Weekend Recap

This weekend, I sort of picked out the cookies I'm going to make this year but the long list needs to become a shorter list. There are several variations on a theme that will be reduced to the best on the list (hopefully).

We also put out some Christmas lights on the porch and the shrubs. We always thought we had a ton of lights until we had something more to decorate than just a tree. For next year, we will need at least 4 more sets of lights but we're going to wait until everything is on clearance before we do that, especially since we aren't even here this year for Christmas. Next year, I would like to get some more of the red berry garland I got on clearance at Pottery Barn a few years ago. We have it going up some spindles on the top of the porch but it's a little sparse. I would also like to get some kind of green garland and bow for the little lamp we have outside near the driveway.

We also decided since we are not going to be here this year, we are going to skip the tree. I'm so burned out from life and the semester that it just seems like so much energy to go and pick out a tree in the cold. This also means that we would have to buy more lights and we briefly looked this weekend and things were really picked over or we couldn't find lights similar to what we already have. Our other concern is how Clete will be with the tree, he tries to eat everything so I'm pretty sure we have our answer. If we were hosting Christmas this year, we would certainly get one but the only people coming to our house before Christmas are S and A and the kids and I'm sure eldest E would love nothing more than to go after the ornaments on the tree. Doesn't seem worth it this year.

We also did our Christmas cards this weekend, just have to get the stamps so we can send them.

In upcoming holiday plans, we have a Christmas party this weekend at one of the band members house. He has a party every year where he airs National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, no one actually pays attention to it because we're all busy eating and drinking. He has a small one bedroom condo and crams about 40 people in there so it gets loud, so if anyone is actually interested in watching the movie they best do it on their own time.

The following weekend, S and A and the tiny ones are coming over to bake Christmas cookies. We have done it 3 out of the past 4 years and it's always a good time and I definitely eat my quota of cookie batter (even though I hear my mother scolding me like a little devil on my shoulder the whole time I'm doing it).

A few days after that we fly home! We're only there for a few days and most of those will contain holiday related goodness so I only have one night to hang out with J and meet her fiance! I'm really looking forward to seeing her, it's been quite awhile!