Goodbye Taylor!

The Elf baked cookies last night.

She had on her chef hat and apron and left one for us!

She will be headed back to the North Pole tonight

and won't be back until next year.

So long Taylor.

We love you too!

Taylor may be going but guess who's coming.

Baby Jesus!

(and Santa too ;)

The Elf is still smiling.

If she's still smiling,

we must be doing alright.

Right?

The Elf on a Zip Line

Taylor is having some fun now!

Today she was zip lining on a string of lights with a candy cane!

Right in the living room!!!

The Elf and Dustbunnies

Our Elf is back in the kitchen

ever watching.....ever smiling.

I realized today how very thankful I have been for her visit.

Not only because it's fun to find her each day,

and not only for the gentle reminder she gives us 

to mind our manners and spread cheer,

but because Taylor has been doing some long neglected dusting.

I suppose she needed a clean place to perch.

I wonder if she tells Santa about our dustbunnies.

The Elf got hungry.

Today Sarah and I made some popcorn treats

to take to her class for the last day of school.

It seems Taylor liked them so much

that she took one for herself.

And I believe I failed to mention

that we are pig sitting for some friends.

Ah, yes. 

We have two guinea pigs here for Christmas.

(Definition:  a small stout-bodied short-eared tailless domesticated RODENT)

And despite the fact that they are RODENTS.....

I had to break one of my steadfast rules.

(The one about "no animals in the house".)

Mainly I had to break the rule because we have some 

renegade raccoons gallivanting around our farm at night

and I thought it best to return both the guinea pigs

alive and unharmed.

So, really it's the raccoon's fault we have pigs in the house.

We may be feeding 35 animals outside and 2 inside,

but Little Dot is due any day!

Should we hope for Christmas babies?

Our Elf Today

Taylor McTuttle is keeping a close eye on us.

Just two more days of school for the girls!

In the Rafters

While the Elf sat and watched,

a lot happened today.

Alex came home from college,

Sarah got out early from school,

and she had ballet, jazz and tap class,

plus Ranae was in a basketball tournament.

Busy and blessed.

7 days until Christmas!

The Elf

The Elf is watching.

Always watching.

What's She Doing?

We looked high and low today until we found our Elf.

She was high on a shelf over our T.V.

And she was holding a pencil 

connected to a looong piece of twine.

And lo and behold if she hadn't caught a fish.

Right in our living room.

Sunday - A Day of Rest

We found Taylor McTuttle resting in a bowl today.

A bowl full of Christmas ornaments, that is.

10 more days 'till Christmas!

Our Elf on a Cold Shelf

It seems our Elf misses the cold North Pole temperatures.

She found a great place to spend the day today.

Tucked right inside our refrigerator,

she watched us every time we opened the door: )

And this evening Kevin, 

just home from college for the Christmas break, 

participated in a drive-thru nativity.

A neighborhood church invited us again this year

to bring a few goats for their nativity story.

Kevin played a Shepard and the goats played themselves.

It's always fun to drive-thru the Bible story of Jesus' birth.

Especially when you see a Shepard you know.

The Elf got hungry.

Our Elf took a little peppermint break.

Besides eating peppermint,

she also spelled out a message!

The Elf Today

Whatcha doing Elf?

Trying out some of our farm equipment?

I have some work you could do in the back pasture

with that front loader!

That is, if you get tired of spying on us.

Flying Elf

It took a little while for us to find her this morning.

When we did we had to chuckle.

Taylor McTuttle found a great place to spy on us today!

In a Tree.....

.....playing Monopoly.

Nutcracker !

It was a long, fun day.

We started before 6 a.m. feeding animals and driving to the fairgrounds.

With a chicken.

And a friend and four rabbits.

After completing registration for the fair small animals department,

we prepared for Nutcracker.

It was our first year in a new theater and the dress rehearsal started at 11.

Sarah and her friends were very excited.

She had three costume changes this year and went on and off stage 5 times.

Her first entrance was the party scene

and the girls got to bring their favorite doll onstage.

Sarah chose her doll Kathaleen 

and dressed her and fixed her hair for the show.

Sarah's next scene was in tap shoes dressed as a soldier.

That costume change was so quick I had to help her backstage 

and didn't get a picture of her bright blue outfit with sword!

In the second act her class performed as the Pollichinelles.

They have learned so much this year and it was a joy to watch.

Best of all, Sarah smiles and smiles and smiles.

And so does our Elf on the Shelf :)

Time for a Book

Taylor McTuttle was on our mantle this morning reading a book.

A very important book about baby Jesus.

Bubble Bath

It's time for a bath for our Elf on the Shelf.

She's getting creative!

It looks as though Taylor McTuttle is pretending to be Santa!

(She must be having a little fun at night 

when she gets back from reporting to Santa at the North Pole.)

She's on the move.

Our Elf on the Shelf is finding her way around the house.

Popping up in a pitcher was her resting spot for today.