The Weekend Before Christmas

Twas the weekend before Christmas and all through the house...

The children were dancing....and even the spouse!  

(The kids had to perform a "Just Dance" version of Jingle Bells before opening their gift of Christmas pj's).

The packages were wrapped, handled with care...
By two special elves in Santa's own lair.

(We spent all day in the garage - but with a tv tuned in to holiday movies, a heater keeping us toasty, and even using the diffuser to make the place smell of Young Living's "Christmas Spirit" - it was a cozy place to be for sure).

Holiday Scrabble was played - and....what is more-
Mommy joined in - and even kept score!

(We've literally had this game for years....like more than 5 - but it was still in its wrap.  I put it on the Countdown Calendar year after year and eventually gave up as we never got around to it.  Leave it to Ellie being in the house to pull it out and finally make it happen (the board game aficionado of the family).  I suspected it would be a lot of fun with the extra bonus cards and indeed it was!)

Bonus cards are earned when you play a word relating to the holidays (the one bummer, that is a highly subjective determination!).  I used this card to try to get help online - via putting the pic on Instagram and Facebook (aren't I clever).  Unfortunately, the suggestions of TOY and BELT weren't able to be used on the board.

This one would have been PERFECT had I had the opportunity to play it!  (As in Bing Crosby the singer)

Near campus we journeyed, to fill up our plate

with pancakes and omelets, an annual date  

 

 (Tradition dictates a date with Mom - and now Dad, and this year, John, - as it landed on a Sunday...and all the kids at Original Pancake House.  Yes, two Sundays in a row, I'm so happy!)

And, finally, before this lead elf would depart
A trip to Costco to load up the cart.

(Michele returned to Dallas where I would join up with her the following day to continue the grocery shopping and gathering for the day-after-Christmas trip to Sunriver.  We got lots accomplished on this weekend - but even more, so many fun moments and memories were had).