The Return of Noel and Christmashead

Another holiday "tradition" - my sister and I start referring to each other as "Noel" and "Christmashead" in all our emails to each other. I tell ya - we get absolutely giddy about Christmas in this family.

And, lookie- here's Kaity keeping watchful eye over Christmashead as she learns to cast on. She taught my sister and my niece to knit while we were all away together for Thanksgiving. Christmashead's hooked now.... still only knitting, not purling, but already thinking about her "next project." It was fun watching Kaity teach her. She taught her this little nursery-rhyme thingy I had never heard before - "In through the front door, around the back, peek through the window, and off jumps Jack!" My sister kept repeating the jingle.... we'd hear her every once in awhile "and off jumps Jack!" And, at the end of every row she would "ta-da!" She said she knit all the way home in the car yesterday - probably ta-daing the whole way!

Kaity is a VERY patient teacher. She was practically glued to Christmashead's side all weekend..... "Kaaaaaity - something's wrong." "Oh - it's nothing, Jack just didn't jump yet!" Ohhhh, memories - 10 months ago that was me yelling for Kaity every half hour!

It was cold - "muy frio" as we all kept saying. However it gave me a chance to wear my scarves, and the guys wore the hats Kaity made them. You've gotta read her post from the weekend. It's pretty funny.

And, I finished my Wendy/Heather Essential Stripe tub sweater! Yeah!!!! It's blocking today, pictures tomorrow. I had to do the neck treatment a couple of times, but I'm happy with it! Man, sleeves.... I hate sleeves... they take FOREVER, and there are TWO of them! I'm off sweaters for a little bit.

Here's a picture of the beautiful Sierra mountains, and some of our gang on their minibikes. The kids had a blast - but just about froze!

Ah - I love those weekends we're all together at the "little house" as we call it. The kids, old and young, have a blast, and for us "girls" it's heaven. All weekend long with no chores, no laundry waiting to be done, everyone helping with the dishes and cooking, and NO guilt about sitting around knitting all day. I tell you what - you can't beat sitting by a fire, knitting with your mom, sis, daughters, and cousin, sipping some warm egg nog with a little somethin-somethin in it.... No obligations, for three or four days. Heaven. Not to mention my dad's famous breakfasts cooked out on the cooking porch on his big restaurant griddle. He makes the best pancakes, french toast, breakfast burritos - we eat REALLY well up there, and pretty much nonstop. Everything tastes better up there - maybe because most of the time someone else cooked it!

Ok - today it's back to the real world, chores, work, dishes, cooking, bills to pay, and I've got to stop eating nonstop.

On Thanksgiving we all went around the room and said what we were thankful for, and for all of us at the top of the list was a family who loves each other and gets along well enough to spend four days together in an 800 square foot house with one bathroom! When it's gets too cold to stay outside, that's 13 of us in there! Also, thankfully, the hubby hauls up our trailer, and Mom and Dad have their own motorhome.... so we can spread out - a little.

We are very blessed and God is good.... and I'm so glad I have a chance to slow down every once in awhile and really revel in it!

Ok - off to the real world, but first I think I'll email Christmashead and see how the knitting's going!