I'm done!

No really, I'm done... I can hear my Mother saying, "You're not done, you're finished, only cookies and steak are done!" ......and yes, the cookies are done too!  I've made lists, shopped, wrapped, crafted, decorated, cleaned, made more lists, organized, addressed, mailed, laundered, more lists, bagged, planned and now I'm ready to enjoy, celebrate, eat, drink and spend the last two weeks before Santa arrives just plain being merry.....if it kills me!  This week I have a lunch and a dinner I'm looking forward to. Spending time with friends who are right around the corner but are busy doing all the things I just mentioned.  Strange how friends can be so close and yet so far away.  One day we'll regret the fact that we didn't take the time ...............to take the time!  Next week is another lunch and dinner with even more friends and then Jeff arrives and the holiday is in full swing.  Looking forward to next Saturday when all the Hatfield/Kehoe/Reinhart/ crew will gather here for our family Christmas.  We've decided to capture the event in all it's glory in photos. If you think it's tough to get a family of four happy, smiling and clean...wait till we try 33. We'll have 9 little ones under the age of 13, a table of 6 who won't make the grown ups ( and I use the term loosely) table this year but are "oh so close!" and the adult's table of 18.  If only we had our California crew....we'd be complete.

Two weeks from tonight Santa will arrive. It's already been established: that he remembers that Grandma and Papa do not have a chimney so a door will be left unlocked, that Bailee IS confirmed to be on the "Nice List," that he does enjoy a snack and it doesn't have to be cookies, that her gifts do not need to be wrapped as that's just a waste of "perfectly good trees" and that chances are that Uncle Jeff will still be awake so please don't wait till he's sleeping to stop at EIEIO!!

Let the merriment commence!