Happy New Year!

Wishing You A Very Happy New Year!

We will be sound asleep at midnight Alaska Time, but even the kids will be able to watch the ball drop in NYC and still be in bed on time!

See you next year...

In the Groove...

I've been suffering from the Post-Christmas Blahs the last few days. At least that's what I'm blaming my productivity level on. Make that my lack of productivity.

I read two more books, the first two from the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Great storyline! I felt more energetic yesterday, so I baked cookies with the kids and worked on the mountain of laundry. After I slept until 9:45 am. The kids joined me for a walk in the afternoon. We left the house about 3:30 pm and it was already dark enough to take a flashlight with us. Joys of living in Alaska. Fishing Guy and I had a long talk last night too, after the kids were tucked in. It's been a time since we've just sat and talked about random stuff and didn't realize how much I missed it.

Today, I was up at 7 am, cleaning off my craft table and trying to get ready to scrapbook later today. I woke up with more energy than I have all month. The kids were up early too, so I helped The Prince with a craft* while The Princess snuggled in the still-warm bed and chatted with me from there.

The Prince's craft was a tree-house. He glued on a slide and leaves, punched holes with my hole, circle and square punches and drew some lines with the ruler.

I started a project I found at BIG Picture Scrapbooking, via numerous scrapbookers blogs. Like names I have seen on the fronts of magazines and never really paid attention to - Ali Edwards, Cathy Zielske, Donna Downey, Tara Whitney and Stacy Julian. There are many more I'm sure I haven't discovered yet. Anyway, I'm feeling inspired again and it feels great.

I have a short list of things I need to get done today, including picking Trooper up from the airport in a of couple hours. I need to drop off the trunk full of donations at the thrift store too. I need to check in at Safeway for work and pick up some paperwork for my boss. I need to pick up some flat-rate boxes at the Post Office, so I can finally mail off my Christmas gifts. (Bad, Bad, Bad - I know.) I also need to write Thank You notes (and make the cards) for the gifts we received, on time.

I have a list of things I want to get done too. I want to scrap the rest of August and work on May. I want to work on the above mentioned project, so that I can take the pictures I need for it. I want to make some desktop frames for the kids' school pictures, so I can include them in the boxes I'll be mailing out.

Merry Christmas!

OK, so I'm a day late with this post. This way you get all the info at once! For once my procrastination pays off. Heh.

Christmas Eve day was quiet. I finished wrapping all the gifts and the kids carried them upstairs to the tree. We went to the candlelight service at 5 pm, where The Prince upheld his yearly tradition of falling asleep on my lap. Last year my parents were in town, so there were others to help out with The Princess. This year? Fishing Guy was still at work, guarding the doors and turning away people that didn't realize that Christmas was in about 6 hours. Anyway, this year I made little drip cups, so the kids could hold their own candles without dripping wax everywhere. I had to wake The Prince up when the candles were being lit and then had to keep a close eye on all three candles. The kids were thrilled to be trusted with fire in the church and I have proof that you can pray with your eyes open and without bowing your head. Into the flame of a candle.

We got home about 6:30 pm, had nachos for dinner when Fishing Guy got home and the kids opened their PJ packages. It was almost 8 pm when we pulled Fishing Guy off the couch and into the car to go look at the neighborhood lights. The kids shouted "Left" and "Right" when they saw lights and I drove by the few houses that I knew had good displays out. That's a bonus of having sunset in the winter at 3 pm - I do a lot Pre-Christmas Eve light searching, while doing my normal errands throughout the month.

The kids were tucked into bed as soon as we got home and were out by 9:15 pm. We headed to bed too, planning on getting up extra early. The Prince was the first one up - at 7:45 am. Totally acceptable in my book! The Princess would have slept longer, if The Prince wouldn't have been hollering for help, from the bathroom right across the hall. Oh well.

The kids were allowed to open their stockings and I got started with breakfast. I put an orange, life savers, tootsie roll banks, scissors, a bottle of orange soda and a few small toys in each stocking. They also had bubble bath and a set of markers sitting next to the stockings. We all had breakfast and got dressed for church.

