Last Look Before it All Begins

The Day is finally arriving. My children couldn't be more excited and I have found myself frantically running around doing things that I have forgotten or put off till the last minute. I actually have to head to the mall today. Yikes. This year, Christmas literally sprinted up to me and now I have regrets about not enjoying the season as much as I should have. Things I jipped out on: baking, cooking, making gifts, doing crafts, spending time with friends, having a party, attending a party, going to church. That's just about everything involved with Christmas, isn't it? Things I learned this season: 1)don't take a vacation in the beginning of December, it shortens the season 2) I need to plan and start early on the crafts, probably in January 3) Not baking or cooking has allowed me to maintain the same weight, which though my weight is not ideal, at least it hasn't changed for the worse.

Included in this blog are pictures of my house because decorating is probably the only thing I did the same and on time. I hope you enjoy this last look at Christmas in my house. My decorations get taken down the couple days following Christmas.

May the holiday be all sugarplums and candy canes for anyone reading this. May it be full of wonderful memories, not the kind where people go on talk shows to share with the world. May everyone be safe when traveling and eat without guilt. Merry Christmas!

P.S. My husband went shopping yesterday and came back with bags for me! I can't wait to see what he picked out-I'll let you know. I would love to hear what others' got, too. Anyone out there?

The Tables Have Turned

Today, I am at my mothers house. She has had knee replacement surgery this week, and my husband and I thought I could help her out for a few days while she recovered. My father is still in the house, but I think it is difficult for him to take on a caregiving role right away, he needs to have an adjustment period where he can acclimated to what is expected of him. In other words, my mother is not the best patient.

My father and I picked her up at the hospital and she was waiting on the side of the bed ready to go. She was a stellar patient in the hospital, doing her exercises, taking her medications, and hardly ringing the call bell at all. She insisted upon our arrival to the hospital that we go directly to Sam's Club to get some groceries-was she serious? She was. She had taken a pain med and was ready to take on the world. Instead, she took on Sam's, motoring around on one of those electronic carts and terrorizing the other customers. She wasn't heeding the warning not to drive around under the influence. Everyone survived and we made it home.

Today, she insisted on getting up her stairs to take a shower. Dad didn't like the idea, I was not sure. She won. It went well, but afterwards when she wanted to spend time on her computer, I put my foot down and insisted she take on the role of patient-what was I doing here anyway? She complied like a normal stellar patient would.

Taking care of my mom is a privilege and honor. After all the years of having been cared for by she and my dad, it is nice to return just a fraction of that favor back. It's also been nice having some time caretaking that doesn't involve diapers........well,yet anyway. I love you mom.

Overcoming My Obsessiveness With Germs

I never really liked dirt, even as a little girl. My
mother would say that I wore dresses and tights
and didn't really like to play in or touch the dirt. I was what you would call a girly-girl. As I got older, I did remain clean, just not very neat. As a teen, I grew up in a Victorian home full of beautiful things, but you couldn't see anything under the heap of clothes, shoes, stuffed animals, and bedding in my room. When I ventured out on my own as an adult, I became a clean and neat freak. My mom told me that she was worried when I was a teen that I would never outgrow that messy phase. She's proud at how I turned it around. To this day, I remain a little bit of a clean/neat freak. With all my boys, it's hard to entertain my obsessive tendencies towards having everything being tour-ready in my home. I also am unable to control the level at which my children subject themselves to our world and all its germs, bacteria, and viruses. Stallion will often jest with me that I can't keep my boys in a bubble, so I need to let it go. I have, but can still get shocked, like when my kids put candy that was on the floor in their mouths. Or the time one of them took a piece of ABC gum from who-knows-where and stuck it in their pie-hole. At these times, I feel like having them swish with bleach but as a nurse, am aware of the problems that this would cause. I will then settle for a good mouth brushing, then observing them for symptoms of what just HAD to be carried on that yummy find.



On our recent trip to Gatlinburg, Noah (that's him above), tested my germphobia. We were walking down the main street when I all of a sudden heard my husband cry out, "No Noah Don't!" From then on, everything was in slow motion. I turned and said "WHAAAAAT HAAAAPPEEENED?" Stallion said,"You dooooon't waaaaan't to knoooooow." I then turned to Noah and my mouth dropped. In his mouth was a whole new set of those goofy plastic teeth that kids wear on Halloween. He was happy as a lark. I was grossed out and thinking how long it would be before I could safely kiss him again. I also thought that he would need careful observation to make sure his face or body didn't respond to some crazy microbe. Well, he lived and didn't even get sick. Thank goodness for small favors. The lesson is: kids and germs go together and sometimes we just need to let it go a little. I kissed him that same day.

Gifts From My Man-"Stallion"

Alright, I will admit it: I LOVE getting presents. I like to pretend to myself that presents aren't important and that I don't need anything (which I don't), but I truly love receiving gifts. Sometimes it's hard for me to contain my excitement upon the receiving of these gifts. I will do the following: save my gifts to open for last in order to keep the anticipation high, smile from ear to ear and maybe giggle to myself, or stare wide-eyed at package and touch it periodically to make sure that it still exists. After it is opened, I also have to contain my thanks to the giver lest they feel like they are being accosted or are likely to experience great bodily harm. Often, I will just give a big smile, say thanks, then secretly look forward to the person leaving so I can ponder the gift.

