The Lazy/Busy Days of Christmas Vacation

I don't know if there is anything I enjoy more than just hanging out with Steve on the vacation days that we share!  Nothing big on the schedule except for planning some fun into each day. . .   Today we watched a really dumb movie while waiting for Steve's new iMac to arrive.  Then we headed downtown for our yearly trip to King Books.  (If you like books - ya gotta go there sometime!)

Four floors crammed full of books!

And, well, no trip downtown is complete without a lunch stop at Lafayette Coney Island!  (Not American Coney Island, which is owned by the brother and is right next door, but Lafayette Coney Island!)  The place was packed today, but we had seats right up front enjoying all the action at the counter! 

Great fun was had by all!  

But to be honest, anywhere I go with my Sweets 

constitutes "great fun!"

Catching Up with Christmas - #2

Well, in the waining days of December, I figured, I should do a final "Christmas Catch Up."  It has been an insanely busy month, so this will be just a quick fly by of the events and activities that have taken place. . .

December 7th

Had a wonderful speaking engagement at Kirby Church!

After three times of speaking (at their three Christmas teas),
I've grown to love the ladies there.

God sure is great to allow me the opportunity
to touch the lives the other women!

December 8th

All I remember is 

that every time I looked out my classroom window,

it looked like a Winder Wonderland!

December 12th

My favorite neighborhood tree looked especially awesome

with a new coating of snow.

December 16th

Everything is set and ready for the church Christmas play -

  The Gifts of Goody Grisom.

[Note to self :  NEVER use hay for any church program - EVER!!]

December 17th

Didn't get a picture of the classroom party
(the first annual NCS 5th Grade Minute to Win It),

but I did get a picture of the Christmas bulletin board finished
AFTER everyone left for Christmas Vacation!

My students wrote about why 

they felt Christmas so so important.

Gotta love their heart-felt sincerity!

December 18th

After a family Christmas party at Nicole's, 

Steve and I dashed to the Redford Theater,

and made it in time for the Wurlitzer concert 

and a showing of White Christmas.

What a sweet way to spend the evening with the love-of-my-life!

December 21st

Due to clouds, this was the best view 

I had of the lunar eclipse during the winter solstice.

(At 3am, the computer was a poor substitute for the real thing.)

December 23rd

Finally got the Christmas tree up!

December 24th

Spent the afternoon celebrating Christmas with the family, 

celebrating Christmas Eve with our church family and grandma,

took grandma home
(who, by the way, really enjoyed the service!),

went looking for dinner

and found some beautiful Christmas lights!

Lefty's was the only restaurant we could find open.

The beefsteak was so good,

 I almost forgot to get a picture!

December 25th

Merry Christmas!

No pictures, just memories of a wonderfully relaxing day

spent with my sweets!

December 26th

Knowing how much I love Christmas lights, 

at my request, my dear one willingly drove me
all the way out to Rochester to enjoy Main Street 

decked out in its Holiday finest!

December 27th

After finding an online coupon that expired this week,

Steve took me all the way down to 

Toledo's Libbey Glass Factory

to get stuff for our All Daughter's Dinner (in May)!

And of course, 

a trip to Toledo wouldn't be complete

without a trip to Tony Packo's!

[Note to self: You don't care for the regular chili - it is way HOT!]

Catching Up with Christmas - #1

It's official, we're into December: we're celebrating "Christmas" stuff with the family, we're singing carols at church, I guess I need to just get with the program!  Rather than forging ahead at breakneck speed, I'll snag a moment here or there to "catch up with Christmas."  I don't want to forget the joy that leads up to the celebration of Christ's birth, but sometimes, during this time of year, I can get a little overwhelmed. . . Figured I'd use my moments to make the memories stick before they get lost in the shuffle.

So here it is - - my first Christmas Catch Up!


December 1st

Yup!  It snowed right on cue!

and it continued  for most of the day!!

December 2nd

Had a really fun ladies' activity at church and enjoyed the decorations that had already been set up. Thank you, Cindy, for always making the auditorium look so beautiful.

Needed, not enjoyed, but needed the devotional about being a "pretty present"

for the Lord at Christmas.

December 3rd and 4th

Nope!  No pictures. . . 

Had a crazy busy day at school.

Enjoyed a relaxing evening on date night 
with my husband.

Had a 9am Christmas play practice.

Had a 12:30p lunch date with my friend Lisa.

"Helped" my dear husband finish the rigging
for the backdrop at church.

Ran around with Steve doing errands and dinner.

Got my "costume" for the Christmas play.

At home, worked on play stuff and
speaking engagement stuff.

Called it a night!

December 5th

Sunday School and Church time
with the most wonderful group of believers!

then off to Grandma's Christmas!

We ate at Sweet Lorraine's near Laural Park
and then went back to Grandma's house.

During the course of the evening, we were discussing
tooth fairy tales

and wouldn't ya know it!
Juanita's tooth "popped" out!!

(You can barely see it, but it's the bottom right front tooth!)

Yay me!  I'm getting "caught up" with Christmas!