Three Days Until Christmas Eve

Another weekend has passed.  Are you ready for Christmas? I have now lost count how many times I have declared,"I am done!" and then found more things to buy for Christmas.  I am now really done because the wrapping paper is finished.  And we were at Walmart yesterday.  (How did I forget the wrapping paper?)

The kids baked gingerbread cookies with Nana yesterday after church.  Today Grace is going to make sugar cookie dough to bake tomorrow.  I want her to make peanut butter blossoms, too.  That should give us enough variety for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. What I do not want to have are tons sitting around for weeks on end.  No, no, no.  Won't do.

The kids went to see Star Wars with their grandparents today.  I had the morning all to myself.  I wrote a long list and only partially got the laundry done, cleaned one bathroom and made one phone call. I thought I could get a lot more done.  I still have trouble walking up and down the stairs with my boot on, but it is the only way I can do it right now, slows me down a little.

I am very thankful to have school behind us for a couple of weeks.  It has been a great semester for my online learners.  Both of them made the honor roll.  I am still very pleased with their school and the kids' work ethic.   I am really looking forward to next semester, too.  Now that we know what to expect and how to keep on track, it is going to be even more enjoyable.

This week will surely fly by.  I wish that I could slow it down a little.  Last year was a horrible Christmas, losing my grandma on the 23rd.  I cannot help but remember the time leading up to her death and of course how much I have missed her this year.  It is such a long time not to talk to her.  She was one of my best friends, really.

Instead of being sad, I will focus on the wonderful things we have this season, health, provision, and most of all a Savior who deserves celebrated.  Have a wonderful Christmas, friends!!

I recently found this picture of my grandma, a few years ago when she was visiting. It shows her vest for life.  She loved Christmas.   

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas 2009

Making Merry

Since I last checked in we have enjoyed some extra family time, as Jeff has had a week off.  With my foot, there was not a lot we could do so we were often home resting, getting ready for the upcoming busy season. It has been a joy to just hang out together.

Last week was pretty band heavy, so it was nice to have an extra driver.  Ryan had a jazz clinic, extra jazz rehearsal, pep band at the boys basketball game, all day Saturday jazz festival, and he played bass in a Sunday school band on Sunday.  Band is done until after Christmas.  Yay!  All his hard work paid off, as he was awarded one of only two Outstanding Musicianship awards.

Grace and Trevor got to spend two nights with their grandparents this past weekend.  They got to go to our church's Christmas musical.  Jeff and I had to be in another town with the jazz band.  I was sad to miss the musical, but it could not be helped with all the band going on.

Jeff and I had some fun times, too.  We enjoyed his firm's game night and of course all the jazz on Saturday. We got to hear some great bands.  We stopped for a steak dinner on the way home from the jazz festival.  It was a real treat.

Last evening, we finished up our online shopping for Christmas.  Today we will go to the mall, hopefully for the last time this season.  Jeff is back to work on Wednesday.  The two high school kids have finals to complete.  And there are plans for them to go swing dancing Friday.  The week will fly by! There is wrapping, baking and shopping to do.  Only 11 days until Christmas Eve!!!

Wordless Wednesday: A Little Help

Since Thanksgiving

It truly is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, as the old song goes.  The day after Thanksgiving begins our traditional season of decorating, baking cookies, shopping, going to parties and watching Christmas movies. So far this year has not disappointed on any count.

We have baked and decorated on two separate occasions.  We have watched Elf, Christmas in Connecticut and Christmas with the Cranks.  We have even put up two trees.  We have been out for our annual family Christmas brunch with extended family at their retirement home.  We have ordered our Christmas cards and bought most of our gifts.

This Christmas feels much more joyous in comparison to the last two Christmas' where I lost grandmothers right before.  I was so heartbroken going into those Christmas'.  I lost all my joy for celebrating.  I still really miss them and it is hard to think of future Christmas' without them, but I know they are no longer suffering and I will see them again one day because they both loved Jesus, the real reason to celebrate Christmas.

I'll leave you with some pictures from our home in the last two weeks.  Merry Christmas!!

