Can't believe it is a new year upon us! I must be getting pretty old!

I am very thankful for all the blessings that God gave us during 2008. I look forward to even more this new year!

Jim and I are going over to my daughters house for New Years Eve. We've done this for many years. We always have so much fun just visiting , eating ,playing silly board games and laughing until tears fill our eyes.

My son is spending the evening with my daughter in law's family and all of their friends. No one in our family drinks so I know everyone will be safe and happy.

Do you have a New Year Resolution? I usually don't. I gave up years ago because it seemed silly to keep making promises to myself that I couldn't keep such as not to snack at night until I bloat up! ha!

But now that today is officially Jim's first day of retirement it seems more of a new beginning. I think I'll just say that it is a new beginning and I am going to make the best of it. I know that Jim and I both want to spend more time in the gym and getting healthier.

I do pray that all of you take time everyday during this next year to feel the presence of God in your lives and count your blessings.

A New Season

They (whoever they are) say that our lives are just seasons we pass through. The season of youth, the season of newly weds, the season of becoming parents, the season of becoming grandparents.......
So I am beginning a new season in life. Actually WE are beginning a new season in life. Today I drove to the depot to pick up my husband from work. He walked out of that depot a different man.
After 30 years with the same employer he has retired!

I don't think it's completely set in yet. He's sitting at his computer as he usually does after a day of work, catching up on the latest news and emails. He's taken his after work shower and eaten some food and after reading on his computer he will sit in his little chair facing the TV and fall asleep as usual.
His body will be on work time for a while. He'll probably fall asleep in his chair early for a while and wake up early for a while. One can only imagine how a body would adjust from the alarm going off at 1:00am for 30 years to not going off at all!
I'm sure that soon he will be soaking up the enjoyment of knowing that he will never have to set that alarm for 1:00am again unless he WANTS to.

I'm happy for him. He has worked hard and faithfully for many, many long years. He deserves to relax and work only if he wants to where he wants to. He and I will have more time to do things together and enjoy each others company.

On this day our lives ahead of us is a mystery, an adventure waiting to be pursued. He plans to work part-time and is waiting for responses to some places which he chose to apply.
I think I'm the one who is in a state of wonder the most. I'm wondering how my routine that I've gotten comfortable in will be effected.
His life is changing and he is now in a place that he can do whatever he wants to do. My daily routines will mostly need to stay the same. I've gotten used to his work hours, his early to bed hours, my up late alone hours. So I will be the one making the most adjustments, at least that's how I see it now.

I'm sure that God is opening doors of wonder and great treasures for us. You may be hearing both some grumbling and some praises as I tell our story of our next season!

Merry Christmas

I'm going to be busy the next few days. Lots of cleaning and cooking and taking care of grand kids which means baking cookies and playing games.

I may not get much chance to be on here between now and Thursday --So I just want to write now and say MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!

I pray that blessing are many and your hearts are full of joy and no matter how busy and stressful the next week might get don't forget the true meaning of our celebration !!

Ready

I think I'm finally ready for Christmas, well except for cleaning the house before everyone gets here.
I spent this morning wrapping the gifts I'd gotten. Whoever thought of inventing gift bags.........why didn't I think of that!

I did three loads of laundry and put chili ingredients in the crock pot. Called to see if Jim's mom wanted me to take her anywhere and she decided to stay home.

I then went to Costco. Had a couple of things that I wanted to get there so decided that while there try and finish up all the Christmas shopping needed. I got the turkey. All the turkeys seem to be small this year and Thanksgiving was slim so I also got a very small ham. Of course one of the things on my list was the Eggo waffles. That is a must have item with five grand kids. They walk in my door and straight to the toaster for waffles! I'll always remember my grandchildren as little ones asking me "can I have some wapples?"

I managed to find the last three gifts that were on my list while I was there.:)

Let me tell you those sample carts they stick on the corners of the isles really work! I was smelling something so wonderful and turned the corner and there was a cart with little pieces of this bread to sample. It was covered with cheese and garlic. Of course I then remembered I had chili in the crock pot so grabbed a box of this delicious bread. It only takes 10 minutes in the oven to brown it and waa-laa- yum!

It wasn't freezing outside but the air was pretty cool in the low 60's. The store was absolutely crowded to the max. The roads are full. Patience is a necessity.

I then came home with all my goodies and put most in the freezer/refrigerator. Wrapped up the last of the gifts and added them to a big box. I was going to put them under the tree but decided against torturing Conner and Kyle with temptation next week before Christmas. Besides, those gift bags are wonderful but too easy to sneak a peek!

Jim got home from work and we enjoyed the chili and toasted bread! Yum!

