December 25th

Merry Christmas!

Here are a few pictures from my house:

Beauty waiting for Santa

Our tree on Christmas Eve. We had to skip hanging candy canes this year because of Cato. The presents just went under the tree on last night because he would have unwrapped and/or eaten all the gifts

Our stockings are hung by the fireplace waiting for Santa. The sixth stocking is for Jesus. Mackenna made that in preschool and we've always hung it as a reminder of what today is all about. We'll have a Happy Birthday Jesus ice cream cake for dessert tonight. This morning the kids will each pick one gift to leave wrapped and set aside until Epiphany. That leaves three gifts under the tree. A nice reminder of the gifts brought by the three kings to Jesus.

Santa Paws came! The furbabies stockings are full of yummy goodies. Beauty can't wait to see what's inside hers!

I hope your day is full of love, laughter and Christmas magic! xoxox

Christmas Spirit

Chaos and Cato last year

I am up way too early to work on the book that's due in a few days and need to get busy, but I wanted to share something that happened to me last night at Costco.

I'd gone there to do some final shopping for the family the kids' 4H club adopted because today, Saturday, is delivery day. One of the club's service project each year is to adopt a family at Christmastime and provide them with presents, food and household essentials. I had a two page list of items requested for the mom and her four children so brought that with me to see what I could find that might work.

Beauty in her "cat" tree

I'd gotten a smokin' deal on a Barbie RV through a Kindle Special Offer earlier in the week so my first stop was the toys to get a Barbie to go with it. A woman was looking at them, too, and said I was lucky my kids gave me a list. I told her it wasn't my kids' list, but a family the 4H club had adopted for Christmas. She asked to see the list so I showed her it. She said she'd been wanting to do something like this, pulled out her wallet and handed me $15 cash to cover the Barbie doll.

I was so surprised and very touched. As soon as I had the money, she walked away and I never saw her again. I held the $15 with the list while I shopped. I'm sure it looked weird, but I didn't want to stick the money into my pocket or purse. When I paid I handed over the cash first and told the cashier what happened. Her smile matched my own! 

There is Christmas spirit out there! And I really appreciate the woman at Costco showing me that last night and giving me a taste of the Christmas magic I write about.

Padden needs our help!

And in the spirit of Christmas, if you have time, could you please help me spread the word about Padden via your social media? Padden is a sick cat in need of surgery. I was contacted by the shelter I foster for and asked if I would use Miss Mousie's Facebook page and blog to help fundraise for his medical care! Here's a link to Miss Mousie's blog with some more info and where you can donate. Thanks so much!

Blog Hop Winners

Sorry this is a couple days late. I caught another cold on top of my sinus infection or maybe that's just hanging around! Not good with a book due and Christmas next week. Here are the winners from my blog contest during the Naughty and Nice Blog Hop.

Daily $5 Amazon or Starbuck eCard winners:

Wednesday's winner: Shari (sent)
Thursday's winner: Elisabeth (sent)
Friday's winner: Barbara (sent)
Saturday's winner: Denise (sent)
Sunday's winner: Valerie (sent)
Monday's winner: Janine (sent)

The three eCard post-blog hop winners:

1) $15 Amazon or Starbuck eCard:  bn100 (sent)
2) $10 Amazon or Starbuck eCard: Eva Millen
3) $5 Amazon or Starbuck eCard: Stephanie Gibson (sent)


Thanks to everyone who entered. And remember, I have four Christmas stories out right now, one of which is free:

A kitten reunites lost loves… Short Story Free at Amazon Home isn't always where we think… 39K words Novella $2.99 at Amazon All you need it to believe… 55K words novel Amazon, BN, iBooks Trade-sized includes  Home for Christmas 3 novellas $13.14 at Amazon

Back to Normal

My daughter showed me this last night and I wanted to share with you! Fun and clever



Not blogging for a few days during the blog hop felt weird, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect. My two daughters also came down with strep on Friday. My so-called writing weekend didn't turn out as I expected. I'm so ready to put all these illnesses and antibiotics behind us!

