"We're off to see the wizard..."  No, that's not right!  They're off to see the Mouse, the Disneyland Mickey Mouse, that is!  Yep, all the kids and grand kids and Grandpa left about 6 am this morning to spend Christmas in the land of magic and dreams.  They left poor old grandma home to take care of the reindeer, I mean the alpacas and the goats and dogs and cats and chickens and whatever the heck kind of animals we have now.  They are all grateful, the animals and the family, I'm sure! Ha!  I hope they have a wonderful magical time.  I know I am enjoying not fixing meals and watching whatever I want on TV and the peace and quiet.  I am also glad they will only be gone for 3 days.

We had a beautiful Christmas Eve-eve party last night.  The table was full of food, shrimp cocktail, jalapeno roll-ups, hot wings, marinated mushrooms, cheeses, crackers, summer sausage, pepper sausage, taquitos, salmon bruscetta, pumpkin cream cheese roll and, of course, cookies, cookies,and more cookies.  The kind of food that one can just graze on for hours especially if you have wine and birthday cake vodka to go with it! No, I'm not kidding, there really is a "Birthday cake" flavored vodka.  It smells delicious but I did not think it would be good to mix with the wine I was drinking.

We had plenty of gifts and the room was trashed by the time we finished unwrapping everything.  Our family is big enough to make the whole occasion seem like total chaos.  My daughter had wrapped a special box for each child so she saved that til the end.  She had the 4 grandkids sit in chairs and open their Mickey Mouse boxes all at once.  We all waited expectantly for them to get their ears and then read the invitation that said they were going to Disneyland the next day.  It took awhile and Jake finally realized what he was reading.  He got this incredulous look on his face and asked, "Is this for real? We're going to Disneyland?"  The little kids didn't have a clue really.  The grown-ups were more excited than the kids! 

I went to the jewelry store in Sierra Vista and bought myself this huge diamond ring......Not really.  I did go to the jewelry store to pick up my ring that Steve had gotten a new setting for.  He got me a new band last Mother's Day with three Princess diamonds.  I picked a new band for my first diamond and had the 2 bands welded together in one nice setting.  It is beautiful and makes me very happy just to have it on my finger.  I never knew I was such a "material girl!"  He also got me a nice teardrop sapphire necklace.  Young girls have their own natural beauty, but when you get old like me, you need a little enhancement. Ha!  Thanks Steve!

I drove down the hill to my daughter's house about 8 pm to feed her dog and let her(the dog, not my daughter) out for a little while.  It is so still and cold.  The stars filled the heavens as bright and beautiful as the diamonds on my finger.  I was awestruck and just stared up at them until I couldn't stand the cold anymore.  We are so blessed.  I pray that you are all blessed this Christmas Eve and everyday of your lives.   "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"