New pajamas and a midnight clear

It's Christmas Eve, and all through our house there's a quiet happiness underlying our routines and relaxation.

Today is a bit unusual in that we have a real estate appraiser arriving shortly to speed us on our way to a new, lower mortgage rate for our home. That meant way more cleaning and straightening this weekend. But it was SO worth it, since this is the nicest our home has looked in a long time. Oh, it's always fairly tidy. But this is CLEAN, down to the baseboards and heating vents CLEAN. I still need to make sure the family room is tidied up, but we're good.

Lucy the Elf left both AG and A a set of pajamas, plus a bonus pair of one-piece, footed flannel PJs for AG. (She'd been asking for those for quite a while, but we could never find them in town. Lucy has the shopping genius!) AG is sad to see Lucy go, but excited because her return to the North Pole means Christmas Day is just hours away.

We'll have our family favorite for our Christmas Eve dinner - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pineapple au gratin - then attend the 11:00 service at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church. That's a new tradition for our family, since we've always attended the family service at 5:30. I'm very glad, because it makes it so much easier to cook the meal and savor it. (Christmas morning is always sweet rolls and sausage, then potluck and leftovers for the rest of the day. I love the quiet pace!)

Knitting Pattern Central published a pattern for a mitered star that has me thinking. That would make a terrific foundation for a scarf. I'm thinking . . . and may get designing this afternoon!

Merry Christmas.