After Christmas Give-Away

Christmas is over.  We are now going through clothes, toys,  household items and the like to donate to charity.  Usually we give to Goodwill, but this year Taylor asked where we could donate that kids could actually wear the clothes and play with the toys.  Part of my day will be to find out which shelters take those items then the rest will be to keep gathering and packing more items.

I’ve already gone through my closet and now I’m going to go through my husband’s items.  Taylor is fixing breakfast while I’m sitting here taking a break. I’ve been up for about 3 hours working already.  Treila finally got up a few minutes ago.  I’m sure she’s watching TV in my bedroom right now, but that won’t last long.  As soon as the girls eat, they will be going through their toys to donate.  I’m hoping for a good many items to make their way out of my house by Wednesday.

Tony is working this morning.  Hopefully he won’t have to work all day as I could really use his help today.  I’m also still on the look out for a pond scoop for him. 

I also need to work on lesson plans for school for the 2nd semester.  I’ve got so much to cover in such a little amount of time.  Unfortunately, I’ve got to make it “entertaining” as most of my students are unmotivated to learn without bells and whistles attached.

I also need to do some more preparation for our vacation for this summer.  I need to go this week to get our passports.

I’d better run for now!  Have a good week!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y’ALL

Good morning and Merry Christmas.  We have had a time already.  Last night we went to my mother’s for Christmas Eve.  She always fixes a meal where we could have fed an extra 20 people.  The girls received wonderful gifts from both my mother and brother which they loved.

Last night, we went to bed a little early, then I got up about 12:30am to finish the wrapping.  I went back to bed around 3:00am.  I had my video camera all set up for the girls and when we woke them at 6:00am, they opened gifts like they were running a marathon.  After all the gifts were opened, Taylor looked pretty happy, but seemed a little disappointed.  Then Tony reached behind the tree and gave her a card that I had written.  It said, “Although you’ve been naughty more often than nice, We still think you’re worth whatever the price. So clean up your room and keep the house neat, then you’ll find your last gift under the loveseat.”  It took her a few seconds to figure it out, but then she found her gift which was a cell phone.  I think she was pretty happy then.

At 8:00am, the family came in to eat breakfast.  We had so much food that we could have fed another extra 20 people today.  We are all spending a little time playing with our “toys'” before we go for Christmas Dinner at my mother-in-laws.

Tony and I had a few quiet moments where we reflected on this being perhaps the best Christmas that we’ve shared.  Our girls are extremely happy (Treila got a punching bag), and the Lord has blessed our family.  May the Lord bless you real good today and always!

UH-OH, It’s Christmas Eve

I thought I was doing good!  I only have a few little stocking stuffers to go.  I got up early this morning so that I could wrap Christmas presents and get all that over with before the girls got up.  I had purchased pretty paper, tissue paper, bows and tags.  Everything was going to be so pretty.  Then as I was getting all the goodies together I realized I forgot one major ingredient…the tape.  So I can’t do any of the wrapping until Tony gets home from work and I do my last minute stuffers.  But wait, then we go to Moma’s for Christmas Eve, so it will be tonight before wrapping happens. 

The girls never want to go bed early, so we all will lay down around 10:00pm and I set the alarm clock for about 1:00am.  I’ll get everything wrapped and neatly placed under the tree, be back in bed by 4:30am and then we will wake up at 6:00am to see what we have for Christmas.  The good thing is that this year there is no “assembly” required.

We will be finished unwrapping by 7:00am, but I can’t rest after that because the family is coming for Christmas breakfast at 8:00am.  It will be time to put on the sausage, bacon, hash browns, eggs, biscuits, and coffee.  Get out the orange juice, cream, sugar, preserves, molasses, and anything else I can throw at it.

Anyway, In all the hustle and bustle of it all, it is still the most wonderful time of the year.  My prayer for all of you is to have a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and really remember what the season is all about.  Let’s make sure we keep Christ in Christmas and all year long.

Christmas Eve – Eve

Today I woke up quite early.  I’ve had the best night’s sleep since about a week ago.  Anyway, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and I’ve still got a lot left to do.  I have to “clean” the house.  We have Christmas breakfast at our house, so I have to clear some things out of our big “country” kitchen in order to put up the extra tables.  I went to Sam’s yesterday to buy “pounds and pounds” of meats, hashbrowns and other breakfast food.  Since we have our own chickens, we have plenty of eggs.  Either Tony or my mother will make the biscuits as I don’t do those too well.

I still have a few more little stocking stuffers to get for the girls, but other than that, I’ve just got a lot of wrapping to do.  I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and remember that it’s all because of Jesus that we celebrate this special time.

Welcome to My Journal

In an attempt to journalize some of my travel adventures and personal family life, I set up this journal. Periodically, I will update information about where I am going or where I've been. This will include my family's adventures along with mine.