T'was The Week Before Christmas.......

.........and I decided to take a holiday from quilting! What, you say, how can she do that? It is not my natural bent, but I confess I am a bit tired, and would prefer to focus on getting the kitchen done and taking care of Matthew and making my minimal Christmas preparations.

The adults in our family made the wise decision to forgo adult gift giving- spouses were excepted if they so wished- but otherwise it would be "just the kids". Only three of them and for DH and me this is a cinch. The two older DGS get their annual Telluride season ski pass, and young Matthew is no problem at two yrs and nine months.

Between the incomplete kitchen and oldest DGS work schedule and the fact that school doesn't let out till Friday, we have also missed the annual cookie baking. I hope that next year young Matthew will be able to participate. I did make a batch or two of Christmas biscotti and some mini Christmas breads, and plan to make some more in the next couple of days for gifting.

Makes Christmas pretty simple. I tried to persuade DH that the new kitchen is my gift but I know he will not comply so today I went out and bought him this for the new kitchen/entertainment area........

we will all enjoy it for games on holidays etc. when we gather but DH is the big TV watcher in the house on a daily basis, though I can be persuaded to watch the news while I am cooking. I said that Santa had come a little early.

I also purchased this............

so he can install it on the appropriate wall! Have I told you that he is a very handy chap to have around? Think I will keep him!

Now here's a sneak peek of the 8.5ft. island granite, the new French doors and the chandelier..........

and below, the main sink. That's an instant boiling water faucet on the left, filtered cold water on the right.

I told DH "if I am missing from bed in the night, come downstairs and you will find me hugging my granite!"