'Twas the Night Before Christmas

December 23 I received a phone call

from my Father-in-law:

"Is Kelly home?"  (Kelly is my husband)

"No...I can't get ahold of him either."

"Well, ok....when you get ahold of him

tell him my house burned down."

"WHAT!!!???!"

Then we talked for about 10 minutes while firemen scambled around him & as he watched his home burn to the ground the day before Christmas Eve.

Picture From Local Paper

When it was through there

was nothing left, nothing.

Later that night our families met together at church for a Christmas service & I held my Mother-In -Law as she sobbed quietly, "My home is gone."  She has been through so much, as last year I vividly remember holding her sobbing, "My baby is gone."  when she lost a son.  I can't imagine the pain in her heart.

Then just a few minutes later we went into church & with only my husband & Bo between us we all sang praises to God.  We worshiped together even as the smell of smoke off the only clothes they owned filled the air and stung me so strongly 3 seats away.  Even the candles we lit as we sang Silent Night were a reminder of the day.

It was a tough night. But in the midst of devestation they turned their attention to the real meaning of Chirstmas. They turned their eyes on Jesus.

So my dear Friends it has been a

busy time but I promise I will visit

you all very soon!

Christmas Card Post

Wishing You a

Merry Christmas!

Short Chain

Our Christmas chain is getting short.

I am getting scared!

The tree is for Christmas Day 

& the star for Christmas Eve.

But that little striped coat is for seeing

Joeseph & the Amazing

Technicolor Dreamcoat

with Annie. 

I can hardly wait for her to see it!!!

The only thing that worries me is that

only leaves one little red loop on the chain for

shopping and I really am not even close to done!

Last night Annie was working on

finishing up her Christmas list.

She worked so hard & she can't wait to give

them to her friends!  Afterschool she is going

to wrap them up herself.  I am planning on

her using at least a roll & a half of tape.  It will

take a lot of self control to keep my hands off :) 

Are you done or are you getting worried too?

Worried

I am a little worried...I am only 20 weeks 

& my stomach is getting HUGE!!!  

I can't even see my feet!

My ankles? 

So swollen they look alot like hers:

(Life Image)

And all the magazines say my hair should

 be thick & lustrious, but really it is breaking off

all over & more white hairs are popping

up everyday! 

This is what I look like every morning:

(Bing Images)

But instead of being down about it I am trying to

 remain optimistic.

It really is perfect timing. 

By my calculations in about a month I

should look EXACTLY like this:

And then who will be the loved one? 

Yep...me.

See so it is not all bad.

The only worry is...by April...

I think I will be more like this guy:

(Bing Images)

The only good thing I can think of about that is...

....it will save me $225 because I won't

need to spring for one of these :

(loaded shopper)

And just because I am feeling EXTRA nice today I will even link you to the coffee table right HERE so you can pick one up for that someone extra special on your list.

Weak

I am one of those girls who pretends that she likes to keep November for Turkeys & December for Christmas.  But the truth is...I am weak...very weak.

Today Annie & I had the day to ourselves, No Boys allowed!  So after I took her out for lunch I said, "Let's quick run into Target to get some mittens for Bo...that's it though....nothing else." 

And then it happened...I rounded the corner & ran smack into the stocking stuffer isle...

Oh, how I LOVE all the little goodies I can buy to treat my kiddos!  They are so little and so sweet!  And that is all it took.  Annie and I hit every single Christamas isle and a few Christmas items ened up in my little basket.

They call this a Joyful Lolly..Okay...now who could pass by a JOYFUL LOLLY!  You know you would have bought one too!

And then this happy snowman was a little too cute to leave on the shelf...I mean just look at that face!

Before I knew it I was out of control getting Fun Foam reindeer & penguins!  I mean who buys Fun Foam anyway?!!

And that is how Annie spent her afternoon.  Making reindeer & penguins & sucking on her Joyfully Lolly (which is not so joyfully when you drop them taking them out of the package btw). 

So as much as I like to pretend we can wait & we have self-restaint...we have none.  I have a Joyful Lolly to prove it.