We finally managed to get some decorations on the tree. Only thing missing are candy canes, then I'll take a picture! The clock that sings Christmas Carols on the hour went up last night. Now it's beginning to feel more like the holidays. Advent is a time of preparation for us. We really don't do much celebrating until Christmas Eve, but we do so until Epiphany, enjoying each of the 12 Days of Christmas.

How are your holiday preparations going?

Naughty and Nice Blog Hop - A Christmas Memory

Welcome! I'm participating in the Naughty and Nice Blog Hop so this post 

will be up from December11th to the 16th!

The blog hop rules and instructions are listed on the Safari Heat site. Click here to go to hop headquarters. The overall hop Grand Prize is a Kindle Fire HDX 7" with eBooks! Other prizes will be rewarded to commenters at the various blogs each day of the hop! Only residents of US and Canada are eligible to win prizes that need to be shipped due to postage costs, but anyone can winBooks or digital prizes. 

I remember the first Christmas after marrying my husband. We decided to stay in the Bay Area rather than fly to New York to be with his family or Oregon to be with mine. I was worried I might miss my family since I'd never spent Christmas away from them, but I had to admit a romantic first Christmas alone with my husband sounded pretty perfect to this newlywed and unpublished romance writer.

Of course being alone never happened. And forget about missing being home with my family. We were too busy, surrounded by loved ones...our friends!

Christmas Eve arrived with an invitation from a college friend to spend the evening with him and his family. His father cooked the most incredible dinner and gave me pointers to use for my Christmas dinner, ones I continue to use today. We watched my friend's sister-in-law light the Menorah, then said goodnight so we could attend Midnight Mass.

Christmas morning, my other best friend from college and her husband paid us a visit bearing good tidings and gifts. They gave us an engraved frame marking the occasion. We have a pic from that day in it! That afternoon, our apartment became the gathering place for anyone who didn't have a place to go. We ate Christmas dinner, the first I'd ever cooked, together!

Not much romantic alone time as we'd planned, but that was okay. Everything, and more importantly everyone, came together to give us a perfect first Christmas! Do you have a special memory of a Christmas you want to share? 

Sometimes getting together takes so much effort, but that Christmas plans fell into place perfectly, proof to me there really is Christmas magic, something that plays into each of my Christmas stories out now.

A kitten reunites lost loves… Short Story Free at Amazon Home isn't always where we think… 39K words Novella $2.99 at Amazon All you need it to believe… 55K words novel Amazon, BN, iBooks Trade-sized includes  Home for Christmas 3 novellas $13.14 at Amazon Now some blog hop info:  Prizes will be awarded on comments left here daily so be sure to put your email address when you comment. To get four extra entries into the Grand Prize Kindle Giveaway: Leave a comment, follow my blog, follow on FB and/or on Twitter. Just note that you've done these on your comment, but a comment alone enters you. The extra steps are for more entries! If you want a format to follow you can copy and paste this for your comment: Name: Email: Twitter: Followed @username Facebook: Followed by Your-user-name Blog: Followed by (put name if it's different from your own) Country you live in: (so we know which prizes you're eligible for) Comment: I'm giving away prizes at my blog during the hop, too: Daily: a $5 Amazon or Starbuck eCard to one commenter randomly chosen from all the comments Wednesday's winner: Shari Thursday's winner: Elisabeth (also won a book from the main hop, see comment section) Friday's winner: Barbara Saturday's winner: Denise Sunday's winner: Valerie Monday's winner: Janine After the hop ends, three winners randomly chosen from all the comments left on this blog during the hop. The prizes are: 1) $15 Amazon or Starbuck eCard 2) $10 Amazon or Starbuck eCard 3) $5 Amazon or Starbuck eCard To keep blog hopping click here.

Busy, but fun day ahead!

So get your fingers ready to type and join me on a few Internet stops, all of which include giveaways! And there's something else I'd love help from if you have a minute! Not that you will have much time if you're following me around!

