Consilio Christmas Countdown

As Joshua announced this morning...."The HOLIDAYS are here!"

Monday - I had 25 children and their mothers come over for our 3rd annual Gingerbread Decorating Party. This year seems to be the smoothest of them all so far. We might have it down before too many more years - only problem is that we are running out of room in my house. This year our party included me learning how to replace a window. With Dylan's help - it turned out pretty good!! Day 1 of Jordonna taking no nap!

Tuesday - Finished Christmas shopping and grocery shopping. Said I would not be returning to any store the rest of the week. I planned on "hunkerin' " down at home the rest of the week. The boys hung Christmas lights for me and we headed out to my mom's and raided her attic for more Christmas lights. Jordonna liked a tree limb in a coffee can so we brought that home and is on our back porch - actually kinda cute with a skirt around it. We also are housing 2 reindeer in our front yard for the holidays, now. Day 2 of Jordonna taking no nap!!

Wednesday - Hunkerin' down didn't work out too well. Richard reminded me of blueberry cordials he wanted in his stocking that I didn't get and I agreed to make his favorite holiday cookies - noblies and snowballs. I had to run to the store to get 3 kinds of nuts for all the cookies. I spent the rest of the afternoon baking!!! On the list of baking:

• Noblies


• Snowballs (Russian Teacakes)


• pressed cookies


• sugar cookie cutouts


• chocolate covered pretzels rods


• fire crackers


• and dinner in the crock pot (I was too busy to stop and cook)

Nap was only 1 hour!! After baking, I headed over to finish wrapping all the gifts that I had stored at an "off sight location" Also on my to do list once Richard gets home - get my dad's gift out to my parents house before they arrive home from Missouri with my nieces and brother.

Thursday - The Fultons are joining us to decorate the sugar cookie cutouts. I suppose I should get some laundry done?? And I will most likely have to finish wrapping. Clean house?? It's not too bad but toys are slowly accumulating in my living room over the past 3 days. NAP TODAY MUST BE NORMAL 2 -2 1/2 HOURS!!

Friday - Christmas EVE!! I will head out to my mom's house. At Thanksgiving I said that I wanted to learn how to make meringue pie over the Christmas break and today will be the day!! I'm so excited that I jumped the gun and bought my own ingredients to make it at home, but my mom wants me to wait :( That's okay, I'll make one at her house and come home and make more. I can share with everyone at the office. We will attend Christmas Eve services with my parents and brother at their church. Afterwards everyone is coming to my house for games and dinner - potato soup, bread, shrimp dip, cheese dip, and all those goodies and chocolate pie I mention earlier. I'm predicting no nap - she will be too busy chasing her cousins around Nonnie's house.

CHRISTMAS DAY - Wake up and put our Blueberry Breakfast Casserole in the oven and wait for the kids to wake excited to see what Santa has brought them. This year we have not put anything under our tree, until Christmas night. I can't wait to see their faces when they see all their gifts! That afternoon we head to my mom's for Christmas dinner.

???? - have to squeeze in a day with my dad - not sure when???

New Year's weekend - Heading to San Antonio for The Consilio Christmas. I'll let you know if we make it past midnight this year.

Merry Christmas everyone! We love you all. Have a blessed New Year!!