EstherEmms: The Past Few Days

For us, as I'm sure for you, the past few days have been a flurry of activity! We have been going nonstop! Feast preparations, Christmas pageants, hosting, giving and receiving gifts (and the last minute touches on those gifts!), and seeing family we haven't seen, in some cases, since last Christmas. Here's a glimpse:

Okay, so my dad is really obsessed with these specific door mats, which have always been a part of his house. To be honest, they have always been around, so I never really thought much about them. Apparently though, they have become increasingly harder and harder to find to replace when needed, and apparently one cannot really live without them. So, I purchased a fresh mat for my dad (which caused him to dance a little jig when he opened it), and I thought that probably my husband's dad and grandpa should finally experience true life as men, with this get-rid-of-the-mud-on-your-shoes door mat. I was glad that they came in three separate boxes when FedEx delivered them, but I didn't really get excited about the idea of wrapping those huge boxes...so I invited my kids to paint them. They willingly and happily obliged. :)