Christmas Joys

It's the little things that make Christmas a magical time of year.
A friend, whom I highly respect and admire, dropped by last night to give me a gift:  a gift of her delicious homemade bread and these beautiful pot holders.  Seriously, I may never use them because they are beautiful.  In fact, I may just decorate that space above my sink with them because they completely match my kitchen!!

 Then we had an impromptu kid's Christmas party today.  I baked some gingerbread men and let them decorate them.  We played a couple of games and watched a movie.  Simple.  Sweet.  Fun.

 Want some?

We have also gone caroling and visiting others.  We've taken pictures, made gifts,  and finally got the Christmas tree up and decorated.
How do you make your holidays "bright"?

The Grinch Brings Tears

I know what you are thinking..."wow, she's extremely emotional to squeeze tears out over The Grinch!"  Well, you may be partially correct, but that's because the Christmas season always gets me.
However, today was a very special day.  A sweet friend gave us tickets to go see the local production of The Grinch.  She didn't, however, forewarn me of the emotional punch I was about to receive.
One of the local dance studios puts on their rendition of The Grinch every year.  They modify it and keep it au courant so there were special little tidbits in there that kept us laughing, like references to ObamaCare or What Does the Fox Say.  The dancers and performers did wonderfully and I was quite impressed by some of the singing.  One singer, particularly.
Before the event started, an individual's mother was singled out in the crowd and it was announced that her son would be reporting as a new marine recruit the next morning.  I was so glad to be let in on that information because near the end of the production, this young man had a solo and hugged his mother during it.  It was so incredibly touching and a moment I will not soon forget.  I sucked back tears and gave myself a headache from trying to rein in that emotion.  I didn't know these people.  I barely even was let in on the information of his soon departure.  And yet, I, along with many in the audience, felt the love, sorrow, and gratitude of and for this young man.
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" tugs at my heartstrings when they insert the Christmas wishes from active duty members from around the world.  I am so grateful for those who serve our country and sacrifice their lives and time with family, especially during special events such as holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.
To this young man and his mother, I wish the best for you.  We love our men and women, and their families, who serve in the armed forces.  Thank you and may you have a merry and safe Christmas.

Quotes from Gianna

Living with Gianna is tons of fun.  Sometimes the things she says catches you off guard...and then you laugh a lot.
For instance:
"I'm going to take this (marker board and marker) to write down what the humans say."
Or, how about this one: 
"Hey, those girls have tattoos!"
"Do you know what a tattoo is?"
"Yes, it's the thing goes round and round(gesturing around her waist) and has different colors."
"Oh, you mean 'tutu'."
And this one, which really made me laugh:
"Can I drive the car?  I promise I won't bump into you!"  (She meant the shopping cart.)