Christmas thanks.

Things I am thankful for today...


Big laundry machines.
Rustin--home.
Presents that are wrapped.
A dog who is as soft as a rabbit.
Brothers and sisters that all like each other.
Kids that laugh.

Happy Eve of Christmas Eve's Eve!

We are loving Christmas break this year.  It has been sooo nice to have the kids out of school all week.  They have done a great job of doing their chores and they are only driving each other (and their mother) slightly insane with their impatience.  They keep counting down the days until Christmas wishing time would move faster but I wish I could slow everything down.  This is my favorite time of the Christmas season--once Christmas is here the best part is over!

Actually I have to admit--while I love this time of Christmas, I also feel really stressed out as the clock ticks.  I am sure I am forgetting something that I will regret.  I had to stop several times today and remind myself that my vague sense of anxiety is not based in reality...

Jen and Ben took the camera on a tour of the house. I always wish I had done more decorating sooner.  If I had my way I would have Christmas quilts on every bed and trees in every room.  I was slowed down this year by our forced smoke-damage-induced evacuation and a serious need for a nap every afternoon.   Rustin will be home tomorrow though so things are looking great!  Here are some of the favorites around the house...

My mom insists on calling this the Charlie Brown tree but I love it.  It has all the little school decorations the kids have made over the years.

This mound on the counter top is what a four batches of sweet chex mix looks like while drying. I really should make at least four more (this filled 20 quarts!) if we have any hope of thanking all the people who have helped and supported us this last year.

And to be realistic this is what the mound of laundry looks like that I swore would not still be lying on the floor tonight.  I only have four loads left in the entire house so tomorrow my Christmas present to myself will be clean and organized laundry then Christmas can come and I can watch Little Women and While you were sleeping all day guilt free!

Scrooge??

We have lots of fun things going on this Christmas season that I really intend to write about.  But I have a lot of distractions that are blocking my writing ability such as...the yucky cough attempting to rip my lungs out, class Christmas parties, rain a.k.a slushy snow, the lingering, lovely smell of a Burned (BURNED) pot of roast beef burned (did I mention?) (did I also mention that I can't smell anything?)  completely to charcoal that is making me compulsively spray Febreese and wash the cupboard doors in the kitchen (honest to goodness smoke damage--which required yet another visit from Summit Restoration; this time they brought an Ozone machine...I can't really talk about it yet--my eyes threaten to let the floods loose every time the stinkin' subject comes up...).  There have been some great things that I am determined to write about so they can be included when I print this blog out into our own family book!  For now I am just going to share a video that made all five kids laugh last night. (Thanks sis.)

Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob