Five Very Important Christmas Tips from Gracie

1. Agree with every single thing.  Yep.  Be in agreement.  Otherwise you will find yourself hiding under the bed for the entire day of festivities.  You do not want to miss one single cookie crumb!

2. Repeat these words for as many times as it takes to have an inner peace:  It's only for a day.  It's only for a day.  It's only for a day.

3.  Don't move around too much.  Truth is, every single time you move you will jingle.  It's insane, I know!  It's cruel!  It's inhumane and unacceptable!  But still. Don't move.  Unless you see a careless cookie carrier forget about a cookie that is within paws reach.  Then, move rapidly. Very rapidly. Before those jingle bells alert you-know-who....

4.  Stay calm.  Even when you feel like tearing off an arm or a leg from the fake santa in the corner.  Remember... it's only for one day.  Make peace with the jingle bells. Expect the annoyance with each step of your paw. Ignore the oohs and ahhhs and how everyone laughs and points your way saying "Isn't that cute?"  

It. Is. Not. Cute.


Stay focused.  No trouble....

5.  No trouble.  Unless.  Your people forget to give you supper and end up leaving you all alone.  Then.  New rules.  It only takes two minutes to rip open an unopened Christmas gift.  Do it.  Rip it to shreds.  Let 'em know you're mad as heck and you will not take it any more! 

Then, look cute and sad.  Treats will follow.  Gracie.

A Hatchimals Kind of Christmas

 Just some of the days highlights...

Gracie...  tell all of our bloggy friends about the trouble you got into today...

  Mom and Dad had to leave for a while and this one package that presumably belongs to Jasper who was not here to open it...  well...  it started taunting me and teasing me and since I was forced to wear jingle bells all day today I was in a bad mood anyways and so...   I didn't do it.  New toy fox did it. 

Accomplished and Ready

Marissa's Christmas concert...

Summer's Christmas concert...

Jakes Christmas concert...

Cookies and fudge...

Christmas village up and running... and Christmas gifts wrapped and separated.  

I've been busy.   But now it's time to relax and enjoy.   

Gracie is resting but she will be on soon to share some holiday tips for four-legged friends out there in bloggy-land.

Wishing you all a peace-filled Christmas with lots of love! 

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Taking A Break

Santa is Real

 He came into this world fighting for his life.

 Angels had been appointed to watch over him.  

We prayed.  We believed.

And on that year there was proof that Santa did indeed exist, because he was 

there at our house on Christmas day.

To my handsome, beautiful blue-eyed, sensitive, sweet, energetic, thoughtful, kind, busy boy Jake.  

Grammy loves you more than you will ever know...  

Happy 9th Birthday buddy!

Don't Blink

So you blink...  

and suddenly...

Big sister is nine and newborn baby sister is five....  

And there's a party with family and friends....

And you take a snapshot of this moment.  

And you savor the smiles.  The giggles.  The laughter...

Careful not to blink again...  

Because you want to hold on to this moment for a very long time.

Gracie, what say you?

If I blink, maybe New Bunny will be gone from on top of me.  This would be a good thing.  Gracie.  PS Happy Birthday Summer, thanks for the cookies memories.

The Magic is Not Magic At All (It's Work!)

Christmas Magic does not just suddenly appear.  

You have to make it happen....  

 Bury your sad.  Let go of silly irritations like lost lights and more stuff than space.  Sift through last years abundance of collectibles and if it makes you feel better, say it one more time  This will be the last year I go through all this!  

And then...  think about the positive. 

 Jasper on Christmas day mesmerized by the train going round and round the track.  The girls playing make-believe with the houses and village families.  Jake seeing how many cars and trees he can place atop the train before it crashes.  

Ahhhh yes.  Christmas magic.  

It isn't there.... unless you make it happen.  In your home and in your heart.

Right Gracie?

Rightoooooo Mom!  I used to be appalled, disgusted and livid over the transformation that happens in my space this time of year.  But I have found the magic that lies beneath the village.  The me space... a place to hide beneath the clutter.  Another thing: The cookie crumbs on Christmas day.  The presents.  The love.  

This year should be the best year ever cause mom and dad took me to Strawberry Dog where I get my makeovers...  and I got to visit with Santa Paws!  I was good.  And he said treats are on the way for me.  My advice to all you buh humbugs out there:  

BELIEVE

All for now -  Gracie

Don't Know If I Can Ever Get Over It

A whirlwind thirty hour block of time.  Drove to Allentown/Bethlehem PA.  Visited with Gary's mom.  Took her and her husband Fred out for a nice seafood dinner, along with his daughter, Athena and her boyfriend, Jake.  Saw some pretty impressive Christmas light displays.  Slept in a nice hotel.  Headed back home.  Gracie barely knew we were gone.  

Today, I am thankful for lights.  Kitchenette lights.  The ones you turn on to see what you are doing in the kitchenette.  Otherwise... see this little bar of dishwasher detergent that I discovered in our hotel suite?

If I hadn't found that light switch when I did, that bar would have been in my belly.  I'd been craving chocolate all day.  Funny how when lights are low and cravings are high one of those little bars resembles a miniature Three Musketeers Bar.

Coffee next morning was tasty.  Hit the spot!

Especially after a long night of fighting for covers with my GP (Gary Phillip).  

He Won.

Back home now and ready for a new work week.

Our nice seafood dinner at Henry's Salt of the Sea in Allentown

Gracie, you go...

 She says I barely knew they were gone...  huh.  What does she know.  I was devastated.  Sad.  Upset.  Playing wally, chickie bird and sqirrelly friend with Lindsey.  Bumming cookies from the curtain climbers.   eating treats wondering..  would they ever return?  It was terrible.  Poor me.  I would not wish that kind of loneliness on my worst enemy.  I don't know if I can ever get over it.....