Getting Ready for Christmas!!!!

 December is flying by!!!!! I knew this would happen.  The months just lolly gaggle around until November and then WHAM!!! It is the 19th of Christmas!!!!! Where does the time go???

But we are decorated completely!!!

The front porch

Rhonda's house

I made cookies to deliver to the Orange County Sheriff's office, the State Patrol, the Hillsborough Police Department and the fire station.  Amy drove.

Luminary night

I thought all of us readers would enjoy this tree!

Mistletoe 

My favorite gate decoration

All in all, I hope everyone is enjoying the build up and the craziness!  

Much love,

Leslie

November Needs More Days!!!!

 I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  With the arrival of COVID three years ago, our holidays became different.  But still ok.  I do miss the wild pandemonium of Thanksgiving with all of us plus brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews....who can forget the trip to a battlefield or the new movie and then dinner at California Pizza Kitchen?  But, now travel is not big in anyone's mind and kids go off to their significant others.  I am not complaining.  We had a great Thanksgiving. We celebrated with our neighbor, Rhonda, and with a lot of food!  

Making the icing for the lemon cake (the bread for the stuffing in next to it)

Thanksgiving dinner

It was delicious!

Now, I am putting away all things Fall and getting ready to put up Christmas.  

Doesn't everyone use their bedroom as a staging arena?

I took apart these wreaths and re-put them together

Honestly, there need to be more days in November!!!!!!!

And in the world of our favorite things.....Jake is home from Dr. Fernando's rehab spa and apparently he is happy to be home ruling the roost.

Jake

And we say "Welcome" to Phoenix.  Jane got Carole to agree to opening their home to a dog that will be living her best life with Jane.

Phoenix

Phoenix is about 3 years old and was a stray in San Francisco.  Jane says she is the sweetest thing ever!!!!! Welcome to the Family!!!

So, enjoy the holiday and relax ~ everything does not have to happen before December 1st!  (That is what Amy tells me!!!)

Much love,

Leslie

It's Beginning to Look Like Fall...

 And it feels like Fall!!!!! Cooler than usual....very strange, but welcome.  We are decorating for Fall and Halloween and buying lots of candy!  My fear is that we will run out (thank you Dad!)

So I have chocolate candy, not chocolate candy and special things for the kids that can have neither.  So far, I have almost 600 pieces of candy, but I will get some more.

I love the pumpkins and the new bone.

The front of Amy's car

The front porch is decorated but since Trick or Treat is on the alley behind the house, everything gets moved to the back.  And then...............it is time to start thinking about.......Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

But, before I jump into that craziness...here are some of the neighbors.  And one family's effort to change their decorations every day!!!!!!!!!

Look closely at this one.   It is a bit disturbing.

Our front porch

Enjoy the early coolness!

Much love,

Leslie

What a Glorious Wedding ~ In Spite of Ophelia!!!!

 It was a cold, rainy, blustery Saturday here in Hillsborough.  Every other year it has been hot and sweaty.  Not so this year thanks to Tropical Storm Ophelia!  But we were not going to let it get in our way to celebrate Maren and Patrick!!!!

You can't even tell it is raining!  Love the tents that only one person stood under.  A cousin.

I thought these planters were gorgeous!!!!

The front porch could not have been more beautiful!  Lots of lanterns and white pumpkins.

The wedding cake with Maren's bouquet.  

The fantastic grooms cake that Rhonda made.

Emma 

                                                        

Jane

                                                                           

           

David and Thomas

Jesse

Final touches....

                                                      

Megan, Jesse's fiancee ~ took the most amazing photos!!!!!

  
                                                 

Congratulations to Maren and Patrick!!!

Cousins ~ Jesse, Jane and Emma

Jim giving the first toast

Cutting the cake

The wedding favors that Patrick's Aunt Becky made.  So pretty and representative of Patrick's home in New Hampshire. 

All in all, everyone had a most wonderful time! We certainly were not letting Ophelia stop our party!!!!!!

Much love,

Leslie