Weekly Winners/Sundays in My City

Well, my Sunday's almost over already, but Lotus's Weekly Winners and Sundays in My City
are the perfect themes for sharing what I've been up to this weekend.

On Christmas eve, we puppysat for Santa for a few hours. It was torture for poor Kendall,

who has always wanted, "a cuddly, little, white puppy" that wouldn't make her allergies flare up.

Gus, a "teddy bear" totally fit the bill....

Kendall couldn't have fallen more in love if she'd been given a new, luxurious scarf!

He never left her side...

...except when he was at Mr.4444's side, which Cooper didn't appreciate.

He had something to say about it (and something tells me we should be grateful we don't speak dog)!

More cuddling....

When Santa arrived (around 11pm), we tried to tell him that the dog had run away...

...but he didn't fall for it.

We basically had to pry Gus from Kendall's arms.

It helped that we then snuck outside for our annual tradition

of decorating the rest of the tree at the entrance to our neighborhood.

On Christmas morning, Kyle was thrilled to open his new snowboard...

When I saw his size 14 boots, I was blown away.
(Couldn't get a pic to show how ginormous they are.)

For breakfast, I made my usual Blueberry French Toast, the recipe for which you will find here.

We then headed to Grandma 4444's for more gift-box carnage and the annual pic in front of the tree.

Grandma 4444 made her famous City Chicken that night,

(which I have promised Mr.4444 I would learn how to make,

even though I have absolutely no desire to--It's very putsy!

Isn't making pasties* enough proof of my love?!)

Mashed potatoes and homemade gravy are a must for a city chicken feast.
Mr.4444 helped his mom make the gravy
(it's a science, you know, and the technique is very important.)

And finally, a glimpse of my nativity scene, which was entirely set up for me by a four year old little boy who celebrated his first Christmas this year (long story) and had no knowledge of the Christmas story but did an amazing job as I shared the story with him. My favorite part is how he placed Joseph and one of the wise men; they are nose-to-nose, in seemingly deep conversation.

I wonder what they were saying.

Oops! I almost forgot that last week, I took this photo at the church in which the Tinytown high school
marching band and choir held a Christmas concert.
It was so beautiful inside, I was instantly filled with holiday spirit.
There is nothing like a holiday concert, at night, in an old Catholic church.
.

Some of my fondest memories involve midnight/late-night Christmas eve masses from years ago.
(One of these years, I'll talk Mr.4444 and the kids into attending one, instead of going to early mass.)

However you celebrated your holidays this year,
I hope that you, too, have happy memories to last another year or more :)

*For those of you fixated on the word "pasties," click on my link--It's the plural of pasty, not be be confused with the stripper paraphernalia!haha