Can you find the Elf?

I have a special place in my heart for Christmas. It is such a magical time of year & my munchkins love it. We make cookies & snuggle and decorate trees & snuggle and drink hot chocolate...yep & snuggle!

There doesn't seem to be anything much better than that.

We recently spent a Saturday making & decorating cookies & decorating our tree with them. It is an annual tradition that they look forward to each year. Honestly, we do too.

As you can see by the posed shot in front of the tree, she's going to be a natural!


They were very proud of their cookies - as they should be!


We also did a bit of holiday decorating. I found these pretty trees at Target & love how they turned out!


For our table, we have a small vase filled with miniature ornaments in shades of gold & bronze.


And now for my hair. This next one is one of the last of me with long, blonde hair. It was taken at our annual Friend's Thanksgiving.


Mr. Potts and I post cut.


Where you see the hair hitting the scarf in front is where my hair now ends. And for some reason, it doesn't show as well in the pictures, but I can tell it is darker.

And nice nude bra, huh? You'd think I'd know better & would have worn a black one!

Eh, who cares!

Happy Friday, y'all!!!

PS: From the title, can you find the elf in the picture below?
He likes to lay under the tree!

Weekend Recap OR The Tale of the Christmas Tree Decorating, Cookie Making (we forgot about the hot chocolate drinking) Weekend Extravaganza

This past weekend was such a joyful one. It completely filled my heart with love and joy. Which, if we ask ourselves a question, isn't that what we should feel during this time of the year?

My sweet niece and nephew came over with Mama on Saturday early afternoon. I had already been baking some cookies so they'd be cool for icing.

What fun we had! Stockings, snowmen, stars, trees & bells. All iced and sprinkled with abandon. My niece was so proud of her creations & wanted Mr. Potts to eat them all! Isn't her stocking wonderful?
My nephew would eat them as he iced them. No worries - we didn't plan to share the ones he made with anyone!
We finally decorated our tree after we were finished (for the moment) with the cookies and after eating a bit of beef stew. My niece would direct the placement of the ornaments on the higher branches & took care of the lower branches herself.

My nephew was enamored with a particular ornament of Mr. Potts - a "Grill Master" ornament - so cute!I only did a few minor adjustments & only when she wasn't looking!

They were so proud of their tree. They both told me that our tree was going to be the most beautiful tree ever.

You see, this tree is really as much their tree as it is mine & Mr. Potts'. I wouldn't have it any other way. They are so very excited that Christmas is here & I am so very happy that I am able to do so much for them. I know that our cookie making & Christmas tree decorating will be a yearly tradition.

I think I may have mentioned before that Mr. Potts & I are NOTORIOUS for not being able to keep surprises.

For those of you who may be new to this blog, I have to wait until just a few days before birthdays & Christmas to do any actual shopping because I get so excited about presents & giving them. I love watching as people open gifts I give them, simply because I put so much love into it & I love seeing their expressions.

Mr. Potts once gave me my big birthday present 4 days before my birthday! This year, he topped even his own record.

Christmas came last night for the Potts' household - specifically me (which if truth be told is really the only way it could really come early, seeing as Mr. Potts' present currently number 2 - 2 pairs of socks - sigh - I'm so far behind).

For those of you who aren't familiar with my traveling, I'm gone quite frequently for work. It looks like this may be picking up even more in 2010 (hopefully this will play to my advantage in my Christmas shopping for Mr. Potts next week while I'm gone). I also read a ton of books while I'm gone. Usually at least two.

Last night Mr. Potts and I were watching tv when a Kindle commercial came on. At the end of the commercial I told Mr. Potts, "I really want to get a Kindle."

Upstairs he went to change into comfy clothes, or so I thought. Just a few seconds later he came back downstairs with his hand behind his back and then told me that Christmas was here a little early this year!

YES! HE DID!!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am with this! I love books. I always will, but I have to say, when you're traveling & trying to tote around two 400+ page books, your luggage gets heavy. Never mind the looks people give you when you're trying to lift said luggage into the airplane overhead.

I promise I won't start on the men that watch you do this & don't even bother to offer any help. Not this post at least!

Needless to say, I have already downloaded several books for my week long trip this week.

What a weekend!! Christmas tree & cookie decorating! A Kindle! Memories made with my family.

Christmas came early indeed.