Hello.

Hi everyone.  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that all your travels were safe and uneventful.  We had a super great time here.  We had a HUGE dinner at my Mom’s on Thursday, with Uncle P and Momma C and their girls, Big Bird and Sweet Charlie, Grams, and my family, including T who came down for a few days also.  The food was fabulous, but it was the company we all craved and our hearts were filled to overflowing with love and laughter and good memory-making.

 

Thursday night I went to my Aunt’s house to celebrate with my Dad’s family.  This ended up not being quite as much celebration as I’d hoped for, as J and I ended up showing up late.  R and T were both sleeping and didn’t get to go.  Aunt C had a fire going in her fireplace, which is open with no screen or door, so I spent the evening planted in front of the fireplace sweating and keeping J-man out of the fire.  After some snacks and chit-chat, the ladies settled in for a Mary Kay facial “party” as my cousin has recently become a consultant.  My other cousin’s husband spent that part of the evening acting as “nanny” for the J-man.  Thanks again, B!  You’re the best!

 

Friday was kind of a bust for me, as I frittered away the time I could have and should have been spending on putting up Christmas decorations.  This was due to a silly misunderstanding in communication, as I did not understand that it was intended as a kind of “couples day” for Mom & Dad and Big Bird & Sweet Charlie.  My bad.  I got all dolled up and followed them all to my Grams house, and then they all went in to Wichita for the day.  But J and I enjoyed visiting with Grams till he was too tired, and we headed home where I sulked for a while.  I was not in the best emotional place the last few weeks, and was really starting to have a little pity party at this point.  Sad to admit that, as I am defiantly too old for that nonsense.

 

Saturday I determined to get Christmas going in my house.  Usually my tradition is to do this the day after Thanksgiving, so I really should not have deviated from that this year, but oh well.  Such is life.  So I just got up, put my hair in a scrunchie, and got to work.  I was not a pretty sight at all, but my house sure was!  The tree went up and the decorations began to take their places.  James took a good long nap, which allowed me to get quite a bit done.  Then my mom called and asked me to bring J to her house for a bit.  I really was not wanting to go because I was on a roll, but here is where another little communication snafu happened.  Big Bird had brought her backdrops and props and a special outfit and wanted to get J’s Christmas pictures taken that day!  I’m telling ya, we should’ve developed an itinerary! LOL  I would have loved to get in front of the lens with my boy for a few shots, but it was not going to happen that day in my sweats and my greasy hair and no make-up! Ha Ha Ha!

 

So, Big Bird and I locked ourselves in the room with J and tried so hard to keep him in front of the backdrop for the pictures.  Do you know how difficult it is to get an 18 month old to sit still for pictures in his own bedroom full of toys when he just woke up from a nap and is full of energy? We had fun trying, though.  And I do think she managed to get enough good shots to work with.  The little guy is very photogenic, but lightening fast!  And we also could have gotten some way cute stuff if the little booger would leave a hat on his head!  Oh well, there’s next year I suppose.  I am excited to see some of the stuff she did.  I know they will be great.

 

Sunday was a super day.  J-man took a good long nap and I got some more things done.  Then when he got up, we hurried up and got in the car and went and picked up my mom and we all went to town for a little shopping.  Honestly, all I needed to get was dog food and hamburger, and it was going to be a fast trip.  But mom had other plans!  We so rarely get to go out together these days, so she seized her opportunity and did some of her Christmas shopping by buying me some new work clothes.  Thank you, Mamma.  I feel like a new woman.  When we got back home, she came to my house to help me put the lights up on my tree.  We had so much fun just hanging out together.  Just being with my Mamma for a few hours was enough to start pulling me out of my little funky attitude.

 

Then, yesterday, I had a nice long email-thread-chat with Big Bird.  She helped me get my head back on straight and get myself set back on track.  Life happens to everyone and you just can’t let yourself get myopic and miss the big picture.  So, I’ve given myself a swift kick in the butt and I’m back to my old self again.  My apologies to everyone for being a bum and a drag over the holiday.  I love you all, and I know you love me too and have already forgiven me.

 

Here’s to the start of a great Christmas season.  Merry Christmas to you all, and hope you keep Jesus in the forefront of your mind and heart as we close out 2008.

 

Love, Heather