So tomorrow is Sunday. My beautiful granddaughter is performing in the church Christmas presentation so that will be fun to watch tomorrow night.

Monday I'll be taking Jim's mom out and about to finish up her shopping for the season. She seems to enjoy waiting until the last chance to get it done!

Jim is asleep in the chair watching TV with his eyes closed. He's probably dreaming of his last few days of work before retiring.
I'm going to go turn on the Christmas lights now and make myself a cup of tea!

High Tech

So I'm a baby boomer and grew up with Barbie dolls and watching The Wonderful World of Disney shows. My most fasinating thing growing up was trying to figure out how Tinker Bell held all that pixey dust as she was flying around.

This day of technology is mind boggling to me. Yet I've become spoiled to using my laptop. Email is a way for me to keep in touch with those I don't have the time to visit personally or live too far away to visit. It's a way to be able to keep in touch with my relatives that live in other states and I love that.
So when the little pop up window suddenly appears in my face telling me that my email server is not responding I want to yell and throw a tantrum!
How dare it not work!
How dare it tell me that my emails cannot be sent! How will I know what is going on in every one's life! What will I do with myself tonight while I wait for my TV shows to start!
Do I need a new laptop with all the new fancy bells and whistles? Do I need more whatever it is that is needed to create more space inside this thing?
Or do I need to call up the cable company that I get my email account through and yell at them personally?
Why is my laptop making a humming noise right now? Is it going to explode?!!!

I think that they purposely make these addictive wonderful gadgets to only last a short couple of years.
Whoever is smart enough to make these things is certainly smart enough to know that we will become addicted to them and that if they make them to only last a short time that we will certainly go buy another one that is much more high tech and much more expensive. They have made it that way also......that there are no other choice but to buy the "new and improved" model. That is why these people are billionaires!
Yet we who sit here hour after hour fascinated with all the wonderful things our new gadget does lives paycheck to paycheck as we fry our brains trying to figure out how to use it!

Crazy Emotional Wet Day

Goodness what a day.

My fabulous oldest sister turned 75 years young today. She is full of life and beautiful and I wish she lived closer. She emailed me today telling me of the great friends she has close by and that they came over to her house to share gifts, snacks, coffee and friendship. Then the house behind hers suddenly caught on fire and blew up! She and her friends had to run out of the house and far enough away to be out of danger. It seems that there was an elderly man living behind her that not only smoked but was on oxygen! He died in the fire. I'm thankful that my sister and her friends are all safe and her home was not damaged.

Then I received an email about a distant relative of mine that I never knew and never wished to know because he did great harm to a close relative of mine who I love dearly. This evil person died a couple of days ago after being ill for quite a while. He was evil and the harm he did changed my loved one's life. The only blessing is that this person has died and has already been to see his maker and has been judged. I trust he was given the judgement he deserved. I can only now pray for the hurt left behind to be healed.

So it is only fitting that we are now being flooded with rain after a very long hot dry year and that our roof is leaking in at least two places as I type!

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RAIN

It is pouring outside. Suppose to get up to 4 inches of rain by Thursday. High of 54* and wind is blowing. Have some chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot.
I drove around in this this morning getting some Christmas shopping done while I had the chance. Saw two car accidents while out.
I'm just thankful we don't have fires and we don't have that ice storm. I pray for those people with no electricity!

Chilly!

I know it's not snowing or freezing like so many places but for us here in southern California it's COLD!

The highs for the week's forecast is in the 50's. Snow in the mountians just miles from us.

Dare I say it's actually feeling like Christmas season!!!!!!

Yes! I actually baked sugar cookies with my grandson. Watched my granddaughter today in her gymnastics Christmas recital. I helped my mother-in-law put up her Christmas tree. Tonight I watched the Billy Graham Christmas Special on TV and it really felt like being at home with my mom & dad again. I remember growing up we never missed one of his shows. And now the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" is on TV.

Ho Ho Blah

I'm having trouble getting into a Christmas mood.

Maybe it's the full moon we are having now.

Maybe it's that I'm tired and haven't had the time or money to go shopping for gifts.

Maybe I've been stressed and depressed with daily life.

Maybe it's that it is just now getting cool enough outside to feel like winter time.

Maybe I need to just bake all day and sing songs of the season.

Maybe I need to go to the mall and sit on Santa's lap.

Maybe I need to stand in the mall and get trampled by the hundreds of shoppers.

Or maybe I just need to sit and hear the spirit of the season speak to me. The true reason for the season. Just sit still and know that HE is here. To know that it's not the gifts or the tree or the rush or the stores.

