Merry Christmas, Everyone!

We want to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas!

Ours is great and promises to be fun all week! Christopher is very excited about just about everything. The tree is beautiful and he likes to sit and look at it. He has a gift under the tree that is just worrying him crazy, he "just wants to know what is inside". The Christmas calendar on the wall has been the best for helping him keep track of the days. He can look at it and see that there are only two more pockets with goodies in them, and that means only ONE more day until Christmas, Mommy! It's a fun age, that's for sure.

And an EASY one. All he wants for Christmas, besides the two front teeth that are slowly coming in now, is "a star wars video game" for his nintendo DS. Good thing it came in weeks ago, the rest is gravy.

We made gingerbread cookies with Chris and a friend of his, and 6 of the neighborhood kids on Monday afternoon. They were: 4- and 5-yr old boys, 2 six yr old girls, and 9-, 10- and 11- yr old boys, as well as a 16 yr old girl. We had the dough and the icing ready, and they did all the rolling out and over half the decorating, and they did a great job! Oh, yes, there were sprinkles and icing on the floor and pretty much everywhere, and one of the girls turned on the kitchen aid too high when there was confectioners sugar in it (can we say POOF went the sugar! on everything!), but it was all fun, and they did such a great job! It's always interesting to see which cutters they choose, and how they like to decorate. They take their jobs very seriously, and they were all very happy to take home their plates of completed cookies. All this to help me reach an epiphany this week...one of my "missions" in this lifetime is to help the love of baking reach the little guys. Some people never bake, and never get to help. I have always enjoyed sharing this fun hobby, and know that it must be part of my job in life to keep the baking torch going.

Then we made 2 double batches of gingerbread cookies for Mike's work folks this morning. Planned to make them earlier, but there are only so many hours in a day! So, got it done today, then went in search of the ornaments to also stuff in their bags, and then for the delivery.

Wrote addresses on the envelopes for cards a couple weeks ago, and that would be the cards we purchased almost 2 months ago. Even got all the stamps we'd need. But, alas, I don't think very many of them will go out this year. Or if so, they will be late. As they say, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Got the greens all cleaned out and cooked done. Pork is cubed and marinating in New Mexico-style red chile sauce so it can cook in the crockpot pretty much all day....Carne Adovada. We have the tortillas and sour cream ready and waiting. Only thing missing are tamales and posole. Part of a NM tradition for Christmas Eve that we really enjoy. Mike is even planning on putting out luminarias in the yard, but it will really depend on weather! Whether the weather is cooperating, or raining!

Then, need to wrap all the little guy's stuff and put under the tree. That will be fun to do tomorrow night!

On Christmas day, we will also make a birthday cake for my honey, who will break off from the little club we formed, called the 44 club, to do his thing and turn 45! Only 5 more years to 50 for him, hmmmm, now won't that be a fun party!

Merry Christmas to you all, and peace and love for always!
Virginia, Mike & Christopher
Maya, Lucky & Lisa (the dog and the piggies)