Wow! This year has really gotten away from me the past month! We all went to the Phoenix zoo the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and Tommy and my nephew had such a great time seeing the animals. Tommy still talks about seeing the orange tiger at the zoo and how it was LOUD. That kid really enjoys animals, but I'm glad to see he has a healthy respect and isn't tempted to try to get close. He's really a look but don't touch kid when it comes to new experiences. Right now it's nice, because he's a bit afraid of dogs, and I don't have to worry about him approaching strange ones, but I'm hoping he'll start to grow out of this fear and be more comfortable around our relative's pets. Someday we'd like a dog in addition to our kitties! (He loves the kitties btw - he hugs Pica and tells her he loves her, and also tells me she's "his kitty")
We're gearing up for the end of December and Christmas. I've been sewing and painting when I get a bit of time, but I'm still not quite ready with presents. Mentally I'm not quite in gear yet either. The one thing about living in the Valley of the Sun is that it's hard to convince yourself that yes, it is indeed winter, and the holidays are approaching fast. It's been colder and rainy here the past few days, and that has helped, but I really do prefer the sunny, non-gloomy days. We've been watching the snowstorms in other areas of the country and hope that all of our friends there are keeping warm and staying safe.
My best friends will be visiting soon from Wisconsin, and I'm trying to plan a few things to do while they're here while still having time to relax and spend time together. We had talked about visiting the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the luminarias, but it seems a bit expensive - we may wait for next year to see it. There are so many things going on here for the season that it's hard to choose! I'm sure it will be a fun visit regardless of what we do.
How are you preparing for the holidays? I'd love to hear about your traditions, and how you celebrate. We're trying to instill some old traditions and make some new ones just for our family. How do you make the season special for your loved ones?
Have a blessed season and enjoy the times with friends and family!
