Christmas so far

I kept meaning to do this earlier and time keeps getting away from me especially now with the kids home. I am trying to stay positive in the face of Christmas so I refuse to write about all the problems and stick with the good so here goes. We went to see the Electricritters at the zoo. That's where the put up a bunch of lights and animated lighted up animal figures. The kids love it including my light freak brother. We dress up like eskimos and drink hot chocolate and walk around the zoo in the dark with all the lights. It's beautiful and fun and when it snows it has a magical quality. Another weekend we walked the riverwalk at night and looked at the lights. They have the boat going with Santa on it, which we did one year, but we waited so long for the boat ride to start we froze and then it is even colder on the water, it is not worth the price, so now we just walk it. We saw the new veteren's bridge and the indian statue. The statue was beautiful and so intricately detailed. The blanket looked real. So we walked the whole riverwalk and drank hot chocolate. It was great. Then last weekend Chris and Rachel had a party at their house for friends and family. They wanted to show off their decorations. You may all remember that Chris is a Christmas decoration freak. I mean that in a loving way. Every room except the bathrooms have decorations. Three big trees and two small, two villages, and lights and lighted figurines everywhere. It could have looked junky but he has a flair for decorating and it looks beautiful. I will try to get some pics of it on Christmas Eve. The kids have had their parties at school, Jessie's in the morning and Brandon's in the afternoon. Oh and the kids did the secret Santa shop at their school which I helped out at. The get to go in and buy their own inexpensive gifts for everyone. The kids all have a good time doing that and it gives them some independence. Since we don't have a lot of money this year, I have been making our gifts to everyone so I have been busy doing that in my spare time. Also making the Christmas cookies, every weekend is a different kind. Today I am making banana bread for gifts and Christmas Eve we make the Jesus birthday cake which has been a tradition since Chris and I were kids to make sure we don't forget who we are really celebrating. I think I got the kids too involved in giving. They donated to the Thanksgiving food drive, money to the school Christmas drive, toys for the toy drive and now they decided they need to make gifts for everyone along with the ones they bought. Which is great except guess who gets to come up with the ideas for the gifts? They are so caught up in the Christmas spirit it is like a constant sugar high. It really makes me grateful to have these loving generous kids to spend Christmas with. And now I have to go because they are trying to make the banana bread without me.