December Already

All of a sudden it seems December is here and I can no longer deny that it is winter.  I don't know if you do this, but for days after a new month has begun, I am unconvinced it is indeed a new month.  Slowly it dawns on me and I go into acceptance mode.  Ha.

Well, December is a harder month to accept.  It is meteorological winter.  It is still fall, but feels like winter, always winter and never Christmas.  Ah, but wait, it is almost Christmas!  Christmas!!  There is still Christmas.  Winter doldrums will follow, but for now, there is Christmas!

A Happy Thanksgiving

Ah, Thanksgiving!  Who doesn't love getting together with extended family and feasting?  No presents to buy, no extensive decorating, just delegate the menu, clean the house, fix broken chairs, break your foot in the process... Yes, I broke my foot gluing our old chairs together in preparation for Thanksgiving.  It just made for a more interesting day.  My family jumped in and carried out my every order to finish the work on my list.  God bless them.  We did have a lovely time.  After our feasting, I went to the urgent care and got a boot.  I will be good to go, er hobble, until Christmas.  Online shopping, delegating the baking, ordering groceries for pick-up will be just the life-line I need. I am thankful for all the modern conveniences and that I can still drive with my good right foot!  How was your Thanksgiving?

Fall Continues to Charm Us

Mowing in November?  Riding bikes, too?  This cannot be!  We are truly enjoying this fall weather.  I do believe it has been a rather marvelous fall here in Indiana.  This past week, we have enjoyed a couple trips to get apples from a local orchard.  Pink Ladies are my new favorite, a crisp sweet and tart apple.  Also, we were privileged to have Ryan participate in an all-district honor jazz band last Sunday.  He is going to audition for the all-state honor band as well.  The younger two are doing amazingly well in their new school with A averages.  I am very happy with their efforts.  Now it is time to start preparing for the holidays!

Good-bye October

October always ends with the celebration of our "baby" boy, who is now fourteen years old.  Amazing.  This year, we had two extended family parties and also made as much of his actual birthday as we could on a school day.

 And then there was Halloween a couple days later.

The weather was dry and not terribly cold, so we set up a fire on the driveway and greeted our neighbors as they came by with their kids.  We had almost 90 kids.  We do not celebrate Halloween.  We take this opportunity to be a light for Jesus on a dark night.  We show the love of Jesus, not hide inside on a night that our godless neighbors are out.

Winter Can Be Good, Too

The fall season is one of my most favorite seasons of the year.  Alas, it is also the shortest.  This year, the trees have seemed more brilliant than years past.  Must it be our super dry weather?  Anyhow, I have decided that I need to work on a list of things to look forward to about winter because it is coming and I dread it.

• The holidays!!
• Two family birthdays to celebrate.
• Baking more often
• Crock pot meals
• No yard work
• Kids will shovel the snow for me. 
• No bugs.
• More time for reading. 
• Decaf coffee after dinner.
• Our annual winter hike at Lake Michigan
• My cats will suddenly like sitting on my lap. 
• Seasonal allergies will be gone.
• Get to wear comfy sweaters.
• Watching movies under cozy blankets 
• No humidity
• School is half way done. 
• Snow days!
• Sledding

I am sure that there are many more things to enjoy about winter, and I am going to keep on looking for them. Life is a gift.  I do not want to waste time dreading any of it. 

Fall Break 2015

For my birthday and our fall break, we headed up to see Grandma who lives in Northwestern Indiana.  We rented our favorite cabin and enjoyed some great walks, three apple orchards, an antique mall, and lots of family time. It is hard to believe that the next time we are up it will be winter, as we were blessed with wonderful weather, temperatures in the upper 70's even. Now it is time to finish the semester and prepare for the winter holiday season.  I will miss my lake!

21 Years

Newly engaged

New bike seat

Gifts

Sweetest cat ever 

Last week, we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.  We had to cancel our cabin plans, due to band. We ended up having a nice steak dinner just the two of us between band drop off and pick up times.  Jeff allowed me to get a new bike seat for our inside bike.  (Everyone has an inside bike, right?) It is going to help keep us active this winter.  Grace and Trevor completely cleaned the house while we were at dinner.  It was a great surprise.  They had also baked cookies and made us a card.  We are blessed to have such dear children.

My Marching Warrior