When we got home, we all changed clothes and opened gifts. I was a really bad Mom and didn't take ANY pictures of the gift opening and only one of the tree. Our dinner guest, Fishing Guy's assistant manager, S, came over about 3 pm and brought Whack-A-Mole for the kids and some snacks for the afternoon. I told him that game qualified him for uncle status, since most single uncles pick the fun, LOUD games. Dinner* was about 6 pm - not as planned and S headed home about 8:30 pm, knowing that Fishing Guy had to be to work super early this morning.

*Dinner: The Fred Meyer Deli puts together holiday meals, complete with sides and all you have to do is heat it and eat. Yeah right. We decided to try it and got Prime Rib this year. It took forever to cook, the package said 60-90 minutes and it took over 2 hours and was still very rare in the center when I trimmed of the ends to eat. I like my meat Medium-Rare and it was barely there. The mashed potatoes were pretty flavorless, but the gravy was good and the green beans were OK. We ate Pumpkin Roll instead of the store bought apple pie too. Fishing Guy and I decided this morning that next year we'll get a special cut of meat and I'll make the sides myself. It may be more work, but I/we do like my cooking better than store-bought.

Today, I still have the kitchen to put back together and I'm still assembling some parts of kid toys. I had the last of the Pumpkin Roll for breakfast and shared some Sparkling Cider with the kids. The day after Christmas is always such a letdown for me.

Maybe I can work in a nap?

Unexpected

In the last 24 hours, I have gone through just about every emotion possible.

I picked up another book yesterday afternoon and couldn't put it down until I was done - sometime about 2 am this morning. The title is And The Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers. What a convicting book! The basic plot is about a new pastor called to take over a dying church and his battles while trying to make it grow. There is so much within the story that I've actually seen happen in churches we've attended.

Back when I started this blog 2 years ago, we had just learned that our pastor had been having an affair for 3 years. He refused to repent and was removed from the pastorate by the deacon board. After reading this book, I understand much more about how that can happen and why his wife stayed with him.

I've seen older people pushed out of the church by a change in music. It seems so simple when you are wanting the change. Someday I will be one of those older persons.

I've seen compromises for the sake of growth in numbers (and by direct result of higher number, more money) rather than growth in Christ.

I've seen people willing to serve, be used until they are cynical and jaded. It is like a cancer and it can kill a church if it is not stopped.

I also struggle with wanting things to be MY way, instead of the plan already laid out for me. I should know by now that when I insist I know best, I will mess it up. I have pages and pages of examples.

I realized that I need to change my tactics with the Fellowship Committee, instead of just running them over. I might actually learn something from the ladies that have been doing this for more years than I've been alive. I am not naive enough to actually believe that they couldn't do anything without me.

I need to listen more. I need to step out of my comfort zone. I am responsible for what I do with the gifts and talents I have been given. And I am responsible for how I waste them.

We had dinner with a family from church the other night and I realized that we really don't have much in common. She was the first person to befriend us when we arrived and one of her daughter's is Grace's favorite friend. Beyond that, we might as well be polar opposites. I also realized that I was blaming her for not reaching out more, when it is often the other way around. Dawn and I do so much together now, that I find I don't have the time or energy (or desire) to stick my head out and start at the beginning with someone else. I sounded like someone with a new crush when I was telling Bonnie about the last week and all of the activities Dawn and I did. Dawn and I this and Dawn and I that... Not the message I wanted to send.

I realized that there are things I do that are not pleasing to God and just as offensive as someone who spends their time drinking and cheating on their spouse. I am disobedient. I am prideful. I can be unlovable. I think *I* have everything so together and in a single instant, it could all be gone.

I really have no control at all.

This book convicted me to the very core. I saw myself in every single one of the characters - some good and some bad - and I have been trying to see where I need to make changes. I'll let you know what I learn.

M.I.A.

I so did not mean to go missing for a week! Holy cow where does the time go?

