Highlights

It's over... all the cleaning and feasting and snoozing and then the repeated motions. The kitchen is nearly clean finally and the company is settled in and no longer company but family once again. It was our anniversary, of sorts, and well celebrated with prayer, bible reading, the eating of good hot food and lots of discussion about tradition and family and thankfullness.

I'm getting sick. It's weird though. It's not like a case of the sniffles, or a rogue cough, or a fever. It's a little bit of everything including an upset tummy and extreme fatigue. A strange feeling like I've gone under in a pool and my nose is filled with highly chlorinated water. My ears and eyes itch. My nose feels ... chlorinated. My body is achey and my tummy vaguely distressed but still hungry. This better. not. be. the. FLU.

I lost my bank card. I'm not usually the one to lose things. In fact, hubs has been known to pay the kids to find his keys/wallet etc. But this time? It's me. I've lost the bankcard, the remote to the TV, my keys, the spare keys, my husbands keys, my daytimer (found and lost countlessly over the past 5 days) and just about my mind. But I did find a new job!

I've been teaching twice a month, and recently filled in for another teacher for her 5 week series of classes. The extra income for those 5 weeks was nice, and when it was gone it was noticeable, but I managed to pick up another 5 week series on a regular basis teaching teens. I'm excited and scared about that opportunity which begins in a few weeks. I'll also be starting another weekly group in January that I'm very excited about. A little daytime work, and a little evening work. A little bit of everything.

It's silly, but I just bought new flannel sheets that I ADORE! They were wicked cheap from one of those Bulk Warehouse Shopping Center and I think they feel like top notch high quality super duper expensive ones. And? New towels too... from the same place! Linty...not so great...but nice and fluffy anyway. I feel so pampered.

For Christmas this year, the kids couldn't really decide on anything they wanted (really, I'm serious) and so we opted to skip gifts and take a vacation! My neice is getting married in Hawaii the day after Christmas, but from way out here on the East Coast it's too expensive for all 5 of us. We chose somewhere that was awesome and beachy and private for a quarter of the cost and we can't wait. 7 days on the Outer Banks in North Carolina... we'll string a Charlie Brown Tree with popcorn and cranberries and Santa will visit down the chimney of our vacation house. We'll take long walks on the beach, play boardgames and watch movies and fly kites and look for wild Mustangs. We'll drink hot chocolate and soak in the hot tub on the deck overlooking the ocean...it'll be the best Christmas in a long time. I can't tell you how excited I am! And so are the kids!

Monday I am going to visit my Meme... I spoke to her family on the phone today and was invited to come on Monday afternoon. I want to go NOW! I can't wait to see her face again, to hold her in my arms, to kiss her squishy drooly cheeks. I miss her so much...

Are you ready for the holiday season yet? I am - ready for peace and goodwill and grace to fill our lives, to overflow onto friends and neighbors. How 'bout you?