How to have an awesome holiday 101 - Part 1

The recipe for an awesome holiday is really quite easy.

Step 1: Marry a school teacher. (the holiday time is the bomb!) If you failed to accomplish step 1 - don't worry. I'm sure that your holiday will still be a good one. or ...should I say WAS a good one. tee hee.

Sorry did that sound like I was gloating?

Moving on.

Step 2: Focus on the reason for the season
It's important to focus on the true meaning of Christmas isn't it? On Monday we had Family Home Evening with my sister. Yummy pizzas, and a live production. Mind you Joseph and one of the Shepards were a bit rowdy, but all in all the best rendition of the Nativity I've seen in a while, and the perfect way to remember the birth of our saviour.

Step 3: Find a good book and read it to your kids every night while they fall asleep under the Christmas tree. A Christmas Carol was a favorite for us.



Step 4: Go on a date with the love of your life. Chose your favorite restaurant and enjoy the cozy Christmas atmosphere. Note: It helps if your sister in law provides the gift certificate! (Thanks Sarah!)



Step 5: Help someone in need. In this particular case it came in the form of a sweet chocolate lab, who may or may not have really been in need. We don't know. He did play with our kids for a couple of hours before he snuggled up on our front step for a snooze.

And I may or may not have slipped him some ham a few times when John wasn't watching.

Then John caught me. And got mad.

That's what I don't get about John. I can scratch the paint on our van, overshoot our monthly budget...paint a bedroom a terrible color and John's all cool and chill. I can purchase the wrong couch TWICE and make him go through the hassel of hauling and returning it back to the store...and he's fine with that.
But feed a stray dog, and it's look out Charlie!

Go figure. ;)


Step 6: Plan a big Christmas dinner with loved ones.

Christmas Eve in particular was spent eating a fabulous four course steak dinner with King Crab legs as well. Oh Yummy. I should include a recipe for all of that too- but I didn't cook it. I didn't plan it either. But (thanks to my father-in-law) I did enjoy it.
Oh man did we ever enjoy it!


Step 7: Milk and Cookies. Do NOT forget the milk and cookies. A nice thank you note to Santa is always a nice gesture too. I was impressed with Abby's. "Dear Santa: Thanks for Everything."
She's sweet like that.


Step 8: Spend Christmas Day doing absolutely nothing important. Stay in your jammies, eat lots, sleep, and let the phone ring. Perhaps it may include a drive out to one of your favorite spots.

We did all of those things.


Step 9: Find a reason to bring the family together one more time. Because you haven't already had enough fun, throw in a baby blessing! You get to see even more family, and fill your now fat tummy all over again!

Now all you have to do is throw in 3 cheese balls, and a Lord of the Rings Marathon and that's it!
The recipe for a truly perfect and wonderful Holiday.

Or, in my case, a wonderful FIRST HALF of a holiday!

But really - I'm not gloating.