Christmas is Coming

Well...it is December and the whole craziness of the holidays has started. Last night Ray and I attended his work Christmas Party and I was really happy that it is still called a Christmas party. We had a wonderful buffet dinner at the Grand America and then we were entertained with a Mariachi Band from San Diego California. It was a high school group and they were amazing. Although I don't really know what a Mariachi Band has to do with Christmas and after about 20 minutes of songs in Spanish many people decided to leave - still it was very nice that we had such a high caliber of talent performing for us. We weren't too sure if this party would be the "usual" Christmas experience because of the downturn in the economy but it was pretty close to what we normally expect and Ray did walk away with his bonus, ham, and chocolates. We are truly blessed that he has such a great job!

This coming Saturday we are going to MaKayla's Christmas Dance Concert and then we will be celebrating St. Nicholas Day with my family. It is always so fun to keep the tradition of St. Nicholas alive. I know that my grandparents would be pleased to know that we continue to celebrate this wonderful Dutch holiday. We all put out our wooden shoes and fill them with carrots for St. Nick's white horse. He comes from Spain on a steamboat with his horse and his helper Pete. Then he fills the shoes with gifts and candy for all of the good boys and girls. Of course with the huge group that we have in attendance he comes in and calls each of us by name and presents us with a gift. The adults draw names and write poems to go with their gifts. We also prepare and eat many Dutch food favorites. I am really looking forward to the yummy food, the good company, and the fun of this wonderful tradition.

I am currently working on some homemade projects for my grandkids, and I am still trying to figure out many of the gifts that I will be giving this year. I also need to get busy with my Christmas cards. But thanks to Ray the Christmas lights are up on the house and the tree and decorations are filling our home with wonderful Christmas Cheer!

So... Let the games begin!

Merry Christmas Everyone!