All most here

T'was the day before Christmas and all thru the house, all the creatures were stirring, I hope there are no mice, or... a mouse.
 
I think we are ready.  We have had a busy few weeks decorating, shopping, baking, celebrating, preparing for tomorrow. 

Sterling said I was obsessed with the mantel, he was right.

Decorating:  When we got out the usual stuff to decorate, I put a garland and some Santa's on the mantel and thought "I have to do better than this"  So I googled images of Christmas mantels and BAM, many wonderful ideas.  (I love google)  I took some ideas from two or three and came up with mine.  The goal was to see if I could spend very little.  The only things I ended up buying were some sprigs of color for the garland, the candles and the board to paint JOY on.  I love it! 

 
The little trees I've had forever, but the bases were so bad on them that they toppled over, so I got out the chop saw and chopped the bases off then created new ones out of 1x2's drilled in to make a base.  Our stocking I made as each child came along, really usually by the time they were 3 and noticed that they needed a stocking too.  Here  are a few other sights at our house:

Traditional family tree this year

 

 

The reason we celebrate

 

Shopping:  I have to say I did most of the shopping online this year.  I told the kids it was an Amazon Christmas.  And I'm glad I did.  After working all day and having things I need to do for church, I was too tired to go shopping.  It was fun to have the boxes arrive at the house and open to see what came.  Sterling and I went out one Friday evening to pick up a few last minute things, it was fun to go and spend some time with him.  Brendon and Kevra did some wrapping for me this week, and Saturday, I put in "The Bishop's Wife" to watch in our room while I wrapped.  It is an old Christmas movie from the 40's with David Niven, Cary Grant and Loretta Young.  Black and white.  Noone else likes it but me.

Baking:  Kevra got home the 13th and it has been so fun to have her home.  She is quite the cook and has been a great help with baking.  We made truffles (the cookie kind), gingerbread, cranberry cookies, fudge, pretzel bark and pecan tassies. 

 

 

I loved the pumpkin truffles, well.. all the truffles.  The gingerbread was a yummy recipe I will make again, as were the cookies and bark.  The fudge is my mother's recipe.  Funny story: I always thought it was this guarded family recipe.  One day I was at the doctor's office reading a magazine.  They were listing all the president's wives Christmas recipes over the years.  I was reading Mamie Eisenhower's fudge recipe, it was my mother's!  I asked mom about it later.  She said she may have gotten it from a magazine... when it was originally printed.  So much for 'family secrets.'

3 generations

Celebrating:  Kevra, Mom and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Nutcracker.  I have to tell you we go every year.  You would think we would get tired of it, but nope.  I love the music and costumes, but mostly the dancing.  Always a little comedy.  We go to a local production by Ballet Etudes, so there are kids in it, but it is very well done, very professional.  We love the Rat King death scene and the gingerbread man who loses an arm.  This year, the smoke machine went wild in the snow scene and the front several rows were waving a way to get it to clear.  We were near the back.  This has been a girls activity since Kevra was 3, only missing  a couple of years due to illness or timing.  We have been to the big one at  Symphony hall and a couple of others, but this is the one we like the best.  We go to lunch (or dinner) then go.  This year was the matinee and lunch at Crackers.  Kevra asked me if I would come and see it with her and her daughter some day... absolutly.
We also had Jordon's band concert, our caroling (about 40 this year), my VT brunch (15 this year), ward party (cute video of the kids) and the Smith family dinner (progressive dinner this year, lots of fun).

So, I think we are ready.  I'm making a pecan pie today.  We are missing Trevor and Jessica and Shad, so happy they are at home and not the hospital.  Read about their happenings at her blog MOMENTS.  They are doing well.  We so appreciate all the prayers and love for them. 

Merry Christmas, have a wonderful day.