Since last Tuesday the following (and more) has been done:

1. Tristan went to the dentist for the first "real" time and he has 4 cavities, just like me. Our family will be funding the dentist's next cruise.
2. We had our last night of Cubbies before the break. Whew!
3. I shopped and got all the gifts for the family. About half are wrapped, but none have been mailed. Bad, bad, bad.
4. I read an entire 500 page book and ignored everything else for the day.
5. The church cantada was Sunday, so we went to the early service and then Sunday School. What a nice feeling to be sitting in the chair reading a book (see #4) by 11 am, with no guilt!
6. We celebrated Christmas with Dawn and family on Monday night. They left last night for their vacation.
7. We had some friends over for dinner last night - making for a total of 10 people. I'm not used to cooking for teenage boys and there wasn't a scrap of leftover food when they went home.
8. The perpetual calendars Dawn and I worked on all summer, finally got dropped off at the copy store and were bound. Just in time to go with Dawn for the Christmas gifts they were intended to be. I still haven't mailed mine.
9. I wrote the Christmas letter, bought printer ink, printed the letter on snowman paper, messed with the address labels for about 5 hours (seriously), printed the address labels, signed the cards, stuck the proper sticky things on the envelopes, got the wallet sized pictures of the kids cut apart, put them all together AND mailed the Christmas cards.
10. I worked for 4.5 hours.
11. I went to McDonald's at least twice.
12. Joe shaved his head to support another Fred's manager who is going through chemo for cancer.
13. I bought a new duvet cover that is fleece and very cozy.
14. I made a LOT of cookies and have eaten quite a few too.
15. I have kept up with the activity-a-day with the kids.

That is the short version. I'll try to be back with more tomorrow.

Tuesday To-Do List

A glimpse at my afternoon To-Do List:

Clean upstairs bathroom
Vacuum living room
Clean off kitchen counters
Clean off coat rack
Bake a batch of cookies for tonight
Bake six dozen cookies for tomorrow
Take Christmas totes back to the garage

All in preparation for hosting the neighborhood Christmas Party tonight. I only need to decorate the table and prepare some cider because everyone is to bring a light refreshment to share. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to make ornaments for everyone to take home.

**Optional for this afternoon, but still need to get done.**

Vacuum downstairs
Work on laundry
Write Christmas letter
Make address labels for cards

This morning I dropped the kids off at school, came home and took a shower.

I wasted some time on the computer and then headed off to the dentist. We haven't been since we moved - oops where did the last year go? - and so I asked a friend if her husband, a dentist, was taking new patients. They were, so now we have a new dentist that we actually know outside the office!

Anyway, I am now sporting very clean teeth and the knowledge of 4 (!!!) cavities. They are little "sticky spots", waaay down deep in the tooth crevice and will require 3 more visits and at least that many shots. *Shudder* The good news was that I was a good brusher and the cleaning was painless. I fessed up right away about not flossing and didn't get a reprimand. The hygenist was amazed that I hadn't had a cleaning in a year, so she let me off light about the flossing. However, for the next appointment in 6 months, I need to show improvement.

After I set my next appointment, confirmed for Tristan's appointment on Thursday, couldn't remember the name of our last dentist (or even the city!) and finally made it out the car, I had to race back to the school to pick up the kids on time. I made lunch as soon as we walked in the door because Joe made it home to eat with us. It's nice that he is close enough to come home for lunch.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm feeling much better today and not so Hum-Bug-ish.

'Tis the Season

I'm slowly finding my Christmas spirit and I'm realizing that I might just have been feeling a bit under the weather, along with Grace, over the weekend. That would explain my general lack of energy, patience and constant headache.

**Edited to Add - OR I could just check the calendar and realize why I've been craving chocolate, having migraines and having NO patience with anyone. Duh! Why is this a surprise every month??

We are almost halfway through the countdown activities I have planned. I really should take a picture of the hat/mitten clothesline I have hanging upstairs. This is the busiest week I've got before Christmas and I have easy crafts planned.

I baked some cookies yesterday, Chocolate-Coconut Pinwheels and Dreamsicles. They both came out pretty good, but the Dreamsicles were definitely the favorite. I still have to come up with a recipe I can make 6 dozen cookies from, with what I have on hand because I was invited to a cookie exchange on Wednesday and couldn't turn down a great variety of goodies!

Today, Fishing Guy has the day off and it's my chance to run errands without the kids. I have a presentation to make tonight for the playground, to a group of homeschooling parents. You can check out our website HERE.

I've been interrupted and my train of thought left the station... I'll go now before I really start rambling.

Relief

Ah, the weekend!

I'm doing much better today. Well, at least so far. Yesterday was horrible, so it's upward from there.

Have a good day!

Stressed

I'm lacking in almost all areas right now.

Lack of time.

Lack of money.

Lack of sleep.

Lack of ready-made food and snacks in the house.

Lack of gas in the cars.

Lack of patience.

Bah Humbug.