We are getting so much closer to Christmas! Our family keeps up with the holiday festivities. I started mailing out Christmas cards. The Christmas decorations keep going up, including the tree.  My parent's enjoyed a Christmas luncheon with their Sr Center group at Olive Garden on Weds. On Friday, Tom and I stopped by their apt to assemble a new power lift chair we bought for my mom over the Thanksgiving holiday. Sam's club had their power lift recliner chairs on sale. Dad has been enjoying his chair, so we thought mom could use one too. Especially since I took her to the orthopedic MD last week and he told her that her knee looked pretty worn out. She can use all the help she can get. I also kept Tom busy hanging some of their paintings and photos as well as repairing some plugs and bulb sockets on a few of their lamps. Their apt looks very festive!

We took them both over to our house Friday night for dinner. I planned on taking my mom to a Cookie Exchange party at our neighbor's house. Instead, she got comfortable watching a movie with my Dad and Tom. So while they enjoyed watching "The Conspirator", a movie about Lincoln's assassination, I headed down to the neighbors to enjoy a cookie swap. I had more than enough to share with my parents when I was done. On the way back to drop them off at their apt that evening, we swung by a few "over the top" decorated homes. I had to dodge a deer in the road during the tour! Glad I missed it!

Allison came home on Weds after surviving her finals week. She drove home by herself since her roommate had another final scheduled on Thursday. Before she left, the two girls dropped by a nearby townhouse complex to scope out housing for next school year. As a junior, the kids are no longer allowed to stay in the dorms and have to use college apts or off campus. We certainly were spoiled at MSU, living in the dorms for all 5 years! Allison is certainly happy to be home again(and done with classes). I quickly put her to work though. She is helping to put up Christmas decorations. She was also my busy little baker. She made up lots of Hershey pb kisses cookies and chocolate turtles with rollo candies and pretzels. I also made no bake, chocolate peppermint schnapp cookie balls. This way there were lots of cookies available for my Cookie exchange on Friday night with the neighbor ladies.

We even had enough left over for Scott to take some cookies to his friend's Cookie exchange on Sunday afternoon. He enjoyed visiting with his friends, playing video games and exchanging lots of goodies.  He brought home a generous supply of even more various holiday cookies! Plus his friend's mom gave all the kids Christmas socks, hand lotion, a huge container of hot cocoa mix complete with peppermint and marshmallows. Not to mention a small box of dog treats for Cookie. Crazy!  I think it made up for Scott's disappointment in missing out on a trip to New York City this Saturday. One of his friend's family asked him to take a bus trip up to NYC to see all the Christmas decorations and visit the zoo, museum, FAO toy store, whatever. But his friend Jason got very sick Friday night, so they cancelled their trip. Oh well. It stays on Scott's bucket list. Instead, he enjoyed our night having dinner at our friend's house, The Plunketts,  celebrating his and his friend Bryce's belated birthdays. Bryce and Scott share the same week in November. Plus we enjoyed catching up with their new puppy, Ripley.

I also took my parent's and Allison to listen to the Holiday concert with the US Army Jazz Ambassador band. Last weekend, Tom and I heard the US Army band and Chorus downtown at the symphony hall. This weekend it was the jazzy version of the holiday concert. Again, very good and very free. And very close as the concert was held at a local high school. My parents really seemed to enjoy the music(and Allison too).

 On Sunday I joined our Girl Scout choir at the B and O railroad for a Holiday concert. I really enjoy the train museum, especially when it is all decorated for the holidays. I would have brought my parents, but it is too hard to keep an eye on them while I am busy singing with the choir. Plus I get in for free, and they would have had to pay(it is a bit pricey too). It certainly was worth it to take the kids when they were little. Scott especially loved the trains.

So we are excited to have Allison home. Scott wishes he could spend more time with her, but he is still busy with his confirmation and religious classes, as well as school. They are both running together and squeezing in some video games though. And they even had a little time to do some Christmas shopping.

Tom was gone last week working in the San Francisco area. He even had time to stop into Paso Robles to pick up a few bottles of wine. (less crowded than Napa Valley). I was just glad he was able to fly out of San Fran before the big Pineapple Express rain storm hit. Except he came back home at the tail end of a Nor'Easter on our coast. It made for a bumpy plane ride.

Holidays at the B&O Railroad(oldest railroad in US). Original roundhouse now museum.

 Lots of train gardens

 and big decorations.

 Holiday lights at one Neighborhood house, complete with Santa and 8 tiny reindeer, plus Rudolph!

 Gpa and Gma Bozyk's apt and their Holiday decorations

 Cookie and Scott love to snuggle

 Scott and Allison take turns playing with the cavachon puppy, Ripley.

I also squeezed in my yearly medical check up on Friday. I even managed to get my shingles vaccination. They usually wait until you are in your 60s to give out the shot, but since I had shingles 3 years ago, I asked to get it early. This injection is supposed to last a lifetime, so I hope I never experience it again!

We also had a few Birthdays to celebrate this past week. Linda Seitz enjoyed her Birthday in Indiana this weekend. Happy Birthday Linda! And we enjoyed eating ice cream cake to celebrate Cookie's #6 Birthday! Wow time flies!

Time to fill out more Christmas cards! Kathleen