Weekend Plans

It's December! The coziest, merriest time of the year! Our weekend plans reflect that. I plan on being lazy cozy and merry all weekend. Friday is a make pizza and watch a Christmas movie kind of night. Peyton is planning on making some yummy pizza, and I think Flynn will choose a movie. And there is a 99.99% chance it will be Frosty the Snowman. Fortunately, that one is a favorite here. I love it. But Rudolph will always be my favorite. : )

Saturday is free. Which translates to...stay in jammies and drink coffee on the sofa while watching television before getting ready for Mass in the early afternoon. Just keeping it real, my friends. : ) Saturday night we will get some take out and head home for a quiet night together. This time of year I so enjoy simply sitting and looking at the tree. Is that weird? Maybe. But...me. : )

Sunday we will organize and wrap gifts for our friends and family. We enjoy doing it together, and have a pretty good system going. I am the organizer...Steve is the wrapper...Flynn secures the bows and ribbons...Peyton writes out the tags...and Rhett organizes them in piles...to give, to deliver, and to send. After that, and an afternoon nap...dinner will be lasagna and garlic toast. Then our Sunday night fix...The Holiday Baking Championship. Followed of course by The Walking Dead. Which hopefully will be better than last week.

Here is a quick look at the past week here in our country home...

Advent is here.

That makes me happy.

December is here as well.

And that means fun.

I countdown the days until Christmas on the chalkboard in the kitchen, and I write  one or two Christmas activities each day.

Sometimes it is a prayer intention. Other times it is a popcorn and a special movie night. Just little things to help us enjoy each and every moment of this magical season.

December 1st brings the Advent Candy calendars too.

Always a favorite in this house. : )

Suddenly, my Flynn is a kid. Does that happen to you too? One day she was small. And suddenly she was older. Here she is after setting the table all by herself for the first time. And she did it with that big smile on her face the entire time. I think with the baby, I see her as  younger than she is. Maybe. I don't know. You'd think after four kids and twenty years, I'd have this whole thing down, right? But no. Still winging it. : )

Our Daily Activities in December are all about Christmas. Fun Christmas. This week, we learned about reindeer. I read Flynn some interesting facts about them, and she wrote her favorite down before we decorated it as... you guessed it...a reindeer. We also watched the sweetest video on YouTube of a baby reindeer taking her first steps. It was adorable!

Finally, we made some fresh reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn for Santa's Reindeer.

We mixed oatmeal, cinnamon, and a whole bunch of Christmas sprinkles and colored sugar together. Then we shook it all up. And that would be Rhett's headphones she's wearing. She likes to wear them around sometimes. Because. Fun.

All ready for Christmas Eve.

Hopefully we added enough sparkle so the reindeer can find their way!

While my youngest was making Reindeer food here at home, my oldest was doing this. Across the ocean. That is my Madison on the right, doing what she does best...making women look and feel more beautiful. She is finishing her make up academy course, and will soon be certified! I am so very proud of her for following her dreams.

I am also proud of her for continuing our Advent traditions in Denmark. Here is Nicolas opening his Advent calendar...

And here is my girl lighting the Advent candle.

When I get sad about the fact that my firstborn is grown and off on her own, I remember something two of my very dear friends told me. They told me not to be sad. But to be happy. Because I did that! I raised this amazing child to be a responsible, lovely young woman with all the skills and confidence she needs to fly off on her own. And I created a home she would want to return to as much as she can. And that helps. It really does.

In other news...the puppies in this house got their Christmas haircuts!

This is Kirby looking fresh and clean...

And here's my Mocha!

Puppies are the best.

Have a merry, cozy December weekend, my friends.

Thank you so much for visiting!

Oh. And a few years ago I did a series on 24 Things To Do Until Christmas Comes.

If you are a new reader and are interested, you can find it starting here.

Happy December!