AND THE NEW YEAR BEGINS....

I hope you all had a good New Years Day....We stayed pretty quite over here.  But before I tell you about that I am going to back up a couple of days to last Mon.  The electricity in the park was going to be off for several hours, which meant no sewing, no laundry, no computer, and no phone. Now I could have read a book (and I got a REALLY good new one for Christmas) but honestly that just didn't appeal to me much.  So I decided to go and pick up Jeffie and Cody (who are still on winter break) and take them for hair cuts and lunch and the new Walking with Dinosaurs movie. We had such a GOOD time together.   I have been doing these kind of days with Jeffie for years, but I am soo glad to finally be able to include Cody on the day.  Since his special schooling and his ability to communicate and therefore understand, it just makes it soo much easier for me to handle and care for him.  Now he is just 4 years old of course, so it is not as breezy as when just Jeffie and I go, but I loved every minute of my time with both of them.  Cody was kind of quickly bored with the movie (Jeffie loved it) but he was as good as gold eating his popcorn and waiting for it to be over.

THE KID FRIENDLY PLACE I TAKE THEM ALLOWS THEN TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES WHILE GETTING THEIR HAIR CUT....THIS REALLY HELPED MAKING THINGS SIMPLE FOR THIS LITTLE GUY,  LOOK AT HIS CONCENTRATION, AND HE SAT SOO STILL

SOO CUTE!

READY FOR THE MOVIE...AND YES, THAT'S JEFFY IN SHORTS AND SANDALS IN DECEMBER, THAT'S HOW WE ROLL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, HAHA

New Years Eve hubby got home from work early enough for us to take down the Christmas tree at least and get it all packed up and stored away for another year.  I would be really curious how long this task takes most of you, as it is always a LONG one for us.  Both the putting up and the taking down.  Not sure why.  Is it because my hundreds of ornaments all have a spot they are put away in?  Or does it have more to do with we just seem to take our time or what?  There was the time the dismantling of the tree and all the rest of the Christmas decorations was done by me alone, but those years are LONG gone, thank goodness.  Anyway, after that chore was done we went out for an early dinner at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants Benihana's.  Don't know if they have these restaurants nation wide, but I love them.  They cook the food right in front of you, and the cook puts on quite the show with it as well.  They did have to prepare mine in the back as I am still going gluten free, but it was soo good. Have not had this kind of food in quite a while, and it was a definite treat.  We lucked out with a really nice family at our table too, so the conversation was good as well.  After dinner we went home and made ourselves yummy hot fudge sundays, (I have been kind of bad this last week or so with sweets) and settled in for a movie.  I think we both dozed occasionally for parts of it, but it was good nonetheless.  I am pretty sure I was in bed and sleeping soundly by 10 pm, but I didn't actually check.  HOWEVER, I was definitely awaken by horns, fireworks, and the like at mid-night, lol.  I eyeballed the clock just long enough to realize, IT IS HERE, before dozing right back off.  New Years day we leisurely took down all the rest of our Christmas decor.  I have kind of a lot and every year as I am putting it all away I tell myself, NEXT year I will be more conservative. But then Christmas rolls around and I find myself eager to get it all out and enjoy.  Wonder how old I might be before I honestly tire of it all and stick to something simpler?   Not anytime soon Lord willing.  I guess part of that will depend on my hubby as he has a lot to do with the helping.  He SAYS he enjoys it as much as I do, but I THINK he just likes to please me too.  Anyway, we got it all done with plenty of time for him to take down the outside decorations as well.  Soo it is all packed up and stored neatly away for another year and it is a good feeling.  It worked out REALLY well for me as well, that today was the day my cleaning woman was scheduled to come, so the house can get a good cleaning as it REALLY needs it.  Soo many people have been in here since she was here last that I honestly feel kind of bad.  But she is young, efficient, and soo good, and I am sooo grateful! Now it is time for me to concentrate on all the sewing I am going to do for my sweet niece who is expecting her first baby in April.  Melody is throwing her a baby shower somewhere in late February, so honestly it doesn't leave me a lot of time to get things done.   But it also means another visit by Melody and probably just baby Luke is around the corner too. Ordinarily I would have started by now, but with Christmas and the holidays it just didn't happen. Women's group will start back up next week too, so I am going to be a busy lady I guess.  I do love that though, and wouldn't want it to be any other way.  I am going to run over to the local quilt shop this afternoon and look at fabric for the quilt for Jessie.  I would really much rather get the fabric I can SEE well and feel etc., but it may have to be ordered online, we will just have to see.  I LOVE the feel of a new year starting.  I don't usually make resolutions as I don't stick to them well.  But! I there are a few goals I have set for myself to work on, and I am eager to get going.  Oh, and the best part about a mid week holiday?  It is almost the week-end again!  And we haven't a thing we have to do, lol, my favorite kind sometimes.  

Love to you all, Debbie