Cold in Texas and Prepping for Christmas Eve

 I woke up at 6:30 this morning with the realization that I have not made my Fruitcake Cookies yet!

I could NOT go back to sleep so I got out of bed and started my day!

We sleep with our backdoor from our bedroom open unless it is freezing cold.

It was 35 degrees by the time I checked the weather while the coffee was making and it said it feels like 29! I was excited and took that first cup outside to sit on the driveway

I loved the cold crisp air - we haven't had much of that as of yet this season.

I looked over at the window and saw Miss Samantha keeping watch beside the electric candle.

You can't really see it, but she's sporting a new Christmas collar....WITH an extra bell!

It was another fireplace morning and I loved every minute of it!

I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen!

Prepping for my Christmas Eve dinner......

The sweet potato casserole is all ready to pop into the oven.

Sherry's mom had sent a big bag of sweet potatoes to me and I cooked up every single one of them and that made for a large casserole dish FULL of goodness!

Next up?

I love this recipe and make it so many times that I know it by heart -

but I pulled it out today just to double check myself and dated it.

I don't actually go by the measurements and I added a good bit of the HEB Texas Steak Seasoning to it.

Louis Dean taste tested it and pronounced it perfect!

I had a bag of pretzel 'O's' and dipped them in white chocolate and then in what small amount of colored sugar I had. Tomorrow I must stock up on the sugars and sprinkles for the sugarplums.

The most time consuming thing was the Fruitcake cookies!

It took hours to make the dough and then bake it all up!

Recipe is from Hood County Women's Group and my Aunt Irene gave me the recipe book in 1985.

I have used it so much!

Can you even see where I dated it this year?

Cats really know how to nap, don't they??

I thought sure I would take a nap myself today but I stayed too busy.

I purposely didn't even make up the bed assuming I would be back in it before too long.

I guess I still get excited over Christmas and I love that all my children and all my grandchildren will be here at home on Christmas Eve!

That's going to be the very best Christmas gift!

I'll close tonight's journal entry with a better pic of Tabitha and her new bow!

All my gifts have arrived and all the stockings are filled......except I need one more fun thing for a certain someone and I plan to get that tomorrow when i go out.

While I owned the kitchen today - it will belong exclusively to Louis Dean tomorrow.

As in all day!

He will be making cinnamon rolls and it's best if I am not home while he is working.

SO I will use tomorrow to do last minute errands, go to the bank, buy groceries and pick up a card table and chairs from Amber.

There will be 19 people here and I like to have table settings for everyone.

Hope you all are enjoying these last few days before Christmas as much as I am!!