I need to turn off the depressing news stations and instead get my good book and read the word of God. Yes, I think that is what I will do.

old & achy

I've had a muscle in the left back side of my neck that has been hurting for days. Amazing how something like that can make a person become so cranky.
Jim keeps looking at me saying "are you ok?" NO I'm not ok! and why do you keep asking me when I told you already my neck hurts! ( I didn't actually say that but does thinking it count?)

Let me add to that--- old, achy and grouchy!

I've taken my Motrin, rubbed Icy Heat on it, and now I'm going to bed !

Christmas or Santa Claus?

I was watching a show on TV and the announcer said something about Christmas and then stopped himself and said "oh, am I still allowed to call it that?".

There is a great number of people who are trying to take away the very meaning of how our country was founded. For instance "In GOD We Trust" is still on money but I wonder how long it will be before they protest to take it off.

It's CHRISTmas time. There is a battle going on that says we are not suppose to call it that anymore. Winter Break is now what schools call it. Holiday is on store signs now.

Those who do not believe in the word Christmas would rather teach their children to believe in Santa Claus. Somehow it's easier for them to believe that there is a fat man dressed in red who magically sneaks into homes while we are sleeping. Scary actually if you really think about it.

Ok, go ahead , believe in Santa Claus... I do. In fact I've searched the history of Santa Claus.

Funny, those who do not believe in Christ and don't think it should be a part of the season may not be aware that Santa Claus............ya know, that guy they also call St. Nick..............SAINT Nicholas was actually a man who was actually declared a saint. That's right, a saint. That was his original name. He was a man who helped people in need.

Now I don't know of many who are declared a saint unless they belong to a church. Church. Ya know, the ones who believe in God. The ones who believe in Christ. ............OH, did I say Christ?

Gee, do you think that maybe Santa Claus/St. Nick also calls it Christmas? They do have something in common now don't they?

Here is a copy of something I got off a website:

Santa Claus and St. Nichola

Everybody loves Santa Claus. He embodies holiday cheer, happiness, fun, and gifts—warm happy aspects of the Christmas season.

How do Santa Claus and St. Nicholas differ?

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;

St. Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;

St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption;

St. Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;

St. Nicholas is part of the communion of

saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;

St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;

St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;

St. Nicholas is just better.

—J. Rosenthal & C. Myers

Busy Potty Day

It was an unusually busy day because today Conner wore pull-ups!! NO diapers!!

I decided to try it because yesterday at preschool class he told me he had to go pee twice during class! That was quite trying because I had only diapers with me and had to get them on and off while he stood in the bathroom.
So today before Nathan got here I popped in a movie called "Potty Power" he watched it and then he agreed to put on the pull-ups...........well, I had to call them diaper underpants before he'd agree. He kept saying he wanted diapers and I said "but these are diaper underpants" and then he agreed to put them on!

oh! it just occurred to me that I should of taken a photo of him in his pull-ups but I was so busy I didn't have a chance to think of it.

so anyway, he put them on by himself..........because he refused to allow me to help him until his two legs got stuck in the same leg hole.
He wore them the rest of the day and I just asked him from time to time if he needed to go and he'd say yes or no. He kept them dry and peed AND pooped in the potty chair the rest of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Each time refusing to let me help him put the pants back on until he'd get stuck! lol!

I had told Vanessa this morning that I was going to try it and that if it worked today I'd give her a bag of pull-ups to take home and that she needed to go along with the idea throughout the weekend. I knew she hadn't bought any yet and I had a large box of them here that I had bought on sale several weeks ago. She agreed.
So I'm hoping that she does keep up with it and that by the time he comes here on Tuesday he'll still be using the toilet and that I don't have to start all over again! Figured if we started on a Friday it would work out better because then Vanessa would have three days off work to follow through easier at home.

He was so proud each time that he'd yell out to whoever was here " NATHAN!" or "PAPA!" so that they could come and look at his accomplishments! They would come to the bathroom and oohhh , ahhh and clap for him!

So now the potty chair is soaking in disinfectant and I'm going to drink my small glass of Merlot wine and watch a movie!

Toothless!

One thing I do that the kids think is so special at my house is let them eat while on the couch. There is a cushion in the middle that folds down and turns into a table top and they think it is just so great to sit there and eat while watching a show and not have to always sit at the table.

So tonight Conner and Kyle sat there eating their noodles, chicken and beans while watching a recording of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Pepper of course is keeping guard.

Suddenly Kyle yells "a wash cloth please!". I turn around to look and he's holding up one hand trying to show me something and the other hand is covering his mouth. He lost his second tooth! The tooth is so small that I can't even see it in his hand but his mouth is bleeding where the tooth used to be. I find a small container to put his tooth in and give him a wash cloth.

So soon as his dad walks in the door he runs up to show him " I lost my tooff !