At 10 am (EST) until midnight, there will be a party at the Sweet Romance Reads Facebook page. You can drop by for as long or short as you'd like, once or several times. Lots of giveaways, free books, fun and a $100 Amazon gift card for the grand prize!

I'll be hosting the following hours (EST):

 Noon to 1:00 pm
 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
10:00 pm to Midnight

But plan on stopping by when I can!

Tomorrow, I'm also at Harlequin Junkie doing a spotlight on Home For Christmas. The giveaway there is a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Just leave a comment to be entered. Click here.

And I'll be at the Montana Born Books' blog for the 12 Days Of Christmas in Marietta, Montana. Fun prizes there! I'm day 3 so maybe there will be 3 prizes. Who knows? But click here to find out

Home for Christmas is on a 99 cent Kindle Countdown Deal until the 10th. It's being featured here this morning on Kindle Books and Tips. I'll put the link here once it's live. The book will be listed on their Facebook page later so if you see me request a "Like" for that posting if you follow my page, please like it!

Thanks so much! I hope you know how much I appreciate each one of you!

Okay, that should cover it. I hope you'll join me today around the Internet!

On Sale!

My two stories that are part of A Copper Mountain Christmas are on sale! Woo-hoo. I always love a bargain!

Home For Christmas on sale for 99 cents!

A $0.99 Kindle Countdown Deal on Home For Christmas runs from today until December 10th so this is the time to buy a copy! Click here to go to the book's listing at Amazon.

Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon...the smells of Christmas. The smells of home.

Rachel Murphy longs for home and family. Since childhood, she's dreamed of owning her own pastry shop, but after being burned by a celebrity chef and losing her new bakery in Arizona, Rachel's spending the holidays with her brother in Montana. To keep her dream alive, she's creating custom gingerbread houses and selling them around town. All she needs is a bigger kitchen...and to stay away from her brother's handsome boss.

Former venture capitalist Nate Vaughn has embraced his inner cowboy and now runs a successful dude ranch where Rachel's brother works. Nate's commercial kitchen is perfect for Rachel's baking needs, and seeing the cute blonde's business acumen, Nate knows she'd be the perfect partner for a new venture. When he makes her an offer she can't refuse, he discovers he's interested in more than her gingerbread.

While Nate could make her dreams come true, Rachel's heart, as well as her head, tells her mixing business with anything else could be a recipe for disaster. Should she return to Arizona, and leave Nate and her new eager-for-more customers behind? Or can Nate convince her that, here with him in the mountains of Montana, she's already home? For Christmas...forever.

Mistletoe Magic is FREE on Amazon!

My 9,000 word short story companion to Home for Christmas and the other two A Copper Mountain Christmas novellas has been free on Smashwords, but now it's free on Amazon, too!
Just click on the retailer name if you want to download it. 

Spending a quiet Christmas housesitting and reading novels about hot cowboys sounds perfect to Caitlin Butler. Until a stray kitten brings her face-to-face with Noah, her crush from college. Watching the handsome vet in action melts Caitlin's heart and brings back long forgotten emotion. She would be safer back at the house lost in the pages of a book. But a toe-curling mistletoe kiss tempts her to stay. Maybe she won't be spending this Christmas... alone.

Veterinarian Noah Sullivan isn't a Scrooge, but the Christmas Eve tradition of hanging mistletoe in the clinic's waiting room annoys him. Kissing doesn't belong at the Copper Mountain Animal Hospital. Noah rethinks his position when Caitlin arrives with a stray kitten she found freezing in the snow. All he wants now is to maneuver the pretty preschool teacher under the mistletoe. If he's not careful, he'll wind up on Santa's naughty list. 

12 Hours of Christmas Facebook Bash!

Don't forget to join the 12 Hours of Christmas Facebook Bash! Just click here and then join in the fun by saying you'll be there! The party begins Thursday, December 5th at 10:00 am (EST). The Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree After Party starts at 10:00 pm and runs until midnight (EST). Hope to see you there!

