A very wonderful Christmas

Did everyone have a joyful holiday?

I had a lovely one. Got off work at 4 on Thursday and headed home. HTB cooked us steak and baked potatos, and then fixed brussel sprouts with golden balsamic vinegar. DELICIOUS. I also fixed a breakfast casserole for our Christmas morning breakfast, and taco dip to enjoy throughout the evening, which was a bit spicier than normal, since I used spicy refried beans, but I think HTB liked it. We wrapped each other's presents, and then settled in to watch A Christmas Story.

Yesterday morning, I woke HTB up early to unwrap gifts. I'm a dork. I admit it. Funny, the gift he seemed to enjoy most was a magazine/book about pitbulls. It was such an afterthought kind of gift, but he liked looking at it. He gave me a beautiful necklace with two layered hearts. I loved it, and told him it was perfect because I always tell him he is half my heart. I also got a Dallas tee shirt, which I will wear tomorrow when we watch the game, and a windbreaker in Dallas colors. I can wear that to go walking. And then he had me open a heavy box. It was a Tom-Tom. I've wanted one all year. Mentioned it briefly to him, but didn't actually think I'd get one. And there it was! He spoiled me!

Our families were so good to us. My brother bought us a new camera, which HTB loves and which will be so useful on our honeymoon. My mom bought me an apron--I am always getting messy when I bake and use up a lot of paper towels washing my hands--and gave HTB a gift card to Tractor Supply, which is his favorite store. We also got Hallmark ornaments from my parents, which is something they've done for my brother and I since we were kids, and is a tradition I plan on continuing for my kids. His parents gave us a lot of things for cooking, and a pretty snowflake necklace. The kids made us each a present: HTB has a grilling apron, and I have a tote bag. We went home, spoiled rotten.

I even made out like a bandit stitching wise. Mom bought me CHS Christmas in Hawks Run Hollow, with the fabric. She ordered it from Drema at Needlecraft Corner, so I had the best freebie packs to go through. YAY! One of my board pals sent me Linen Flowers Recipe for A Snowman, and a wedding sampler kit. And I got a gorgeous book from my friend Kathy, in England. It's Pollyanna Pickering's new book, and I love it. I am a sucker for her designs, and there are some lovely lovely charts, that just make my heart sing. I am so excited to get stitching on all my new goodies!

Today, I'm back at work. All the snow from last week, is well on it's way to melting, thanks to really warm temps and steady rain. I'm a bit worried, since they have not done the best job plowing, and there are only so many places for the water to go before it creates a problem. The Patuxent River was very close to the bottom of the bridge when I crossed this morning. Then I got re-routed and ended up going over a stretch of roadway that was submerged. I won't be going home that way.

Tomorrow, I may finally have time to bake all the goodies I've been unable to make this week due to scheduling. I guess I can still call them Christmas cookies if I bake them Christmas week, right?