Deck the Halls

Happy Holidays!

I love this time of year. It's so much fun to decorate, bake, buy presents and prepare to celebrate Christmas Day! The best part of the season is the magic that is in the air. I love Christmas secrets and planning, and surprises...

We exchanged names this past week. I wonder if the younger kids have figured out who everyone has yet. They definitely like to try!

It was a lot of fun to go to Kelli and Bryan's for Thanksgiving. Ate too much, and it was too short of a trip but that's how most things are.

The little girls decided to learn how to crochet, and play 14 high. So now down to Em (all of 6 years old) we all know what Trump is.

I'm disappointed in myself because I didn't take out my camera. But I did get some work done on a blanket I have been crocheting for a couple years. Slowly crocheting, with many long stretches of time between working on it.

And I didn't get up on Friday morning to go shopping. I had to work, and just didn't bother. I did go Friday night and picked up a few things. Now my goal is to have everything done before Christmas Eve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

After work tomorrow, I'm taking off for the holiday. The family is going to spend it at Kelli and Bryan's.

I only have Wednesday and Thursday off, but I'm not going to complain. Because I would rather only have a couple days off than work the days around Christmas.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

I'm off

For the eleventh day of work in a row... Can't wait for the day to be over and I finally get a break!

We received the official news last night that the transaction went through and our company is now operating under another name.

Maybe we'll finally have answers as to what is going to happen.

And it's for that reason that I don't mind going into work today.

A Hunting We Will Go...

My db, Aaron, decided to try his hand at bow hunting this year. So he went out two weekends to the camp with the boys... And lo and behold, on his second try he shot a doe... It was a bad shot, he tells me, but a shot nonetheless. One that wounded the deer enough that I have to learn how to cook venison.

Any ideas?

I'm not opposed to the idea of cooking venison. Just a little nervous. I remember having it at friends houses when I was younger and I remember liking it. I haven't had it in years though- my father and my brothers are not hunters. We'll see how that goes.

Visitors

Now that I put the city counter on my blog I find myself watching it... And trying to figure out who may be reading from each city. Interesting.

I want to go to some of the places that are listed. Right about now I'd like to be in a warm, sunshiney place.

Maybe.

And then again, where I am isn't so bad either. Sure it's cold, but it's that time of year. I'm not sure I could live for very long in a place that doesn't have a change of seasons like we do here. I love every season when it first starts. And it's not that cold yet.

Winter will be long, it always is... But I have my ski's, I'll get my ski pass and then we'll be good to go!

As my family knows, when I was a senior and trying to decide where to go to college I always said I would never move here. No way. I hated this area. And then, at the end of January a friend passed away in a car accident. When I came up for the funeral, something changed. I went back home and told my mom that I wanted to go to school up here.

Spent a summer in Alaska (stories for another time), moved when I came back, and really haven't left. Funny how things change.

Quotable

Sharyn was talking about quotes on her blog... It got me to thinking. When I was in middle and high school I had a thing about quotes. Every time I heard one that I liked, I would write it down. I have a small book of quotes now. Some of my favorites:

Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier- Unknown

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump. You sit still and trust the engineer.- Corrie Ten Boom (A good one to remember when things get tough).

A good time for laughing is when you can. - Jessamyn West

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery


I could go on and on but I'll leave you with this last thought which I believe comes from an old Irish blessing:

May the light always find you on a dreary day;
When you need to be home, may you find a way;
May you always have courage to take a chance,
And never find frogs in your underpants

Pictures from the Shower

Eta: All of these were taken with my digital camera, hence the red-eye. I should have played to take that out but being lazy, I didn't... I just need a new digital camera.

Emily and Jean- they were looking at all the gifts, it was rather cute.

The oldest and the three youngest

All the sisters with mom

These two really look alike.

Janelle- will you put the pictures from Memorial Day weekend on Ringo? I meant to put them on a CD when I was home, but I forgot. I appreciate it! Thank you!

It's Snowing...

But I'm always excited for the first snowfall of the year.