You can come for as long as you want or drop by for a few minutes at a time. No matter which (or both!), you'll want to fill out the Rafflecopter giveaway on the Facebook page so you're entered to win our Grand Prize and other door prizes!
 

Long and Short Reviews Weekly Contest!

I'm one of this weeks sponsors for LASR's weekly contest. You can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card from LASR, a print book from Cynthia Owens and a copy of A Little Bit of Holiday Magic from me. Just go here to enter. And you can enter daily, too!

Contest time! The winner of the $5 Starbucks gift card and mini swag gingerbread bag is...Emma! Emma, you didn't have a profile attached to your name so please send me your mailing address via the contact button on the menu bar and I'll send out your prize!

We are now accepting RSVPs to our 12 Hours Of Christmas Facebook Bash. Go here so you can join the party. It'll be held at the Sweet Romance Reads page, but we'll be doing promo and pre-party stuff at the event page.

The third story in A Copper Mountain Christmas is FREE today and tomorrow. Pick up your copy of Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter at Amazon. Click here. The cover blurb reads:

Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect.

Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzles between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

Speaking of Christmas, I came across this acapella version of A Little Drummer Boy on You Tube. Worth a listen!



Enjoy your Tuesday! I'm hoping I can get rid of this crud I caught!

Busy Week Ahead

I have lots going on this week and many opportunities for you to win giveaways and what not. (I'll post Friday's Gift Card winner tomorrow. I'm sick today.) So here's what's happening:

Starting today, I'm hosting the weekly contest at LASR. You can enter daily to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC, a signed book from Cynthia Owens & a print copy of A Little Bit of Holiday Magic from me. Click here to enter daily!

From yesterday December 1 until December 12, Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde are holding a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway on Facebook. Grand Prize is a Mini iPad and $100 gift certificate.  All three A Copper Mountain Christmas authors are doing a giveaway, but I'm not sure when. To enter go to this Facebook group and enter whatever giveaways you want via a Rafflecopter link attached to the prize post. There's a special Rafflecopter to enter for the Grand Prize, too. Click here to see what's up for grabs on this second day.

Starting today until the 5th, there's another mini-contest running for the SnowGlobe Award. Thanks for all your votes because I won the Best Opening! One voter entry will be random selected to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, too! Go here to cast your vote.

The third novella in A Copper Mountain Christmas, A Copper Mountain Christmas by Jane Porter is now available, but there's a special sale happening on December 3rd and 4th, if you want to take advantage of that. Here's the link to her book on Amazon.

Thursday I'm all over the web with Christmas giveaways and fun (I'll post specific info as this day is closer):

1) 12 Sweet Reads Romance Authors are throwing a FB Party for 12 hours with a 2 hour After Party.

2) Home for Christmas is the spotlight book at Harlequin Junkie

3) I'm hosting day 5 of Montana Born Books' 12 Days of Christmas Celebration!

I'm tired just writing all that. I'll need to go to bed early on Wednesday and do twice as many words as usual so I can just have fun on Thursday!

Hope you had a nice weekend.

Black Friday Blogging & Giveaway

Normally I'd be out shopping by 5 am this morning, but I'm hanging with the family today. We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving being grateful as well as having fun celebrating my mom's birthday. Going out to eat definitely worked well! My mom seemed to really enjoy herself yesterday!

Today I'm over at Sweet Romance Reads blogging about being addicted to Christmas movies. Stop by and say hi if you get the chance. The trailer to my current favorite Christmas movie is there. Any guesses what it might be? Post your answer here before going there. One commenter will win a recipe card, gingerbread cookie cutter and a $5 Starbuck's gift card! The winner will be chosen randomly so no peeking! Click here to go there.

Also if you have a minute, could you please go here and vote for best opening line?  My book Home for Christmas is entered. I won't tell you which entry number is mine. Just vote for your favorites. One voter will receive a $10 Amazon gift certificate from the contest! Here's a little more info about it:

November 28-November 30-Catchiest Opening Lines! On November 30, the winning opening lines will be announced and a voter entry will be randomly selected and both winners will receive a $10 amazon gift card.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Very Good Friday Giveaway!

