially Annie hung out with us a lot. :)
Everything was just how I hoped and dreamed for our first married Christmas together. An absolute perfect ending to this incredible year we've had!
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
some coffee with protein creamer and a little piece of cherry kringle because it's still the holidays 😋
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
errands, New Year's groceries, Christmas with our friends, extra hospice work time later in the week for me, plans that Annie & I have together
THINKING ABOUT:
How crazy it is that 2024 is already coming to an end. Reflecting a lot on what an amazing year it's been. My many abundant blessings. The goodness of our Lord. And that I continue to be excited for all that is ahead! ❤️🙏🏻
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
Still all the festive decorations around. It's been so gray and foggy out and I'm hoping for either sunshine or snow ahead! So tired of gray or rain out the window - it's so not normal for the northwoods
CURRENTLY READING
My new awesome herb book I got from Aaron for Christmas. It's called The Cook's Herb Garden: Grow, Harvest, Cook
by Jeff Cox & Marie Pierre Moine
ON THE TV TODAY:
We watched Carry On from netflix: a kind of a fun thriller, movies taped, food network shows, still catching up on TWD, jeopardy
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY -
TUESDAY -
WEDNESDAY -
THURSDAY -
FRIDAY -
*still trying to decide on menu this week and finalize our NYE plans - might be going out...or might make a bunch of fun snacks for staying in. Have some fun ideas for some snacks and games to play.
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
read, play on my ipad, play games, watch movies
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
I think "cheater" cookie dough packages from the store can be nice to keep on hand when you don't have time to bake homemade. But sometimes I like to embellish them to make them more my own. Like these peanut butter cookies that I pushed chocolate and butterscotch chips into. They've become a Matt fave. And then, voila!, you have some fresh cookies for the big ornament cookie jar! Lol 😉
FROM THE CAMERA:
I felt so loved and spoiled this Christmas. Matt got us these pj's to wear Christmas day and I just loved them and thought they were so sweet. I received so many fun and thoughtful gifts but highlights were a book on herbs and their uses (for when I garden this summer) and an herb tool & other goodies from Aaron. All of the tools and things I need to learn to make homemade sourdough from Annie. And so many fun little things from Matt - but there were 2 things I especially loved that I received from him. First was a towel warmer, because he heard me say how I love to dry the load of towels to coincide with when I shower to have a warm towel when I get out. So he got me a cool tool that can warm towels, your robe, blankets etc. But my favorite gift was one that he must have spent hours working on...he made a leather bound book of our big epic year. It's about 30 pages long. He wrote it all -made it all rhyme and arranged all of the pics. It moved me to tears and was so thoughtful and romantic. He even added some current pics of the season and even looked ahead ending it about our NYE. Here's just a sample of some of the pages and the ending he wrote:
😢💗 just love this and him so much!
This house is in our neighborhood - we often walk or drive by it. I especially love it at Christmas time and always call it the Kevin McCallister house because it reminds me of the movie Home Alone.