Well, we’ve almost finished up our leftovers. I’m also eating the last piece of birthday cake. Does this weekend just seem like the longest weekend on the calendar because the holiday is on a Thursday… or because there’s just so much food left to finish off?

I wrote our Christmas letter last week and am now wondering whether or not we should even send out a Christmas letter this year. The past few years have included exciting life changes — graduations, pregnancies, births, jobs, moves, etc. It made sense to send out a letter since we were changing addresses, we had added new family members, and so on. This year? Nothing much has happened. I love getting letters from other people, though, no matter how many or how few changes they’ve had in the past year, so maybe I should just go ahead with mine. How about you? Do you send out Christmas letters? Pictures? Cards?
We finished up our Christmas shopping this week, and yesterday, I wrapped my last present of the season. Yay! This was no easy feat with Ana and Emma’s “help,” but it’s done. Now if I can just keep Ana from unwrapping the gifts that are under the tree. And keep Emma from trying to eat the ornaments on the tree.

I spent last night finishing up a little translation project I was working on for my sister. Do I speak another language? Not hardly. But I did have my handy dandy little dictionary and a basic knowledge of the structures of the language, and that was enough for the very simple math glossary that she needed. I thought I had lost the document a couple of weeks ago, and there was much gnashing of teeth and groaning at the thought of all those wasted hours of work. Thankfully, Wes was able to retrieve the irretrievable file, and I was able to finish it and pass it along. Whew!

This week, I’m going to start back on the curriculum work for Sunday school. It seems like the new year is really far away and that I have all the time in the world to start churning out those weeks, but it will be here before we know it. I’d like to be ahead a little so that I can actually enjoy Christmas, instead of spending my time worrying that I haven’t prepared enough weeks in advance.

I think that’s about it. Reese has been eating her weight in puppy food while I’ve been typing this, so she probably needs to take a little trip to the backyard. Better go and let her out!

EDIT: In honor of the approaching season, here’s a fun little survey about Christmas!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper — much more fun to rip into

2. When do you put up the tree? Earlier and earlier every year… this year was mid-way through November.

3. Real tree or artificial? Artificial — doesn’t make a mess!

4. When do you take the tree down? First week of January

5. Do you like eggnog? Nooooo…

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A huge rocking horse

7. Hardest person to buy for? My grandmother — she doesn’t need or want anything!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ana and Emma — we find something they “need” every time we go shopping.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we’ve just started to collect them!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I honestly can’t think of anything…

12. Favorite Christmas movie? “Small One”

13. When you do start shopping for Christmas? The earlier the better. This year, I started in March.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope. (I did regift a couple of wedding presents we received in duplicate, though. And didn’t feel at all bad about it since they were super nice gifts!)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sugar cookies… mmm….

16. Lights on the tree? Yes

17. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? At home for the actual holiday, travel before and after the big day.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph — is that all of them?

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? I would like to start the tradition of doing it Christmas morning… we’ll see if that actually happens.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People acting all crazy in the stores!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love (and so do the girls) the “Cooking Santas” from Wes’s grandparents’ tree. We were somehow fortunate enough to inherit some of them, and I always catch Ana and Emma walking around with one they’ve snagged from the tree!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I always enjoy the Christmas dinners where we go all untraditional and order a pizza. Really.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A night away with my hubby for our anniversary!