Last night....

Stanford beat Oregon! Awesome!

The Portland Timbers beat the Seattle Sounders! Woo-hoo!

A pet store agreed to host my oldest's 4-H club's Kong Dog Toy Drive service project! Great!

Today...

An email from one of my soldiers arrived this morning! Yippee!

Katherine Garbera's A Cowboy for Christmas (A Copper Mountain Christmas novella like my Home For Christmas) is currently ranked #10 on the Kindle Holiday Bestseller list! Exciting!

I'm so thrilled for my friend, Katherine. She's the one who suggested I be a part of the Montana Born Books anthology. If you like cowboys and Montana, buy her book! I'd love to see her hit #1!

If you want to pick up Katherine's novella click on the link above or use the widget below.

Since it's been such a good morning and I'm oh-so Cardinal proud, I'm giving away a copy of my novella Home For Christmas. It's a Kindle-format eBook, but you can read that from your computer or phone, too!

Comment to enter. I'll pick a winner tonight.

Check back in the morning to see if it's you because I'll need the winner's email address so I can send them a copy of the book!

So...how are things going in your life?

Out a Day Early!

My Monday is not turning out as I planned and it's only 6 am! I woke up to discover my Montana Born Book's novella Home For Christmas released a day early on Amazon! I'm so excited. Or will be once I catch my breath!

Here's the back cover copy:

Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Rachel Murphy loves the scent of gingerbread baking almost as much as she enjoys creating custom edible houses at Christmastime. But she needs a bigger kitchen if she wants to make the most of her impromptu holiday business.

Enter Nate Vaughn, handsome venture capitalist turned Montana dude ranch owner and her brother’s boss. Nate’s commercial kitchen is perfect for the baker. And he thinks she might be perfect for him…as a business partner.

After being burned by a celebrity baker, Rachel’s wary of Nate’s interest in her gingerbread houses, not to mention his mistletoe kisses. She should leave the Bar V5 ranch and return to Arizona. Or can Nate convince her she’s already home?

I hope you have a great Monday! Mine is going to be busier than I imagined!!!!

Digital Release Day!

I'm so excited! Today, A Little Bit of Holiday Magic, the final book in the Hood Hamlet Christmas Magic series, comes out today in digital format. The print version goes on sale next week for those who prefer paperbacks! Here's the back cover copy:

A new family…for Christmas? 

All widow Grace Wilcox wants is a fresh start for her and her young son, Liam. When her truck spins off the icy road, her rescuer turns out to be the hottest firefighter in Hood Hamlet, and even wary Grace can't say no to his offer of help!

Bill Paulson has stuck to his no-dating rule so far this Christmas, but having Grace in his home is testing his chivalrous side to the limit! Her little boy is melting his heart, even asking for a new daddy from Santa...

But Grace has already loved and lost one hero. Can she really let herself get close to another?

 You can buy the book at most eBook retailers including Amazon, BN, iBooks and Kobo.

If you're new to my Hood Hamlet books, they feature mountain rescue volunteers on Mount Hood in Oregon. Each book is standalone, but they were published in the following order:

1) Rescued By The Magic of Christmas (digital)
2) Snow-Kissed Reunion (free on-line read at harlequin.com. Click here. )
3) Christmas Magic on the Mountain (digital)
4) Firefighter Under the Mistletoe (digital and large print paperback)
5) Winning Back His Wife (digital and paperback)
6) A Little Bit of Holiday Magic (digital and paperback)

I'll be celebrating the release with various contests through my newsletter for subscribers, Facebook events and guest blogging. I'll be posting a list next week!

The fun never ends...

I thought things would be settling down around here. But nope.

On Wednesday, Miss Mousie came down with what Spirit had. Luckily we could get her on the right meds right away on Thursday and she's doing fine. Spirit has completely recovered, too! Amazing considering a week ago I thought we might have to put her down!

