It's January the what???

Holy Cow...where did the time go? The last time I checked it was Halloween...as depicted in the annual pumpkin-carving-pictures below which were once again a hit with the trick or treaters, with exception of two little ducklings that refused to climb the driveway. I happily obliged by taking the treats to them...




In November, I had a lovely weekend visit from two much friendlier faces...




But in the blink of an eye, the Christmas season was upon us which officially kicked off with the 2nd annual "Sweaty Girls Rock Running Club" Christmas dinner. These are the incredible women of whom you have heard me speak countless times who not only inspire me to be a better runner, but who inspire me to be a better person. One of the very last episodes of the series Sex and the City, Carrie looks at her gals pals and says "A troubling thought occurred to me the other day. What if I had never met you?" That line makes me think of these girls. Throughout my entire life, I have always been blessed with amazing girlfriends. The Sweaty Girls are no exception.




And then...it was the week of the 21st which I met with a little trepidation considering it was my very first time being the Christmas host. If you've ever spent Christmas with the Stevenson's, you know that's no easy task to live up to. But I gave it my Martha best and it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Of course, it helped to have guests who were easy to please (and slightly sedated thanks to some cold medication.)

After the Christmas cookies were munched (yes I made these)...



the presents were opened, the candles were lit...



and dinner was enjoyed...even by Maggie...



...it was a most lovely Christmas.

And just when it seemed like it couldn't get any better, we received the best present of all...a phone call from my brother Brad, and his new fiance, Mary.



Congratulations to you both! We are all so happy for you.