Best of the Rest

The days leading up to Christmas were so jam packed. Here are some of the things we did to get us in the spirit of the big day:

Gifts for neighbors. Okay, every year of my married life I have made plates of cookies to take to the neighbors just like my mom did, but I made a little note to myself last year to skip the baking sessions because I came to the end of season feeling fat and depressed. (Nice, huh?) So this year I gave peppermint hand soap with some peppermint See's candies included for good measure. I'd like that for a gift so I hope no one else was disappointed!

The kids have so much fun taking the gifts around the neighborhood.

Every year our church receives 25 or so names of children in the ACAC program. (Abused Children . . . something or other.) We picked children that were the same age and gender as our children and then our children chose and wrapped gifts for them to be opened Christmas morning. These are children in foster care who won't receive any other gifts than the ones we bought for them. Our kids really got into it this year. I only wish they could have actually seen the looks on those children's faces when they opened their gifts!

This picture was taken the Sunday before Christmas, camera propped on the fireplace. Not bad!

It takes a lot of tries to get a good picture like that.

They've gotta sleep under the tree at least one night.

Kate made 15 festive pillowcases to take to Childrens Hospital of L.A. I didn't touch the sewing machine even once. She is such a great girl!

The obligatory Gingerbread house . . .

Christmas Eve nativity program at my in-law's home. (After Dad's customary New England oyster stew.)

I'm sure I was risking my life taking this picture but I couldn't resist. This was Christmas Eve Day. Something about it is so California Christmas to me.