Yesterday started off so productive! I had gotten a lot of cleaning done and was well on my way with the laundry, too, all 10 loads of it. Can you imagine?! Why in the world do we have 10 loads of laundry this week??? There was a bedspread to wash and a few extra towels, but still--that's just nuts! Anyway, I don't know what happened to the productivity but I never did finish the laundry. In fact, I'm looking at the last two loads still to be done, piled on the floor in front of me right now! ~sigh~ Sad.
The kids have been doing very well in school lately, making things much easier on me and giving me more time to do other things. It's been GREAT! Yesterday I finally sealed all of the Christmas card envelopes (only two paper cuts on my tongue and one on my lip this year... I think I'm gettin' better) and put return address labels and stamps on them. It's amazing how long projects like that take! And somehow they're not nearly as fun as I used to think they were a few years ago. Strange. It's probably time to pass those jobs off to Katie and convince her that they're fun.
Last night I spent a couple of hours working on some Regional ABM fliers and invitations for each local church. Took quite a while, but it felt so good to finally get it done. Then tonight when I went to make some changes I discovered that they were GONE. I had clicked "save," but apparently because of the file type I had started with it wasn't possible for it to be saved in that format. Ooooooh, I hate it when things like that happen! (You have to say the "Ooooooh" part in your best Yosemite Sam voice to get the full impact of my mood.) So I spent a couple of hours tonight doing the exact thing that I spent a couple of hours on last night. What a waste! But, once again, it feels good to have it done--as far as I've gotten, anyway. Still a few finishing touches to add before we print. And I was sure to start fresh with a file I KNOW I can save this time.
Not much else going on around here. The biggest thing was just the bad news we got today. We've been holding out hope that perhaps we'd be able to go back east for Christmas, but it looks like that's not gonna happen. James told me tonight, then made me tell the kids. Katie, Sanguine that she is, rebounded nearly immediately and thought of 6 or 8 reasons why we'll still have fun and it will still be a good Christmas. Sam jumped in with her and played the, "I don't care if we go to Pennsylvania and Tennessee or not--it doesn't matter to me" card. Joe didn't say a word, just chewed on his lip and tried to hold back the tears. He's the sensitive one, for sure! They'll probably be okay now that they've made it through the news. There really is so much to be thankful for and I know Christmas will be great, as always. Though for some reason I've shed a few tears of my own over not being able to be with the folks! I usually don't take things like that. Weird. Anyway, we'll all make it through and have plenty of good memories when it's all said and done.
That's about it. I thought I'd add a few pictures though. I didn't want to do this because I know I posted pictures of our Christmassy house last year and I'd hate for people to think I'm really all that materialistic! "Here, look at my stuff! AGAIN!!!" Ha! But Mom's been wanting to see the mantle (didn't have the den finished last Christmas) and... well, frankly, I haven't found any good picture taking moments lately and I haven't been posting very many pictures, so...
Here are a few of my favorite things (please don't burst into song over that one) on Grandmother's mantle with the clock that I used to LOVE to listen to all night long on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. :-) I love the bendy snowmen on the left and the sleigh on the right.
And here's one wall in the living room...
I actually hung this little shelf for the sole purpose of displaying these little guys. I love 'em--they're some of my very favorites--but they're so little they just sort of get lost when you set them with bigger things, you know?
Our Christmas tree. Or should I say, JAMES' Christmas tree. Ha! Nobody is allowed to touch it or decorate it--it's his baby all the way. Makes him very happy, so we just stand back and let him have his fun.
And, of course, the top-of-the-piano display with my oh-so-happy train. :-)
I love it best at night when it's dark and we turn the Christmas lights on. :-)
We made these in Sunday School class this week. I printed the verses out ahead of time, then the kids tore the edges, crinkled them up, tea dyed them, rolled them up like scrolls, and attached the twine. I thought they turned out really cute--this is Katie's.
James must have liked it a lot, too, because he actually let her put it on HIS tree!!! Whoa!
And this. HA! This makes me so happy! It was just supposed to be a little stocking stuffer for Joe, but I was wrapping things up one night and had this itty-bitty scrap of wrapping paper left over and I just couldn't help myself. I just HAD to see his face when he saw such a tiny present under the tree. And his reaction was worth it all! Ha! It's continued to be a great source of amusement throughout the past week or two as the kids all tease about it and try to guess what in the world could be in such a tiny package. A quarter??? NOTHING? "It's nothing, hu, Mom??? Just paper all folded up to make me THINK there's something there!" :-)
And last of all... I really thought the kids were enjoying the book we've been reading in family devotions. But tonight we were only about half way through the chapter and I heard snoring coming from my shoulder. Ha! Sam just couldn't make it through.
Okay, that's it! My non-newsy post... but with PICTURES! (That you already saw last year if you are a Becki's Blog Watcher! Ha!)
9 comments:
These aren't the same pictures--these are NEW pictures! Especially the last one; Sam is way bigger, and there you are in your cute snowman sweater and socks, reading without glasses! Thank you SO MUCH for putting up Christmassy pictures. I love them. You know what? Your bitty snowmen would show up much better if you taped some cute wrapping paper to the back of the shelf--that way they would "pop" out from the wall. Just a thought.
I've ALWAYS read without glasses, Mom. It's the time when I would, without fail, strip my glasses off, put 'em down somewhere, walk off, then not remember where they were. One of the greatest motivations for getting contacts! Ha! You're right about Sam though. He's much bigger. Getting a little too big to be sitting with/on Mom! Ha! I'll have to look at my wrapping paper and see what might look good with those little snowmen. :-)
I like the mantle. cute pictures. I am sorry you are not going back east this year. I know you are bummed. Just come here for New Years. It is way cheaper and it would be great fun. :O)
Beautiful Christmas decor! We LOVE pix! I'm slowly pulling out of my ba-humbug mood I've been in for the past few years :p...but not enough to send out cards yet. ha! I'm sure Katie would enjoy the "grown-up" job of card-sending.
Dustin asked me the week after Thanksgiving..."Mom, you putting up a tree this year?" (I always put up a tree...so far).
So, I asked him..."You mean the lighted one right next to the front door....that you sat next to this past weekend?? Ha!
Sister Tammy, it sounds like Dustin is excelling in the manly art of acute observation. *rolling eyes* Or, perhaps he just has other things on his mind.
Sis. Smith,
I presume that would be "someone" else on his mind. :)
Wow, Becki...you've got a LOT of snowmen! The tiny ones on the shelf are cute, but your Mom is right...you ought to put something behind then to make then stand out. They're kinda the same color as the fake logs! :-)
Love the picture of Sam asleep during devotions. I remember when that would happen to our kids. What a let-down when you think the devotions are going so well only to discover a sleeper. Sam must've just played himself out!
Hey Sis...beautiful pics...I think Chris Hart may just have heart failure over them though...HA! I hope you and your family has a very Merry Christmas!
Maybe I should send Chris Hart a personal invitation to my blog. Ha! He sure has fun stirring up trouble, then sitting back and watching the fun. Creep. ;-)
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