Happy Monday everyone!

We’ve just arrived home a few hours ago. HWJF is already at work. I’m attempting to unpack and get organized to go back to work tomorrow. It was a wonderful trip, full of good food, great company and a whole lot of shopping. However, this:

Represents far more credit card damage than I care to acknowledge publicly right at this moment. I’m sorting out, and when I’m done you can be sure that I’ll recount the goodness for you. Until then, I hope you all had a Happy Holiday Season so far and I’ll try to dig out from under the yarn pile before the end of 2008!

And I can’t believe it’s already over! If I don’t blog it now, I probably will never get around to it, so here goes.

The Saturday before I spent most of the day baking, wrapping and packing. Then it was off to Long Island on Sunday to visit family there. HWJF and my aunt’s dog Jett got along pretty well:

And the best news of all was that my Grandpa’s socks fit! Of course I forgot to get a picture of that.

I went home with my parents in the rain and fog while HWJF went back to NJ to work Christmas Eve. My parents decided to have company over for Christmas dinner, so I spent most of the next two days helping them get ready. This included cooking, cleaning, crawling around in crawl spaces to pull out holiday decorations, decorating and the like. I still feel like I almost need a vacation from my vacation, but it was fun. Before we knew it, it was Christmas morning! Time to open presents! Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day:

Buster got a catnip mouse that nearly sent him over the edge. Literally!

Sandy had her first Christmas with us and did a pretty good job of opening her gifts herself!

I think the bones she got were her favorites.

HWJF found something good in his stocking.

And we’ll both stay warm with the gift from his parents.

Remember how HWJF bought half of my new wheel as my Christmas present? Well he had to make sure it was properly wrapped.

And my folks got me a Woolie Winder for it!

I’ll try not to bore you with too many more details, but I do remember at one point after all the presents were opened that everyone in the room was wearing a pair of socks that I had made them at one point, including myself. I wish I had gotten a picture of that!

Another highlight was making breakfast waffles on the new George Foreman G5 we got for my parents. We liked it so much that we just ordered one for ourselves!

After a lovely dinner with our friends, my parents, HWJF and I broke out the Monopoly board! I hadn’t played in so long I barely remembered the rules. HWJF kicked all our butts with his several hotels (funny how the person who’s the banker always wins, isn’t it?! ), but it was still fun.

At the end of a long but fun day everyone just wanted a warm place for a nap.

I’d say a good day was had by all! Unfortunately, Simba couldn’t come with us so she had Christmas before we left and after. Her Grandma and Grandpa got her some pretty cool gifts!

There were cookies!

And a new toy!

And a new place to hide!

She’s not spoiled much, is she?!

I hope whatever you celebrated was filled with fun, food and family too!

I’ll be back next week with one last finished object before the year is over. See you then!