As Winter Solstice Approaches...

Though I appreciate and am exposing the boys to the more pagan ways of recognizing the changing of the seasons, we have always celebrated Christmas and all the traditional Christian holy days. Not in the sense of going to church, but in the other, more cultural ways of celebrating the seasons. I read on one of my message boards a neat way to do gifts and we're going to try it this year. The theme is: Something you want, something you need, something home made and something to read. We discussed this with the boys and they are happy with it; they've already picked out yarn colors for their new knit hats and scarves. (because, of course, of how cold it gets in this part of the country, haha!) I'm excited to see how it goes, and of course they won't each end up with only 4 gifts! We are actually hosting Christmas and all of those festivities here in our new home, so Nee-Nee and PaPa will bring the REAL goods! And Ed and the boys and I will get to cook and serve the meal and everything! This will be my first time hosting Christmas. We hosted Easter the first year we lived in Spartanburg. I'm still in sticker shock over the price of that ham! Hehe. I know it's quite a chore, but I've decided to make it as fun as possible for everyone involved. I'm not going to compare my cooking to anyone else's or my way of doing things to anyone else's. It will be whatever it is, and I know that will be enough. But thank goodness I don't have Thanksgiving duty also, we're going a tiny bit up North for that. Phew! Till then I am crocheting what are turning out to be some lovely Christmas stockings for our family. Our camera is broken, or I'd post pictures. I noticed I was pretty focused on discussing the upkeep of my home in the last two posts, so I thought I'd mention the other things floating around in my brain. :) Wouldn't want anyone to think my new all natural medication wasn't working and I was obsessing about keeping my house clean..hmm, I think I heard the dryer buzzer...better run...hahahah