On Friday, Rose twisted her ankle at a trampoline place. She had to miss her soccer game on Saturday and limped around most of the weekend.

On Saturday night, we ended up at the ER with Finn. He could barely walk after his swim meet on Saturday. The kid still managed two personal bests and two state A times, but turns out he has tendonitis in his left foot. He's in an air splint, and we see his pediatrician tomorrow. I was just so happy something wasn't broken. The last time this happened we discovered he'd been swimming for two weeks with a broken arm.

As you can imagine, I'm ready for life to settle down. I hope to be back to my normal blogging once that happens. Been praying and crossing fingers. Seriously not sure how much more this mom can take.

On the writing front, I wanted to tell/remind you about a couple things.

First, if you haven't signed up for my newsletter, please do. Click here or go to the right column to sign up. I'll be doing giveaways for subscribers in November and December to celebrate my two Christmas releases. Gift cards and gingerbread are the prizes so sign-up before 11/1 to be entered in the November giveaway.

Second, there's a Goodreads giveaway going on right now for copies of my upcoming release A Little Holiday Magic. Go here to enter or you can use this gadget to get there, too.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Little Bit of Holiday Magic

by Melissa McClone

Giveaway ends November 01, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Hope you had a nice and uneventful weekend!

Happy Epiphany!

At least this is what happens in our house. Remember this...

And now we have puppy Cato getting into the mix. Nightly rescue missions to save wise men, sheep, angel and baby Jesus from puppy jaws!

At least the decorations will soon be put away!  But first we must open presents. Then it's time to bless and chalk the house!

Happy Epiphany!

Boxing Day

I went out shopping this morning to stock up on wrapping paper, bows and gift tags. I also bought myself a cute little ornament. I love birds and this one was a bird in a next with two blue eggs. So cute.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas! We had a very nice day. Santa was good to everyone!I received a hard cover copy of my favorite author's newest book, The Panther by Nelson DeMille and a military nutcracker from Rose. I also got a wallet from Finn and an awesome red (fave color) North Face jacket from Mackenna!

What was your favorite present?

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Christmas Eve

Christmas To Do list almost complete! I can't wait until I can say Mission Accomplished but that won't happen until tomorrow.

At least the Grinch kitty can't keep Christmas from coming. I had my doubts with everything I needed to do, but it all worked out. Having the kids gone helped. Immensely.

I finished up the decorating around the house. All the groceries for Christmas day was purchased. As well as a couple of last minute presents. I also bought stockings for the newest four-footed members of the family!

I spent Saturday wrapping while watching Christmas movie after Christmas movie. I kept switching between the Hallmark Channel and USA. Needless to say there are finally gifts under the tree. That means the animals have to squeeze around the presents to nap.

This is Cato before presents. He sure likes it under there. If he's not there, you'll find Beauty and Yoda. I wish all three would nap together, but so far that hasn't happened. Maybe I need to touch of Hood Hamlet Christmas Magic for that to happen!

The kids returned from my parents house in time for Finn's soccer game. They won! He scored two goals. I was thankful it was indoors not outdoors in the cold and rain!

Last night we made our gingerbread house. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. But our tradition is to do 12 Days of Christmas so we really don't do much celebrating until now. And this helps me since I need all of Advent to get ready. I'm always behind due to writing and life!

The angel finally went on the top of the tree last night. We had to wait because it was Finn's turn (we rotate each year) and we weren't completely finished decorating the house. The angel is the last thing to go up. 

The tree doesn't have decorations on the bottom branches because of Cato. The puppy is having a grand old time with the garland which I strung too low this year. Oops! Lesson learned.

We kept the breakable ornaments off the tree once again. This is for Cato's sake on the lower branches but mainly for Beauty who likes to climb through the center of the tree and cause havoc. It doesn't look too bad. I miss seeing the other pretty, fragile ones I've collected over the years, but oh, well... I love my animals. I did hang two Radkos on the top shelf of our great room built in on ornament hangers!
 Well, I have to finish getting ready for our annual Christmas Eve brunch with my side of the family.  I got up early this morning to make chocolate covered strawberries! One of my nephews loves them and no matter how many I make they are the first thing gone each year!

