DONE!

There is a point every year where you can sit back and enjoy the season with no incomplete tasks hanging over your head. Generally, this happens for me around the 24th of December. This year, it is today! The gifts are purchased, the cards are out, the packages sent, the presents under the tree. Yay! Over the last few weeks, I have done the following:

1. Made 20 pound cakes for the Relief Society sisters
2. Made 75 bookmarks for the new Relief Society manual
3. Made pasta salad for 50 hungry sisters
   
4. Sent out 60 Christmas cards (a first for this lazy family)
5. Impatiently stood by my mailbox each day waiting for my online purchases to arrive
6. Sent a package to Alpine, Utah
   
7. Sent a package to Prague
   
8. Waited in line for 45 minutes at the post office to achieve #'s 4,6, and 7
9. Thought it would be best to shop at night after the kids were asleep, as to avoid the crowds
10. Fought the mall (and by "mall" I mean Wal-Mart) crowds at night after the kids were asleep-- seems everyone had the same brilliant idea to shop at night
    

Yesterday morning, an old beat-up black Nissan Sentra pulled up to my house and a big, dread-locked, face-tatooed man knocked on my door.

I answered timidly, "yes?"

"Package for you," he says gruffly.

I look down and see the most dilapidated package you have ever seen. It was like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry refuses to sign for his package-- only to have his Uncle Leo do it. I wouldn't even touch it. I was contemplating how much my refusal of this package would anger the scary man at my door, when I saw that it was sent from the Czech Republic. I happily signed for it.
Mom and Dad, I am not sure what kind of postal service you employed to get the package here, but it was a far cry from the friendly UPS men who have frequented the house these past few weeks. Either way, we are excited to see the presents from the Prague Christmas markets.

So, it is done! Here is a picture of our tree and all the presents underneath. (Go ahead and make fun of our pathetic, sparse, fake tree-- everyone else does.) Only one week to go!