Thanksgiving's over, bring on Christmas!

I've been missing a few weeks.  It's been busy!!!  My son is still having anxiety issues with school, there was the planning/packing/going/staying/coming home of the Thanksgiving holiday at the beach, Christmas decorating here and at my in-laws (my mother-in-law is being treated for cancer for the third time in three years and had decided decorating was too much trouble), and, of course, knitting.

My sister and I are blessed with an absolutely wonderful relationship.  Her kids are mine and mine are hers.  We truly enjoy being together.  She works and I've kept her kids (still put one on the bus in the morning and fill in at the elementary school events neither of her parents can make).  Our families vacation together in the summer at the beach in Nags Head, NC and again over the Thanksgiving holiday, mostly to escape our parents and their issues.  The kids are like siblings, so there've been tussles here and there, but mostly, it's just heaven.

This year was no exception.  I visited my favorite knitting store, Knitting Addiction, ate wonderful food, and relaxed.  I finished several big projects and started new ones.  It was also nice to return home to our greeting committee of four - my son's cat really couldn't care less if all of us fell off the earth.

We have two Christmas trees and they were up before we left.  Saturday night, I decorated the family room, but still have the living room, the window candles, and the outside to do.  We spent 3 1/2 hours at my in-laws house doing their decorations and next weekend we'll help my father with his.

Friday Status Update

Many exciting things have happened this week.  My family are huge St. Louis Cardinals fans, despite the fact that we live in central Virginia!  We see them play at least once a year.  In August, we were despairing that their season would soon be over, but they made an impressive run and are one game away from the World Series Championship!

In knitting news, I received this:

and I'm so excited.  I have also found some  yarn in a revelry destash to knit the Rocky Coast Cardigan.

I have finished the sleeves on my Vitamin D

and I'm really loving the color.  I lovingly call it Beagle Brown, since it matches the top of my beloved Shiloh's head!

I began a hat for my sister (although I've already knit a shawl she ordered for Christmas), since she loved the hat I made her daughter.  It's the Hermoine Hearts Ron hat in Knit Picks Shine Sport.

And, I swatched for my Dad's Christmas Vest and I really love the pattern.  This is the first item I've ever knit for him and I really think he'll be surprised.

I hope to have the hat finished very soon, followed closely by the Vitamin D.  I can't wait to start that cardigan!