Countdown to Christmas!

I can't believe how fast the time goes between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It seems like a blur at this point!  Have we shopped?  No, not really.  But we have been cooking and we did have a caroling party here at the house.  The tree is up - decorated, redecorated, rearranged... fiddled with and it is now being enjoyed.  We made the peanut brittle- a tradition- but now we need to send some off to California. 

Frank loving the snow storm we had last week.

                                                                                                                            Peanut Brittle- Tradition!!

It is hard being away from the rest of the family- we will really miss our traditions in Californa but we are in the midst of making new ones here while keeping some of the old ones.   

Pepperoni buns are on the menu for Christmas eve.   We call them West Virginia Tamales- as the recipe comes from my dad's hometown of Fairmont and they are our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. A tradition that will continue - it gives the kids a "taste" of home.    Last year we took Christimas day to go sledding and provided that there is snow on the ground we will be doing the same thing this year.  It was a fun day and very relaxing -well except for the sore muscles.

                                                                                  

You've heard of a garage band? This is the Pryer kitchen band!

                           John looking cool.

The kids were asked to perform at our churches Christmas program last Sunday.

With a week's notice- it was definitely a push but under the direction of Mary they pulled it together and the Von Pryer family players were a success.

They played a very jazzy arrangement of Go Tell it on the Mountain.  James was even able to join with them after practicing only once on Saturday.

Aaron mugging for the camera! Sam?  who knows?

sound check!

Timothy's breakfast choice- cinnamon rolls

We celebrated Tim's 16th birthday by going out to dinner at the local Chinese food buffet.  It was a really fun time and to not have to go home and fix a dinner on Sunday after the Christmas program was a real treat for me!  We were all so tired after the caroling party and the Christmas program that had we not gone out I think we'd have eaten grilled cheese sandwiches!

Well it's late so I'd better sign off. We've still got so much to do.  Merry Christmas!