How Christmas sneaks up on you...

So I looked at the calendar and realized that we were almost halfway to CHRISTMAS! AHHH! I don't know how it sneaks up on me!

I started getting out all the Christmas totes for decorating. I love the feel that the decorations bring and even though I told Matt, I won't be buying any Christmas decorations this year, I'm not sure that that is an honest response. Let's be serious. The only difficult thing is the "help" that I get around the house with the decorations. Two little helpers that wander around while I continue to yell, "Stop Eating Christmas!"
Each year I try a few new things...leads me to be creative. I had more ideas for this year... but I'm thinking it may not happen, shoot, the tree is barely decorated!

This week I gave my Grandma Dar her Christmas present. This is a tradition I kicked off last year, what do you give a woman that has everything? Time and memories...so in a sense, it's a Christmas gift to me. Last year and this year, we pick a show or a concert and make a date night out of it. This year it was Cirque Dreams Holidaze. It's a variety acts of sorts where the Christmas toys and ornaments come to life. It was amazing and had jugglers, acrobats, balancers, roller skaters, comedy/audience involvement, tumblers, dancers, singers, contortionists... many times I didn't know where to look because there was multiple things going on filling the stage. It was a wonderful night and I was so glad to spend it with her.

On Friday night, we held the second annual Moser movie night. Despite some communication bumbles, we had great apps and Matt and Dad went off to a movie that they both deemed terrible! Mom and I and Alaina watched netflix Christmas movies! Alaina was in and out as she had her tonsils and adenoids out, leaving her to be a bump on a couch while she dealt with the pain! Was a nice night to kick off a busy weekend! 

Grandma Dar wasn't the only grandma that I spent time with this week. It was a two-fer as Matt and I headed down to Morristown so he could turkey hunt and I could make sugar cookies with Grandma Elaine. What a good day! Matt did end up getting his turkey, I didn't realize how ugly they were in person. He also went coyote hunting and pheasant hunting with my cousins. Matt probably had the best weekend ever because the day before he was impromptu invited to go duck hunting with our neighbor, Bob. By the way, TonyDanza's new favorite thing is when Matt cleans birds. He sits and purrs and patiently waits for scraps to drop. It's very sad.


Back to Grandma's house, we made cookies and had a little trouble, which I admitted to her that I was glad to see as I thought all her cookie turned out like a dream (She informed me that I didn't know all the words that she said!).  In the end, they turned out pretty well. We got them frosted and decorated, with the help of supervisor Grandpa and and head sugar sprinkler, Matt, who ate just as much frosting as the rest.  

I wanted to take a picture with her and our cookies, but she was not having it!

At the end of the weekend, we decorated the tree. It's only been up and naked for a solid week but Matt got the lights and star on, I pulled out some of the decorations and we snacked a bit. I may be actually ready for Christmas when it comes. I got some baking done on Saturday inbetween friend visits both, Kay and the Noes made it to Bismarck.   

Best meal: Sure we had a lot of good ones like pizza at McKenzie River but my favorite is grandma's chicken, with gravy, mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, and dessert. Always a hit.

MJR: What’s for supper tomorrow night?
ALR: Chicken Fajita Pizza.
MJR: No, I don’t like Chicken Fajita Pizza.
ALR: WHAT?
MJR (backtracking): I don’t want new recipe night, you’ve never made it.
ALR: Yes, I did! I remember us having it.
MJR: Okay, I didn’t like it when you made it.
ALR: What!!! You ate it! You didn’t say anything!
MJR: Because you made it when we were dating.
ALR looks down at TonyDanza: It’s all lies, TonyDanza, all lies.

Additional story of the week

MJR and ALR getting ready to head out the door for Morristown
MJR: I've never hunted turkey a day in my life.
ALR: What?
MJR: I don't know what to do, 
ALR: What?
MJR: what shot to use,
ALR: What? 
MJR: And I've never cleaned one either.
ALR: Are you serious.
MJR: Yep.
ALR: Why are we just finding out about this now?
MJR: I think I should have done more research.
ALR stares at him.
MJR: If I don't get one, it's not really a big deal. It's just about the experience. See, me telling you that, wasn't worth about the $15 price of the tag?