Out with the old, in with the new

So here we are. The last day of the year 2007. As I sit here I am thinking, "This year went by so fast, what did I do during it?"

As to the first, I am told by my elders to expect the years to spin faster as I get older. This sage advice concerns me as I try to answer the second. What did I do this year?

• Traveled to TX to visit family with my mom.
• Helped my grandparents pack for their move from the home they lived in for 30+ years.
• Quit one of my jobs.
• Looked for another job . . . didn't find one.
• Visited the brother in FL.

Those are the highlights anyway. I am hoping that the time in between was filled with worthwhile exploits and a little bit of fun.

All this thinking (besides tiring my brain!) has caused me to contemplate my new year resolutions. I have made resolutions in the past that have been so ridiculous that I could never attain them. So as I continue to contemplate my resolutions I have some goals: 1) Resolutions that are attainable 2) Resolutions that will cause me to grow spiritually, emotionally, and personally.

Back to thinking . . .

5 things I got for Christmas

1. To spend time with my family.
2. To celebrate the birth of my Savior in a wonderful Christmas Eve service.
3. To eat lots of delicious food.
4. Almost everything (which was enough) on my Amazon.com wishlist -- which included many books!
5. Two pairs of the most comfortable dress pants ever!

Christmas Program

Last Sunday we were supposed to have our Christmas Program during the morning service and then during the evening service we were going to have a shortened program and the family Christmas celebration. However, because of the 8 inches of snow, we had one service on Christmas Eve.

I apologize in advance for the poor photo quality. I was nervous (in charge of the children's program) and it is really hard to take pictures in that lighting. heehee

Narrators and Choir

Children in the Nativity

Catch up

Today was a catch up day.

Last night I caught up on my sleep. The brother and the sister are here for Christmas and we stayed up quite late on Christmas Eve.

Today I caught up at work. It always throws me off when we have a holiday. Today seemed to go by so fast and I didn't accomplish half of what I wanted to!

Tonight I am catching up with Cleo. She missed me the past couple days.

It's nice to be missed . . .

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

Deliciousness

So I tried the cinnamon rolls -- I made them for my family to have this weekend and on Chrismas.
So yummy!

Here is the link to the recipe, if you want to try them yourselves. (The Pioneer Woman is going to be getting a printable recipe eventually -- in the meantime the directions are great! Complete with photos!)

Merry Christmas!

5 things

My to do list for this weekend:

1. Finish wrapping presents
2. Finish cleaning house
3. Prepare meal (including setting table) for dinner party
4. Get thank you cards
5. Pack car for Christmas

(I am hoping I will not have to add shovel snow to this list!)

Christmas light tour

I wanted to show some of the Christmas light in my neighborhood . . . sorry about the picture quality, I used the camera on my phone.

This is the house around the corner and two doors down. Just look at the enthusiasm.


And the pretty house next door to the one above.


Another enthusiastic decorator a block over.

And my neighbors.

And me! :-)

A blessing for you

Every once in a while I hear something like this and it reminds me how blessed I am:

Sunny days . . .

Today was one of the nicest days we have had recently. The sun was shining. It was in the 30s. Granted it was the lower 30s but still.

It was warm enough for me to almost dig my car out of its icy shackles. All ice is off the trunk and hood, I can open the doors. Yea!

One entire side of the care is completely clear of ice except . . . for the two inches directly under the tires. This area poses a problem. I haven't quite figured out how to solve this problem yet. But . . . I will overcome!

Christmas Questions . . .

In response to this blog post:

:-)

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both, really I use whatever I have. Currently, under my tree it is half paper half bags.

Real tree or artificial?
I love real trees. This year I have one. Some years they cost too much or I don't want the hassle. So I have my parents old artificial tree as a backup.

When do you put up the tree?
Weekend after Thanksgiving.

When do you take the tree down?
Sometime during the week after Christmas.

Favorite holiday theme?
I would have to say nativity scenes -- I have three of them up now.

