Super Saturday Shopping?

Nope! I'm not much of a shopper, especially when there are crowds, so that wasn't on my agenda this weekend. I actually got my shopping done Monday and Tuesday evenings this past week! My awesome husband picked up Kaylen from daycare both evenings while I finished my Christmas shopping. One night I stopped by home with just enough time to pick up my snacks for recipe night with some friends. We do that about once a month, and it's always fun to share food, recipes and chat with the ladies. This month's theme was "Party Foods - Appetizers & Sweet Treats". About half of us brought christmas treats and the other half appetizers. Everything was so good! I can't wait to try some of the recipes!

Friday night, we went out to eat at Chili's. We love that place. I'd had a very long week at work and didn't feel like cooking. When I picked Kaylen up at daycare she asked about going to her elementary school's "Spirit Night" at the high school basketball game. I told her I didn't really want to go, and asked her, "Wouldn't you rather go out to eat instead?" I think she just thought I'd asked her that because I didn't want to go to the game, so she kept asking me a few more times, "Are we really going out to eat?" Then she asked Jock when he got home. I'd already talked to him on the phone when I was leaving work, so she was excited when he didn't hesitate with his "Yes" answer - ha! This girl loves to go out to eat! Not sure why she was so surprised though, since it's not that odd of an occurrence. We try to keep it to a minimum but with us both working full-time, cooking is not always the priority.

Saturday morning Jock & Kaylen went shopping and then out for breakfast at the McDonald's Playland. So I had a very nice morning - a nice quiet house! When they got home, I set to work. I made one last (huge) batch of chex party mix, prepared beef stew and put it in the crock pot for supper, and then spent the afternoon and evening working on Josephine's blanket and pillowcase.

I'd planned on using a flannel print for the top and then a quilt-fabric for the backing. However, last-minute, I decided to scrap the idea of quilted-fabric backing and made a quick trip to the fabric store for another flannel piece. I am starting to feel better about my sewing skills - my stitches are getting straighter the more I practice. So, when I was doing the final stitching on the blanket, I decided to do a more fancy stitch - kind of a zig-zag - to finish the edges (you can see it if you click on the third picture to enlarge it). It turned out really nice ... if you don't look too closely at the corners, or the spot where my bobbin thread ran out - I didn't take a photo of those parts! :)

Tomorrow Jock and I are helping the pre-schoolers in Sunday school during the 1st service, and then will stay for the 2nd service. I anticipate spending the afternoon making fudge and wrapping presents. I have to get two presents ready to mail, and hope they make it to their destination on time if I mail them Monday.

This coming week (Mon-Weds) will be busy at work again, with evenings filled with laundry, printing photos, and food prep for Christmas - but not too busy to enjoy my family, dream of my two little ones being home next year, and focusing on the true meaning of the holiday - CHRIST!