I'm Back!

I just wanted to let everyone know I'm back from our Spokane trip.  I've had several comments and e-mails asking where I've been.  I really appreciate being missed.  We had a great time seeing and visiting my son, DIL and beautiful granddaughter in Spokane.  It was cold but gorgeous out there.  Now we're back in beautiful Pennsylvania and winter has arrived here.  In the last two days we've had snow, ice, sleet, rain, thunder and lightning.  Needless to say, I go outside as little as possible.  But I love looking out the windows.  There really is something very warm and cozy about being inside and looking out at this kind of weather and scenery.  Ask me about this again in February, though.
I have pictures that I'll get up as soon as I'm a little more caught up and organized.  I plan on getting my Christmas shopping done this weekend.  Then next Thursday again we leave for Cincinnati for a long weekend to celebrate Christmas with all our family there.  For those of you that know me by now, I must continue with my lists and staying organized.  That's the only way I can get everything done without getting too overwhelmed.
My mission for this Holiday Season is to appreciate and enjoy the season for what it should be.  I'm letting my whole family know that I am limiting the gifts and the stress.  The gifts that I do give are going to be useful and/or needed and not just something to fill a pretty box so the skirt under the tree is covered in piles.  Not happening this year and I have such a good feeling about it.  Christmas is about celebration and love of family, life and appreciation of what we have.  Not about things!  This is my mission statement for this wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season!