Growing up I had dreams of these big family Christmas celebrations since there was always just my parents and sister every holiday. You know the kind you see on TV, not perfect but loud and full of laughter and food. But everyone has their own idea of how they want to spend Christmas day and evening as well as Christmas Eve, so a few years ago we decided a family brunch would be a good compromise. And it has been.

Do you have a big get together with friends and family to celebrate Christmas?

Almost Christmas!

Yesterday was a full day. I was running around town trying to get a lot of things checked off my Christmas Prep To Do list.

First up on my list was a trip to the mall to see Santa. My 14 yo did not want to go. But the two youngests were game. My 12 yo said he didn't want to see Santa, but he changed his mind after he walked around a bit and then joined us in line.

My 9 yo was so excited. She loves Santa, and couldn't wait to tell him what she wanted for Christmas—a Justin Bieber Cardboard Cutout. She'd already written him a letter telling him this, but she wanted to make sure he knew this was the number one item on her list!

My son debated on what he should tell Santa he wanted. Number one on his list this year is the LEGO Death Star set. But he decided that was too big to ask for so he told Santa he wanted the second item on his list instead—Call of Duty Black Ops, an XBOX game.

After Santa, I surprised Rose by having her ears pierced. She's been asking and asking. I figured this was a good time. Hubby wasn't so sure, but I reminded him that Mackenna was a couple months younger than Rose when she had hers done. I think that surprised him. We always think of our youngest as the baby. Needless to say Santa and ear piercing made her day!

We grabbed lunch at Burgerville. Egg nog shake, yum! Then had a few minutes home before we headed to Crossfit. While the kids worked out, I wrote letters. I had some packages I needed to send out later. Then it was back home.

The kids left for my parents (I have a kid free weekend to finish up Christmas stuff) and I headed to the Post Office, Bank and Outlet Mall, specifically Harry & David. I realized baking just wasn't going to happen (at least not beyond what my family will want for Christmas) so I bought our neighbors Moose Munch. Even hubby agreed this was the best way to go this year so that was a big relief.

I'm up early for a Saturday in order to get stuff done. Wrapping is first up on my list, and then I'll go from there. The only thing I'm not sure of are cards. I'm coming to the realization that picture Christmas cards are a pain in the butt for me to deal with. I've been asking for pics for three weeks (they aren't on my computer) and it's not happening. I still have my Happy New Year cards from last year with our annual Christmas letter all done because the family never sent them out for me (plan was I make card, they address and mail them because I was too busy with a book.) So I think I'm just going to do regular Christmas scene cards from now.

What are you doing today?

Scrooged

Pretty much every four-footed McClone has been trying to steal Christmas this year. We haven't even finished decorating, yet!

We've got unbreakable and kid made ornaments on the tree. Again. It's pretty, but I stare at the two ornament boxes with the other ornaments longingly. But both Beauty and Yoda are captivated by the tree and always around it. So far not up it again, but I have a feeling that's only a matter of time.

After seeing what Cato can do with a paper towel or the newspaper, I'm afraid to put the presents under the tree. Someone suggested we put the X-Pen around the tree to keep the puppy and the cats away. But I don't want to do that. I guess I'll just keep the water bottle handy. Though Cato seems to enjoy getting wet.

The kids believe the Nativity scene we put under the tree will be toast due to the puppy. It's not out yet. We just put the tree skirt under the tree. That's now become Cato's favorite napping spot.

Okay, I must get busy. More Christmas decorating to do, some writing and I'm heading to Church in a bit to try and organize our office for the Good Shepherd program I teach! My co-teacher and I were over there yesterday getting the movable shelves we use to make the Atrium environment. Now to get the fixed shelves in the office looking all neat and tidy! They've become our catch-all for the past few months and it's not good!

Hope you have a great day!