I Guess I'm not as Good as a Who

So as I mentioned in my previous post, for an early Christmas present I got Christmas lights and two pre-lit Christmas trees (that Greg added concrete bases to so they wouldn't blow away). We started decorating for Christmas yesterday, and I added some pretty sheer gold scarf (long and wide) around the two trees for outside. I plumped up the wreath, from it's matted down state, and went across the street to admire my pretty Christmas house from a distance. All that was left was the garland around the door. But Greg had gotten cool-white lights for it, instead of warm-white. So I was going to exchange it this week and then put up the garland. Later in the night, I heard some laughing, that seemed unusually loud, and a little mischievous. I went and locked the door, just to be safe. Then I heard the wreath on the door, and felt uneasy. I felt like I should look outside, but the wind was blowing strong and I quickly reminded myself that it was probably the wind knocking the wreath around.

The next morning, when we left the house to take Cara to school, the two trees and my wreath were gone. At first I thought the wild wind had blown them. But since Greg added the concrete bases, those weren't budging. They weren't anywhere to be found. Someone (or more likely, a few someones) had robbed me.

I remembered in 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas', how after all their Christmas stuff had been stolen, they gathered together and sang a happy song.



I did not feel such joy. I was quite perturbed, in fact. It doesn't make me feel safe in my own neighborhood any more.

Now that I have had the day to think and stew about the whole thing, I am thankful for the eternal perspective I have. I am thankful that they didn't take anything from our backyard. I am thankful I hadn't put up the garland yet. I'm thankful they didn't break into our home. I am thankful they didn't vandalize. But I'm still not quite ready to gather with my family in joyous song over the whole thing. Perhaps I need to read the story a few more times this season.

Snow Day

When we looked out the window today, Taya exclaimed, "Snow Day!" I was kind of enjoying the mild November, but was secretly hoping for snow in December. It came a few days early, but I'm already for it!


I've been working really hard to get ready for Christmas early this year. One visiting teacher I had a few years ago told me that by mid November she had all her presents bought and wrapped, cookies in the deep freeze, activities planned, ect... Everything done by November 15! I was impressed. I have been nowhere near that, ever! But this year it was my goal by November 30. I am almost there. I do still have a couple more stocking stuffers to get, a few more Christmas cards to label, and a few more batches of cookies, but I'm feeling pretty successful thus far, just a few days left! Here's a picture of the girls helping me make our traditional Choco-mint Rounds in early November.

I have never had Christmas lights outside, ever. I really have oohed and aahed at the icicle lights for as long as I can remember. So this year, for an early Christmas present Greg got me lights. Lights for outside, lights for my tree (I kept waiting for a boxing day great sale, and always got there just after they sold out), and two little trees all alit for the sides of my front door outside (Greg added concrete to the bottoms so they wouldn't blow away). I'm so excited!

Happy Birthday

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. Yes, I know it is an American Thanksgiving, but Greg got it off, instead of Canadian Thanksgiving (we went for Chinese food in October). I was a bit sick, but had already started thawing the turkey, and Greg was so looking forward to it. He had been talking about it for months. I had been excited for it, until I started feeling sick. So I would do a little, then rest a little. I found some awesome tips from here for a perfect turkey. (I changed my picture to sepia because I had served it in a bright green serving dish, which I didn't think about till I went to take a picture of it. Bright green doesn't really come to mind when I think of Thanksgiving, and I didn't want to change the dish). The thing Greg had looked forward to most, was the pumpkin pie. I didn't get it made, but promised some in the near future. Thankfully I'm feeling much better today. But now Greg came down with whatever it was that I had, and spent his Black Friday sleeping.

We had gotten the table all fancy, and had even set up the candle sticks (the same candles were still on from her birthday). Taya wouldn't stop saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" at the site of the candles.

I am truly thankful for so much this year, especially a loving Saviour, a warm home, and oh so comfortable bed, a perfect-for-me companion, and 3 considerate children (who rubbed my back while I was sick and gave me lots of hugs).

My Beautiful Family

Everyday I thank a loving Heavenly Father that He sent each one of them into my life.




Here's one I tried taking with the timer at the end of the evening.



Here's how the arrangement in the bathroom will look.



Oh, and the bulge under my shirt... I should have taken my tank top off from earlier in the day. It ended up bunching, which I didn't realize until seeing the pictures afterwards. I can do other things in Photoshop, but taking away bulges... I guess I still have some learning to do.

Friends

We have some great friends. The husband helped us take down our massive tree and grind it to a pulp (which took several weekends of work). After a really difficult day for me (my daughter put our van in reverse in an icy parking lot and we hit another vehicle), the wife brought me to her sister's place to fix my hair, after I had tried to have my sister give me a hair cut (it was the one and only time she has ever cut hair. And I was the one who told her to do it too! I was trying to save a few dollars on going to the hair dresser. I guess I learned my lesson. LOL). I will never forget her kindness. They had us out to their family's cabin for a week this summer. Their daughter often comes over Friday afternoons to play with my girls. The husband happens to do photography on the side, as well. So when they asked me to take their family pictures, I asked the same favour in return. So when you see our family pictures, you might notice they look pretty similar to these ones. Their son has autism and I was happy to catch a couple smiles of him during the evening (unfortunately none of just him!!!!!RRRR)

Are you seeing spots?

Well, you might be by the end of this post. I know it's so late in posting about Cara's birthday, which was back several weeks. But I finally got around to her birthday party pictures. See had a Polka Dot Birthday Party.

These were the cupcakes I brought for her at school.

After seeing a Polka Dot theme party in a Martha Stewart magazine, Cara was convinced that was what she wanted for her 6th birthday party. I told her that she couldn’t, because I try to pick themes that my child has an interest in. To convince her mother, for the next few weeks, all Cara drew was polka dots and sang polka dot songs. To Cara's delight, I finally consented to a polka dot party.

Bingo with Skittles, ‘Donut on a String’ Eating Contest, ‘Guess How Many Gumballs’ and then blow a bubble, Twister, (forgotten game- musical polka dot to polka music), polka dot pinata, obsacle course (using colorful balls, through tunnel, up hill, roll like a pencil), polka dot pizzas and fruit on polka dot plates, polka dot cups (none of the kids would drink from), polka dot cake (which looked great, but didn’t taste good, so we had M&M cookies for dessert instead. My mom had even made my three girls polka dot dresses!!!!!

A Classic Halloween

Last year on Halloween my girls picked what they wanted to be for Halloween 2009. Cara picked a Witch, Ellie picked a Black Cat, and I had the perfect Pumpkin Costume for Taya that had just been too big last year (so I really hoped it would fit this year). They were the classic Halloween characters. I loved it.

Poet, and I didn't even know it.

Have you ever had your child create something for you that just made you spill over with joy? Cara wrote me a poem today! Letter for letter it read,

"A Sane Day
is a Frend."

When I asked her to read it to me, she read,

"A Sunny Day
is a Friend."

Sunny, or Sane; I'll take either! She's been really sick the past couple days (fever, chills, headache). But Cara remains the sunshine in our home that keeps me sane, a true friend and daughter.