Favorite gift received as a child?
I would have to say the books (surprise!) I got from my Aunt Linda -- they were always fun and different.

Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, three of them.

Hardest person to buy for?
My dad and the brother.

Easiest person to buy for?
My mom.

Mail or e-mail cards?
I attempt to send out card every Christmas but I have decided it is too depressing to toss them all in a drawer "to save for next year." So e-mail cards.

Favorite Chrismas movie?
It's A Wonderful Life (the siblings are rolling their eyes now . . .)

When do you start shopping for Christmas?
All year, keeps expenses down and less stressful.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Everything.

White lights or colored on the tree?
White.

Favorite Christmas song?
See 5 things Friday.

Travel for Christmas or stay at home?
Well, technically I will be traveling but only about 4 miles. :-)

Angel on top of the tree or a star?
Angel.

Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve.

Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Commercialism/materialism.

What I love most about Christmas?
Celebration of the birth of Jesus and time with family.

5 things . . .

5 of my favorite Christmas songs:

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Silent Night, Holy Night
3. Away in a Manger
4. O Holy Night
5. The Little Drummer Boy

And a little bonus:

Holiday baking

I'm gearing up for a bake fest on Saturday. A holiday bake-fest that is.

After the Christmas program practice on Saturday morning I am planning on taking the rest of the day to do some baking. Cinnamon rolls, peppermint bark, fudge, and some cookies!

Mmmmm . . . I can't wait!

Melancholy

Mmm . . . this is going to be a hard post. But it is something that has been on my heart lately.

Most of my life, through my sophomore year in college, I had been blessed by the fact that I had experienced very little loss in my life. I was one of the few people who knew all four of their grandparents (I am still blessed in that respect) and I even knew both of my great-grandmothers.

Sure, I had had pets die. I particularly remember four kittens that I had played nursemaid to because their mother had died and they hadn't been weened yet. That was a very sad day for me.

When my great-grandmothers died . . . I don't know how to explain it. It seemed distant. I don't know . Maybe it seemed more distant because I was unable to go the funerals and it didn't seem quite as real. Just a kind of fading away.

Not that I didn't love them. Because I did. And I have great memories of them that I drag out of my dusty brain and ponder every once in a while.

It wasn't until a few years ago that a death smacked me in the face and grief made me lose my breath.

It was my first experience of a person truly dear to my heart dying. It was unexpected, even though it occurred during a surgical procedure. All indications were that it would be routine and would have a positive outcome. It was of a young person. A friend who I had graduated from college with, who I had seen months before and had talked to days before.

Still, today, this week, this month, I feel the grief catch hold for a few moments. Until I remember where she is now. Until I remember the bright light she was. Until I remember the bright light she will always be in my life.

Here a sniffle, there a sniffle, everywhere a sniffle, sniffle

Ah, so as I take a deep breath through my nose, I am thankful today to be on the other side of a cold. The side where I don't have to breathe through my mouth or have a kleenex constantly in my hand or don't feel like my brain has turned into a cotton ball.

I woke up on Saturday with a scratchy throat. I wonder if I acted differently at work? I'm not sure but I felt like I avoided conversation and smiling because it irritated my throat. I sniffled and coughed through church on Sunday and dozed most of the afternoon.

Monday I felt well enough to shovel -- it was sunny out so that helped a lot! Of course it snowed again today so I will have to go out again. Gotta love winter!

Today, I was able to breath through my nose, yeah! And I have been able to habitate rooms without boxes of kleenex in them! Making progress!

My goal is to be over this cold by Friday when the sister comes back to Iowa for Christmas. Because 1) I do not want to infect my family 2) having a cold during the holidays is not fun.

Camera Play

I was playing with my camera again. Here are a couple of the better ones. My goal was to get just the right photo of my tree:

I don't know if I really got just the right photo but . . .

The sepia toned one.

The glowy one (the technical term is glowy).

And my favorite (due to the kitty cuteness).

