Three Weeks of Christmas

I started this post last week, lamenting it was already the first week of January.  And then I blinked and a week had passed.  Now it is TWO weeks into January and I am feeling the need to just photo dump the last month.

Christmas Day was spent at home, quiet, leisurely and fun.  We spent the day in our pj's.  Played games.  I cried buckets because of The.Perfect.Christmas.Gift. ever.  The kids ate stocking candy for breakfast.  Sausage gravy on toast for brunch.  Lasagna made the day before for supper.  That's as low key a day of meals that can be had around here so- totally relaxing.

The next weekend was Matt's side of the family Christmas.

The weekend after that was my side of the family Christmas, which we hosted here as usual.

It seemed to be perpetually Christmas!  And now, though I miss the twinkle of Christmas tree lights and gold glitter everywhere, I am ready to take on the New Year- though we are already halfway through the first month.

This may be perfectly telling of how 2019 may be for me.  Me, perpetually behind and frantically trying to hold onto time- to no avail.  (That sounds about right!)

Here's three weeks of Christmas....  DUMP!

Corynn's Christmas Tea partner lives in Giant Country apparently, because her 'tea box' looked more like a PEACHES box to me.  ;-) 

The cutest soap making supply I've got.  

teethers for the Twinnies

Don't look now but there is an Indiana Jones' shady sort of character scaling the Christmas tree!

Soap Tip: If you have a block of glycerin soap that has been sitting unused and dusty in a corner... shave off the dusty tops to discard and then think that they are pretty enough to add to a batch of clear soap.  And do it, dust and all.  It totally works.

Christmas morning: Bible first.  Chaos after.

Andrew bought Papa a pool table, knowing how much he pines for his own someday.

It was kinda hilarious to see his big man hands daintily holding the balls and stick.  

"She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain." -Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Adele' got her dream home for Christmas and BAGS of Playmobile thanks to some kind cast-offs.  The poor house wasn't given a rest for the rest of the day.

The fanciest part of Christmas day was the dinner that included fresh salad and lasagna made the day before.  The rest of the day could be pretty much summed up with "pj's, games and Playmobil".  

I found a little travelling circus at Aldi last summer that included a pretty pathetic lion, ringleader and clown.  But I loved the circus 'house' so I snatched it up anyway.  For Ineke's Christmas present, I painted some peg people/creatures to make it a less lame circus act.   I added shiny metallic nailpolish, felt, buttons, pompoms, sequins and fabric paint to make it a bit more tactile too.

Homemade sugar cookie whipped body butter for lots of ladies in my life.

A pirate's loot came in the mail!

The best book ever for Corynn, who rather resembles the man in the front cover in her love of chickens (and the chores they require!)  Thank you, Mary!

This dough ball was like Lucille's- it made a huge cinnamon snowflake bread, three pizzas, and two loaves of bread and almost swallowed my counter whole when it had fully risen.

I had a helper making the Christmas snowflake this year!

Meat quiche and vegetarian quiche.  Not sure which I liked best.

He's anxious for the food party to start.

I added so many pictures of the Island of Food because I want you to notice where Ineke happened to be the entire party...

...usually with a mouthful of donut.

She very discreetly plucked them from the back of the donut tree so as to go about undetected.  She's a clever one.

She ate her weight in donut holes.  It looks like it *may* be catching up to her at this point. (Notice the food hasn't even been touched yet.)  She had many more hours of snitching still to do.

hey!  No Kissie  face!

A kitty pillow for my niece CC who loves kitties... this monster was about the size as a bed pillow.  

reindeer pjs for my nephew David

I know I did good on Matt's book present this year because I am feeling like Allan Eckert and I are in some serious competition for Matt's attentions these days.  (Finish it already, would ya?!)

A puppy tote bag for my little sister Aletta

my favorite Christmas gift.  Of all time.