What a Week...

I am truly grateful for the inventor of this Marble track toy--it bought me some priceless time this week to organize a BIG Christmas dinner I was in charge of at my church. I know it is a little early, but the goal was to give women ideas for celebrating this year.

It turned out great, although I forgot my camera, of course.

Highlights:
Women signed up to decorate 8 round tables for service for six with their own Christmas dishes and decorations...I was amazed with how beautiful this turned out. It looked like I had stepped into a Christmas boutique.

I brought my big white serving dishes and platters, pooled Damask burgundy and sage colored table cloths, Nativities with (battery powered) candles for the serving tables. I was please with the effect ...simple and elegant.

A friend provided a table full of ideas for inexpensive and handmade Christmas gifts...I will post some these later...they were awesome!

For pre dinner visiting, we had appetizers and made little candy cane mice to donate to a Children's hospital over the holidays. I will post instructions soon---so cute and easy!

Dinner Menu:
Chicken a la King served in bread crowns (This is my families tradition for Christmas Eve-symbolic of Christ the King)
Fruit Salad
Green Celebration Salad
Eggnog Bundt Cake with Carmel Sauce

Then I gave a little Christmas Message on ideas for a Christ Centered Christmas . I will post this in December. I loved preparing for this, it really got me in the mood for Christmas.

**Also, this is my last Relief Society event to be in charge of, I was just given a new calling (church job) to serve as 1st counselor in the Young Womens!**

I am so excited!

In other news...I was thrilled to receive some pictures of my newest nephew in the mail. Introducing Logan Matthew...

Precious...I wish so much I could hold this little guy! Congratulations to my little brother Matt and his wife Amy!

P.S. the words in green are links!

Projects

I had planned on making this cute Valentines Day banner for my mantle. Yesterday it occured to that I better get crackin' on it if I was going to get it up before the BIG day. Have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE Valentines Day?!! I think it turned out cute. There are directions here. If you make it, be sure to use a sharp exacto knife--I learned that the hard way!

Connor had the annual Science Project due this week. He really wanted to do a taste test, involving brownies. He named it "Martha VS Betty--The Brownie Smack Down"--sounds like a 6th grader, huh? Last year's project here involved cupcakes...hmmm I swear boys are always hungry!

And, here is Coleman's 100th Day of School project. We counted out 100 navy beans and I helped him turn it into a BYU sign.

He really loves BYU and writes it on everything.

I found this piece of work in his backpack!