A long winter's nap

Hello there readers!

 

I am alive.....and finally back to the land o'blogging.

 

We spent a week in Tucson for the holidays and then I took the next week "off" to just not worry about doing a lot of the things I normally do.  This includes blogging, grocery shopping and showering/getting dressed before 4 pm.  I also did a lot of reading.  I have FINALLY read the entire Hunger Games trilogy!  It has been great.  Spencer and I both have tomorrow off and then it is back to our regular schedules on Tuesday. 

 

I am going to make a concentrated effort to get caught up this week.  That means we will be revisiting a long ago time called December 2013.

 

We'll start with Christmas Eve.

 

We drove down to Tucson the morning of the 24th.  It's the only day for the whole month that I didn't get a picture of Winston.  We took both of our cars down this year and Winston was ready and waiting in the front seat (buckled and everything) of Michael's car.

 

That evening Spencer and I went to church with my parents and my brother Nick.  Michael and Elliott stayed at home.  There were 2 reasons: 1) We didn't want to spend the entire mass chasing Elliott around and 2) Somebody needed to be home to start the prime rib.  Michael volunteered.

 

We got some decent family pictures this year.  Maybe there is hope for the future after all.

After church the rest of the family came over for dinner and presents.

 

Elliott was a cheeseball in his jammies.

After church Spencer's eczema went crazy and he was scratching himself raw, so he changed into his Snoopy Christmas t-shirt.  He was a much happier boy.

 

Then we put cookies out for Santa!

Spencer and I made homemade sugar cookies on the 23rd.  We have a shockingly limited number of actual Christmas cookie cutters, so we always end up with a basset hound cookie every year.  We always give one to Santa.

 

We also left carrots and water for the reindeer.  I think they appreciate the gesture.

And that was it.  It was a simple and lovely Christmas Eve.