Once again, this it's been awhile since my last post. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. Although we had to travel, we didn't have to travel out of state, only about 3 hours south to Santa Cruz/Watsonville. We stayed at my Aunt Tracy and Uncle Dustin's house and had a great time. Thanksgiving and our days and evenings were spent at Aunt Teresa's in Watsonville. There were 18 of us this year. It was a bit cramped but it was cozy. I so love my family. I am so blessed with a big loving family that gets along well, and a fantastic husband. Two dogs and I cat I love and whom love me very much, a home, clothing on my back, food to eat, and great friends-and that is just the beginning of so many blessings I'm blessed with. I could never name or count all of them.

The days were spend together playing games, eating, of course, visiting, watching football and a little shopping early Saturday morning at Joann's in Salinas. I took a pre-made quilt with me for all of us to design a square with oil pastels and set it with a hot dry iron. I took an couple ornament kits too, but we didn't make them as a group, so I gave one to Coley and sent the other home with Madison and Emily. I tried to work on our card fronts but I only completed one and a half, so I have more than enough work cut out to do to get them done. I had hoped to get about 30 done to send in the envelopes with the finished family calendar and family address sheet that I finally finished. Mom and Dad were kind enough to take the Oregon calendars home with them and Uncle Derek & Aunt Michelle the Utah ones. It only took me a year and a half to finish the family calendar but they are done and all are out except for 4, which will go out in the mail when I mail our gifts on December 15th.

I forgot to take our camera so I don't have any personal pictures, but Coley took plenty and they will soon be on Facebook and I can transfer some over here in a few days.

I know tonight I should be working on Christmas gifts, but I have yet to put up out Christmas tree and decorations. This is the latest I've ever decorated. If they are not up the day after Thanksgiving they always go up the weekend after and here we are almost a week later and they are just sitting in the storage bins in the living room waiting for me. When I'm done, it's back to work on Christmas stuff. Tomorrow, hopefully I will get out and finish what shopping I have left for gifts/stocking stuffers and supplies for gifts and baking.

I'm not doing any new Christmas treats this year. Last year, I tried a number of new recipes and through that experience I found holiday recipes for this year and the years to come: Peanut Butter Balls, Chocolate Truffles, Lemon Bells, Gumdrop Fudge, Iced Pumpkin Cookies, Cranberry Biscotti, Spritz, and Chocolate Fruitcake.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!