Aunt Bethany, Does Your Cat Eat Jell-o?

I made the conscious choice to enjoy December this year. I didn't over commit myself, I found ways to serve my community, and I adjusted my expectations for the holiday.

We moved into our new house the week before Thanksgiving.

I felt like it was a Martha Stewart move because I had all these little elves running around unpacking my things and decorating shelves and hanging pictures. Robert's sister, Karen, is a whiz with a hammer and nails and his mom opens and unpacks boxes like it's a race to the finish. We took possession of the house on a Friday evening and by Saturday afternoon I was in my new kitchen making pumpkin cookies.

I put up a Christmas tree the week after Thanksgiving but I was utterly unmotivated to decorate the thing. A week before Christmas Day, Stella and George were fed up. They dug out our ornaments and put them on the tree and that is why the uppermost 18 inches didn't have anything on them.

I am totally okay with that.

I made peppermint brownies, honey almond bars, caramels and sugar cookies to deliver to a few of our neighbors, basketball coaches and Scout Leaders. The brownies and the almond bars never made it out the door and only the people within walking distance actually received plates.

It's a good thing the other people on my list don't read my blog because I want them to assume I was too busy unpacking after our move to make Christmas goodie plates.

Of course, if we are being totally honest, I know that our little family is barely a blip on the radar for most of the people on my goodie list. Even if I had delivered a plateful of carbohydrates to their door the recipients would have been saying to each other "Who was that?" "I have no idea, but these caramels are good. Hide them from the kids."

My mom, her husband Jim, Scott and his girlfriend, and Eddie spent Christmas with us. I don't know how it could have been a better weekend. We had a smashing good time.

Having an annual family talent show in your Christmas Jammies: It's a Good Thing.


(Give the video a chance. Right before 2:01, Henry prefaced his performance with this description: I will recite an official American document in a dignified manner. Around here, Dignified=shirtless.)