It’s Saturday morning and a bit cool inside the house.  The wood in the fireplace has not been kindled yet and I am barefoot.  Burrrr…..

It was a most lovely week.  We were invited to come to dinner at a family’s home that lives nearby.  Their home is the model of hospitality and I was looking forward to this evening.  When we left our home to travel to theirs, the country roads were dark and it was hard to see the houses.   We had a few moments of fretting that we’d passed their house already.  They have a lovely country home and are in the midst of building a barn.  We had a wonderful visit with good food and loving fellowship.

I am getting back into my routines.  I try to cook enough food at a time that there is an extra meal that I can throw in the freezer.  On Tuesday night, although I knew I was going to our friend's house for dinner, I made the next night's dinner, sloppy joes, and made enough to freeze for another meal.   On Wednesday, I was glad that I had done this when I had just come in from Rachel’s guitar lessons and needing to get  Ruthie to a Christmas play she was to practice in.

Later that evening, I made chicken stew, for Thursday night.  We would be having my daughter and her husband (and three babies) coming for dinner tomorrow night, and looking ahead, I thought it would be best to have supper already done.  I cooked it in a large roaster, and again, made enough for an army.  We had it for lunch, and then again for dinner.  After everyone had eaten as much as they wanted, there was enough to freeze for another meal on the weekend.

When Thursday night came, with the meal prepared ahead of time, we lit some candles, made sure the Christmas lights were on, and set the table.  Then I laid down and rested until they arrived.  It was a nice evening being able to enjoy the babies and holding precious Grace in my arms.

Friday night we had company again.  The family that we had dinner with on Tuesday night, came to ours for pizza.  We had cheese and crackers, spinach dip, and a taco/bean dip with crackers for an appetizer and  apple and pecan pie for dessert. We talked and then watched a movie together.    Two of their daughters, both teenagers that are Rachel’s age, stayed over night.

We had been given tickets to attend a Hannah Montana show about a month ago.  The concert date was December 8^th.  Before this, I had never even heard of Hannah Montana.  When my husband told me over the phone about the tickets, I asked, “Who is she?”  My husband said that he had asked the same thing.  Apparently she is quite famous, we discovered.   The tickets were actually given to Ruthie in specific, and for one of us to attend with her. Ruthie knew who she was and was very excited about attending.  As the time came closer to attend the concert, and after a lot of discussion about this, we decided to decline the tickets and return them to the giver.  So today, we sought to make up to her what she had been looking forward to.  She was very gracious (no tears, pouts, sad face).  We made it a Ruthie Day and took her out to dinner and to a children’s movie/matinee.   She soaked up the attention like a little sponge.  Sometimes it seems that I cannot enjoy my children enough.  Time is so fleeting. They are growing up so fast.