5 things I'm looking forward to this Christmas

1. The brother and the sister being here from FL and NY
2. Family Christmas celebration at church
3. Holiday dinner with friend
4. Mom's cooking
5. The celebration of the birth of our Savior

No pain, no gain

I'm not one for confrontations.

I get all tense inside, worry about what to say and how to say it.

Confrontations are even harder when the one you are confronting is sensitive. You want to make your point without dashing their emotions to pieces.

Today at work I had to have one of these confrontations. I almost let it slide. It's always easier to claim ignorance, right? ::Sigh:: Just not ever right. And that leads to a whole slew of other issues.

Anyway, a situation occurred and I prayed for the right words and timing to address it. Funny thing about prayer, it is usually answered. The right time came and the right words fell out of my mouth. I say fell because until they actually came out, I didn't know I was going to say them.

The result: all parties were satisfied with the least amount of pain . . . I think. :-)

Wednesday

I enjoy Wednesdays.

Not because it the middle of the week and the weekend is almost here.

But because Wednesday evening I get to spend with kids.

Not being a parent, Wednesday nights give me the opportunity and the responsibility to influence the lives of the next generation. I pray that I am able to productively use the gifts and the time that I have.

It is amazing how much kids grow and change in just three months. It is amazing to see the different ways that kids learn and respond to experiences. I have one girl who memorizes like a whiz but has to be in constant motion, one girl who is smart and can memorize but it comes a little harder and needs a little more encouragement, and a boy who loves constant attention.

All the kids seem to be more encouraging to those around them as the year goes on. During our game time there is less "smack talk" and more cheering and advice for teammates.

We have a couple more weeks before Christmas break. I am looking forward to them -- to seeing the spiritual growth.

Dads are the best . . .

So today I took my lunch to work so I wouldn't have to walk home. I was about 5 minutes into my meal (pbj--mmm!) and I hear my purse start singing. My cell phone was ringing. Since it rarely rings I can usually expect to see on of my family members' names on in the caller id. It was my dad . . . he called to ask if I was coming home for lunch because he had just finished plowing out my driveway!

Wasn't that nice!

I got home at three to see my beautifully plowed driveway . . . it was beautiful!

I shoveled off the loose snow and voila!

And . . .

It is snowing the way I like tonight! The gentle kind with no wind or sleet. It was a nice walk to and from work this evening.

Nice and quiet . . . ::sigh::

Did I say that?

On Friday, I mentioned something about liking snow. I was extolling the gentle snow, the quiet it brought.

On Saturday we got the snow I don't particularly care for: the sleeting, no wait snowing, sleeting again? kind.

I was scheduled to work at the library for a couple hours in the afternoon and in the morning I planned to work at church. I knew that if I drove to work I would never get my car back in the driveway. So I packed a lunch and my change of shoes and walked to church to work for a couple hours. Then at 12:30 I walked to the library.

Not the easiest of feats as there was a good three inches of wet snow on the ground. But I did make it there before it started sleeting!

The way home was not so nice. I was walked into the sleety wind (or windy sleet?). Either way it was cold!!

Sunday, I went nowhere -- church was canceled due to the road conditions. So I slept in and did some things around the house (like make cookies -- mmmm). I liked this part. If I never had to go anywhere I would love this weather!

And I am getting exercise walking to and from work -- due to the fact that my car is snowed in.

I did attempt to shovel Sunday -- attempt being the key word as it is very, very difficult to shovel four inches of snow with an inch of ice on top.

Here is my driveway today:


Notice the pits that seem to be covered with snow? Those are my footprints from Saturday. You can't even see where I walked today because I walked on top of the snow/ice. On the left you'll notice the gravel-like substance where tossed ice melt. It kind of worked. I fell through when I walked on it tonight so the ice melt must be doing something.

It's a little sad for me to think about but the brother is experiencing 70s today -- in Florida.

We're supposed to get more snow here tomorrow.

I hope it is the gently falling, quiet kind . . .