HHP 2017 Week 15 - Celebrate!

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Holiday_Mom

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Sep 12, 2009
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I will be working off my Christmas Eve Prep. list this week. I'll be maintaining the housework, prepping food for Christmas Eve dinner and finishing the gift wrapping.

Are you feeling like you are almost done?
 

Miss JoDee

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Apr 22, 2011
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All gifts are wrapped. I some elements of Christmas Brunch done will do more today. Ham is in the oven so I can carve and freeze for later. Will cook a turkey (gluten free) for meals between Christmas and new years. I have one batch of cookies mixed and will continue mixing until I am ready to quit.( I have 3 more batches to make.) Once baking is done I will do a good cleaning of the kitchen and add some decorations I will be ready. Attainable by Monday evening.
 

luludou

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Dec 28, 2007
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mostly yes, but seems I always have a few new things that pop up! I will be ready for Christmas, now for NY's Eve, that's another matter
 

Cindylouwho

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Nov 4, 2007
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Hello everyone! Sorry I have been absent.

Lucy -- sorry to hear about DD. I was reading back through the threads. Will go back further when I get some time and read the backstory. *hugs*

I have been trying to get back on this board but I have just been go go go since Week 12. Life happened and I have spent many many many many hours traveling out of state and dealing with numbers and extended family matters in both families. Everyone is okay -- its just financial matters that came together in a perfect storm of timing with end of year tax deadlines and healthcare deadlines attached to them. Oh and college application deadlines for the girls too! Lordy. How to be in three places at once! Thank GOODNESS I work this plan with all of you!! I swear there would be no Christmas if I hadn't started this in the Fall. Family stuff is nearly wrapped up but a couple things are still hovering. They can wait til next week.

Yesterday and today I've forced myself to sleep late (well, to 6:30am, but hey I'll take it) so I can stop and gather my wits about me. *Breathing*

I'm back in Christmas mode as of a few days ago and am going full steam ahead. Had already had the tree up at Thanksgiving (thank goodness) and 1/2 the presents by the first week of December (which is on track for me but I'd still like that number to be 3/4 at least by Dec 5). This week I'm moving SO fast. It's all been surreal -- I am surrounded in Christmas but am not quite there feeling the spirit yet. The kids are -- which is the important thing. I'm not upset or anything-- I just haven't had time to stop and breathe. By tomorrow it will be calm and I'm looking forward to that. Oh -- and there is no way I could have predicted any of this so I'm not kicking myself. I have lots of blessings and I'm counting all of them!

I need an app for this forum. I've been wanting to log in while waiting in lines. Will look at that during our recaps.
 

ejagno

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Aug 31, 2010
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I've been another absentee. Life really seems to get in the way of our beloved Christmas preparations. It never ends. This morning as I'm running around like a crazy woman trying to get last minute household tasks done Mom falls and breaks her wrist so it was a morning in the ER. Family started arriving at noon. However, once again, thanks to HHP and the absolutely amazing people here I would not have survived another amazing family Christmas without this place. Twenty two people just left and despite everything I got more than one comment that it was the best Christmas ever. This year I finally GOT IT! It's not about being Norman Rockwell perfect but about being far enough ahead that when life mishaps do get's in the way it's still going to be okay. I have one gift that I decided to do at the last minute for my parents that I have not been able to finish but I'd already bought them another gift much earlier in the year so this one will be finished and given to them for their anniversary in March. Wishing all of you a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas and thank you for all of your encouragement and inspiration throughout the year.
 

Ahorsesoul

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Oct 13, 2007
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Twenty two people just left and despite everything I got more than one comment that it was the best Christmas ever. This year I finally GOT IT! It's not about being Norman Rockwell perfect but about being far enough ahead that when life mishaps do get's in the way it's still going to be okay.
This is a gift in itself.

Prayers to your Mom.
 

tanya

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I fell off the wagon this year with the prep.. and although I tried to get back on it never quite made it. Christmas was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it- so did Luke. But the last few days before Christmas were far more stressful than they needed to be. There were no major dramas in my family. I just did not get it together as well as I would have liked early. Im very thankful for the prep that I did do but really need to stay more focused next year.

Although everything got done- I found that I did not get to enjoy it as much as usual (the planning, decorating, wrapping etc not Christmas itself) I felt that I was chasing and running and probably got grumpy because of it.
 

Holiday_Mom

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Sep 12, 2009
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Hi everyone!

It's nice catching up and reading through this thread. At the beginning of the month, the week leading into Christmas looked relatively calm on paper. Then we went to scheduled dental visits and voila! All these dental related appointments were scheduled for the week of Dec 17th. Besides two concerts and a visit with my folks that was on the calendar, we had to add in two more dental visits, an orthodontist visit and an oral surgeon visit. I just kept saying to myself, "Thank goodness, I have freezer meals prepared." Really, I think I would have gone a little crazy.

It's been a good kind of busy week with the family. I'm always looking forward to this week but I always forget how tired I feel after all the running around and late nights out until I get to this week.

We are having family over later today following an ice skating outing. We'll serve cookies and hot chocolate. Tomorrow night we host our last Christmas party. :)
 

Cindylouwho

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Nov 4, 2007
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Reading this on New Year's Day, catching up on all I missed.

This year I finally GOT IT! It's not about being Norman Rockwell perfect but about being far enough ahead that when life mishaps do get's in the way it's still going to be okay. .

Amen!! THIS!!! And your mom's wrist? Ow!

And Holiday-Mom -- my freezer meals absolutely saved me too! The family just loves them so hear I am in the middle of chaos and the family is all happy having a nice hot homemade stew (as though I had slaved over it that very day). And it is SO extra delicious when I'm super tired.

Overall, team, I think we do pretty good most years! Looking forward to January and spending some time at my desk evaluating my timeline and reviewing receipts. I like to make notes on the sheer winning moments and winning decisions so I can duplicate them in the future without even thinking.
 
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