some of my favorite things....

Do these look yummers or what? Peanut butter cups on top of peanut butter cups?

And these: Rice Krispie Treats that look like little presents!

I need to stay off of Pinterest, right? Good thing there's no calories in looking.

But here's the thing: we are having an appetizer contest on Christmas eve. I am pairing up with Char and Cam, and am thinking Krispie treats with peanut butter in them dipped in chocolate...then when I was poking around looking at yummy things, I found this dip you make to dip cookies into, it's cream cheese with brown sugar and peanut butter, all whipped up, with broken Reese's broken into it. Oh dear heavenly yum.

I AM going to have a nice Christmas, a few treats on Christmas Eve, we're celebrating at Ben's house. We're doing Secret Santa. Fourteen of the kids will be there, with spouses and grandkids there'll be...well, a lot, ha. 24, I think. Sam, Grace, and Grant are coming back on the 26th, (they left yesterday).

We're celebrating Christmas morning here, with all of the older kids who want to come, but I think Molly and Josh and Lyd will open presents at their place then come over, same with Ben and Ashley and their two little girls. I think Margaret and Adrian may just spend the night here Christmas Eve, it's so nice when they wake up here in the morning. Jon and I have plans to make homemade cinnamon buns, and I'll have to remember orange juice. I rarely buy it, just as a treat, as it's so sugary and superfluous.

Anyway. We are having ham and beef brisket for Christmas dinner at Ben and Ashley's, in addition to the feasting on Christmas eve there.

As far as gifts go, I think I'm done. I am not satisfied when I look at my list. I want to give them things that will make each and every one of them happy and thrilled and surprised. They grow up, but they're all my sweet dears, whom I would give my very life for. My heart can break at the mere thought of them being hurt or sad, and all I really want is for them to have good lives. When Margaret and Adrian got married, Margaret said to him, something along the lines of, "If you are ever hurt or sad, it won't be because of me, I vow right now to only bless you and be good to you every single day forever..."

Anyway anyway. Today, I went to the post office for boxes to ship some things in, what's the hurry, right? The day before yesterday, we stopped and Sam ran in and came out with only huge boxes, which I didn't realize until we got home. Then yesterday I asked Kathryn to stop and get some on her way to the gym, but she stopped on the way home when it was closed. Rural post offices close for lunch out here. So today I got the boxes, then drove back to town to mail them, then went to the small city with Jonathan for a few things.

Home...time to wrap presents with Lydia! She wanted everything to be for her mom. And she wanted to tape everything for me. She likes to help.

And, I made another batch of cut out cookie dough this morning, the third batch this season. So...out to the kitchen I go, to cut them out and bake them...then frost them!

(it's hard to bake and not eat it, but I'm doing okay. I think it's a ripoff I don't lose more weight than I am losing, but that's my lot in life, I guess. Jon told me I need to start working out, which I did but stopped again, I told him it's like this: 80% diet, 20% exercise...he said, "Well, maybe you need that 20%." ouchers, Jon. But, I'm going to the pool this afternoon...

Off I go...