My husband is one of the best gift-givers I have ever known. I have often expressed to him that he should offer classes to those husbands that have difficulty deciphering from her chatter what she would love and who seem to have a hard time finding their wife's gift. Every Christmas I will find boxes placed at the last minute under the tree that are for me from him. I can't wait. One year, he suggested we not buy for each other. This idea was shot down faster than a duck during hunting season. I explained how I looked forward to what he chose and every time I looked at the item, or wore it, I thought of him and his care in picking something out for me. Sometimes, those gifts are beautiful clothes that I would never buy myself because I am too cheap, or jewelry that again, I could never see spending the money on. The point is: he listens. I have found that I actually have to be careful what I say sometimes or I might receive that gift of the Chia herb garden that I mentioned I was curious about.

My friends are at times envious at my husbands gift-giving expertise. One has also made the mistake of verbalizing out loud that her husband should take lessons from Stallion (yes Tina, that's you). I honestly feel that the lesson to be learned is to listen. Giving that great gift is all about picking up little cues and looking at the person it is intended for. Gifts are definitely not what this season is about, but boy oh boy I can't wait to get mine from Heath. I'll get back to you on what it is.

Family Vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee-Yippee!

Our family usually enjoys traveling the end of October, but once we heard about the winter celebration in Gatlinburg, we decided to travel the beginning of December to this getaway in the Smokies. Gatlinburg is about 13 hours away, and yes, we drove it. This was an experience in itself, but we'll save that for another post. Gatlinburg reminds me of Wisconsin Dells for those of you live in this wonderful state and have been there. While Gatlinburg is nicely nestled at the foot of the Smokies, it has been turned into a tourist town with plenty of fudge and old-time photo shops. I absolutely loved our resort (the Westgate Smokey Mountain Resort) and loved the mountains. Hiking was a true delight and the waterfalls were phenomenal. I highly recommend taking the drive that transverses the mountain range into North Carolina for great picture taking and views. Restaurants were plenty and satisfied all tastes, and of course, Ripley's has taken over a good deal of the entertainment choices, so you can see their many different attractions.

Do I recommend this trip? Well, sort of. The mountains are SO majestic that it is hard not to fall in love with the area immediately and think that you could live there off the land like they did on Little House on the Prairie, but in reality, I am a small-city girl and would never be happy like that. Time with the family is never a waste, even if we sometimes feel like referees during Friday Night Smackdown. Vacations also make you appreciate the comforts of your home and the friends you left behind. Hearts grow fonder for all things home.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

O.K. So I haven't written for a while. Let's see-Thanksgiving, then Black Friday, then a family trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, then all the usual tasks for the holidays-whew! I have been busy, as I am sure anyone reading this has been, too. I just love this time of year, but Christmas always comes and goes way too fast for me. Once the shopping is done, you truly get to enjoy the meaning of this holiday, then it is here and gone. Being a Christian, my family and I really try to grasp the true meaning of the day, Dec. 25- Christmas. We read the stories from the Bible, we talk about what we can do for others, and we look for ways to give. And although we try to get away from all the commercialism, it cannot be helped to talk about what the boys would wish for if they could have anything.

This year, because we were on vacation, we missed the school Christmas concert. I cannot say as I regretted this. While I love watching little children perform (especially when they perform things while they don't think they're being watched), and I can really appreciate all the hard work that the teachers have to do to put this together, I do not miss the parking fiasco, finding a seat on the hard bleachers, or trying to be comfortable in a hot and sweaty gym. Bless the teachers.

I also don't feel the love of the season on Black Friday. Maybe that's why I choose not to fight the huge crowds at our closest mall, but instead only go to a couple stores that are in the opposite direction with my husband. You can find us performing our breathing exercises in the car before we head out on this venture. It definitely takes a certain mindset, doesn't it? If anyone is reading this and cares to share a great story about Black Friday, I would love to read it.

Lastly, I can't help but feel a little saddened by all the arguing that seems to go on as to whether we should celebrate Christmas in the schools, call a Christmas tree a holiday tree, or be allowed to display Nativity scenes in front of public buildings. The only opinion I will give is this: December 25 was the day picked to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on this earth. What has happened since, has been a result of business and people warping the day into something else that serves a different purpose. I have no problem with non-Christian's picking a different day to celebrate this season if they want to eliminate the "Christ" from everything, but Christmas Day is Christmas Day and cannot be something else. It is HIS birthday celebration-like we each have our birthdays and corresponding celebrations. Our family usually bakes some form of cake in order to celebrate and sing, just like we would on our special birth day. Well, there it is from my lips. I DO wish everyone a wonderful holiday season-Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, merry Kwanzaa! I love you all.

Holidays on a Budget

This time of year it's easy to get caught up in the shopping and spending, ignoring the credit card balance and hoping it will go away until spring. Due to a work injury, my husband has been out of work for almost two months. This has forced me to do some serious cutting back. I am spending less on gifts and trying to enjoy the season without all the 'stuff'. Here are a few ideas for putting more joy in the holiday and less cash:

- Check out some Christmas movies from the library and watch them as a family
- Light a candle and enjoy a good cup of coffee
- Enjoy family time around the fire playing games or singing carols
- Bake a batch of Christmas cookies before you have to, just for fun!
- Listen to Christmas music in the car
- Take a few minutes each day to count your blessings, and be thankful for that baby born in the manger
- Give homemade food gifts, not many of us need more stuff
- Send a handwritten card to a friend, reminding them of why you cherish their friendship
- Take the family for a walk or ride to look at Christmas lights
- Get out the good dishes for the family, even if it's just chili night

I hope this season will be one of special times with friends and family. Remember, it's all about relationships. God's blessings on you and yours.