Thanksgiving to Christmas

We hosted Daniel's family for Thanksgiving, so the day before, Natasha and I made a banner. And restrung it at least once to get all the letters in the correct places. I love decorating the table for meals like this.

A gluten-free flour tortilla that trumps all I've made so far. 

Earlier this month we took a little get-away to Phoenix for a few days, to use a Southwest companion pass. The weather was incredible and the zoo was most entertaining. Animals are so funny.

In-N-Outs are common out west, and not here. So we took advantage. With 6 double-doubles, served protein style.

I saw a post on Instagram from Stephanie that SAS Fabrics is a great place for bargains. I simply had to go. And what fun it was. I found two really nice striped knits, some invisible zippers for .50 cents and 8 yards of lavender trim for Natasha's Christmas gift, for only .25 cents a yard. I was super pleased.

The Original Chop Shop was another fun place to eat. (They have sweet potatoes in a bowl with veggies and meat. Sound perfect for our family or what?!) I especially liked their decor, and of course the food, and...the bathroom floor tiles.

If anyone feels so inclined, they could send me a cement planter for Christmas. Or, my birthday is in February. I'm not too choosy.

We walked around the Christmas light display at the Mormon Temple without winter coats on, or even hats and gloves. Practically unheard of in the Midwest. There were even lights on a lemon tree. With lemons on it. How about that.

Back home again, it was high time we found ourselves a Christmas tree. The past 3 years we have been grateful for a friend's free Blue Spruce's, but we decided to go for a softer needle this year. So we have here a White Pine. It smells...oh so good.

My sister and I used to have the job of picking up pine needles off the floor every year, and now, I get to make my daughter do it. 

Scandinavian Thumbprint Cookies.

Our little reader has been reading everything recently. I found the little series of "Ling and Ting" in the "I Can Read" section of our library, handed her a book, and she immediately started reading. I went to the side of the library, and when I came back, she had picked up two more from the same series, and continued to sit there reading away. When it was time to check out, she walked slowly across the library with the book open, reading out loud to herself, the whole way. 

All I have to say is, we have had absolutely no trouble teaching this child to love books.