December 2016

December was BUSY!  I was behind the whole month, and I'm not sure why.  Normally, we would have had someone over at least once, but I never got caught up enough to make it happen!  I was running right up to Christmas Day, but I'm thankful there was lots of fun sprinkled in with the multitude of tasks.  :)

December started off festively with a Christmas party hosted by friends.  We arrived in time for a parade on their street, where they handed out fun glasses.  The glasses add a picture to the lights when you look through.  This one was Rudolf.

"Baby it's cold outside" was running through my mind a lot this month.  It was COLD!

Afterwards, we enjoyed food, games, and great company!

Next came our co-op's Christmas party.  They did a fabulous job!  There was a skit, potluck, games, drawings, and cookie decorating.

That night, we enjoyed watching a friend's basketball game!

Then, we had a wonderful Christmas outing I blogged about.

Something you may not know about me: I can't stand clutter.  I literally CANNOT stand it.  The longer my living area is a mess, the more mentally unstable I become.  And because we were so behind, I didn't finish ordering gifts until late in the month.  Because I started wrapping before I was done ordering, they arrived gradually over a couple weeks.  My living area was a mess that entire time, and it DROVE. ME. CRAZY.  Too much work to put away and get back out.  Every available surface was covered:

Cluttered dining table?  Check.

Desk?  Check.

Sofa?  Check.

Love seat?  Check.

Floor?  Check.  Not to mention chairs.  (I clearly need to downsize my supplies.)  Once I finished the last gift, my boys helped me put it all away just in time for Christmas.

Kylen went to a dance for young people.  They are held weekly at a church, and once a month there is a themed dance.  The themed dance for December was Masquerade Ball.  It included a competition for best mask.  I was surprised at the large turnout!

If you spotted Kylen, you have a good eye.  He's left of center at back in a white shirt.

A few days later, Greg and I needed to kill some time while Kylen saw Star Wars with friends.  We went on a lunch date!  I enjoy trying new places, so we checked out Cafe Carambola.  See reviews.

Greg said it was one of the best lunches he's ever had.  I liked it a lot, though not as much as he did.  I think it was a style that suits his taste extremely well.  I'd describe it as fresh, clean, colorful . . . He loved that the food wasn't greasy but still tasty.  There were unusual flavors, but they complimented each other.  The owners are a husband and wife team.  Greg found out the wife went to culinary school in California.  We were treated to some of the best customer service we've ever seen.  The husband came and sat next to us.  Then, he took us over to the case with salads and described each one in detail.  They seemed to know everyone who came through the door by name.  It's not a large place, but it is warm and friendly.

My corn soup was excellent, though a tad more spicy than I'm used to.  They like a little heat there!  The quesadillas were supposed to have minced jalapenos, but I asked they be omitted.

We'd like to return!  You can see the owner on the right though the window.  :)

That night, we had dessert at Freezia's.  They make rolled ice cream, a novelty that's been on my to-try list for awhile.

Cute wintry decor.

We all liked mine best, which was a vanilla base flavored with strawberries and oreos with caramel and chocolate.  The strawberries added a really nice fresh fruit taste.  I probably wouldn't go there again  in the winter.  There is something about the process that makes the ice cream stay cold longer.  Up to the last bite, there was no sign of melting.  Unbeknownst to me, my tongue got freeze burned!  I didn't realize until the next day when everything I ate felt like it was burning.

We like to devote one evening in December to lights, usually the 23rd.  We leave around 6, pick up coffee drinks, and drive around for a couple hours.  One of my favorite December outings.

On Christmas Eve, we joined Greg's parents for dessert and gifts.  :)  We contributed homemade orange rolls that turned out amazing.

I blogged about Christmas day here.  :)

We were invited to a day-after-Christmas party!  They had a "best sock" contest and white elephant gift exchange.  Some of us got creative with the socks!

Kylen decided to try the annual "Play in a Day" youth theater event.  They fully produce and perform a play in just over 24 hours.  Pretty neat concept!  Kylen had one line and sang in at least three songs.  We were fortunate to find two open seats in the second row.  At one point, he was sitting practically right in front of us!

Originally, we were planning to attend a New Year's Eve party, but it got cancelled, which was fine!  Gave us a chance to play our new games!  I made crock pot spaghetti and meatballs, and we enjoyed spirited competition right up until we heard people shouting and gunshots being fired.  We even contributed an air horn blast!  It was a great conclusion to a great year.  :)