One of us had a spectacular Christmas

My pictures aren't uploading again. I've been trying this one picture for two hours (I had forgotten about it) and it's still trying to load. It's hard to post stuff about Christmas when there aren't pictures to go with it. I'll try at the library tomorrow if I can drive out these steep roads in the ice. 

Hope you guys all had the best Christmas.  

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God Knows How to Do Mornings!

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More Interesting News, Jason Style

Jason was up late last night partying his little heart out at 10:30p.  Apparently he had just performed a marriage ceremony between  Happy Girl (Martina McBride song he loves) and Katie from Jonathan Park.  Like I explained to a friend, in his world it's okay to marry girls together. It's kind of like combining peanut butter and chocolate--you like them both and now you can have them together. Or something. So the reception went on long upstairs and he was tired this morning. But boy, does that kid know how to party!

And tonight he came down needing some help. He handed me this:

Seems like "enough" was not quite.   Was that meant for *three* people??   

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Keeping it Real

I'm not fond of some cliches such as "back in the day".  Where'd that one come from and why did it take off like wildfire?  Hey, friends in the UK and Sweden--has that phrase entered your lexicon yet?  Oh! It didn't start with you did it? Yikes!

There are other cliche's I love, like "how's that workin' for you?" or "let me know how that goes" (used when it is obvious that it has never worked before and trying it again will be just as pointless and as much a complete waste of time and effort as it has always been).

"Keeping it real" is kind of in the middle. I don't really like the (over used) term, but I like the description. Kind of like this:

Oh, what? You don't see it? 

That's because of this:

Because as much as we love living out here in the nice rurals, we have to contend with this:

I don't have the fancy pens to circle or point arrows to the satellite dish on the roof. It is full of snow.  And that means we get this:

 But wonderful Son 2 climbed up onto the roof (he's part mountain goat and loves heights) and cleared the satellite so that we are connected again. Hurray for Tyler!

So back to the original subject for this post, which was "keeping it real" by showing you my living room with all the extra and unused decorations sitting around being messy, waiting for the clean up fairies to put it all away.  (...So, how's that working for you?...)  

So far it's still there. I'd say it's not working for me at all. I must need to find a better cliche.  

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Pictures of Our Getaway Time

HoneyHusband at the motel.
The old Russian Orthodox Church in Calistoga. 
It's always a great party when someone gets hauled off to jail. 
Here's where we had breakfast this morning. The food was great and soon after we got settled there was a line out the door. 
Proof we were here. Wonderful bed, soft, clean smelling sheets, nice soft cover, fitted bottom sheet. If I hadn't had so much chocolate so late I would have slept wonderfully instead of staying up reading until 3a. 
Yikes! The kitchen when we got back home.
We all pitched in and this is how it looked 15 minutes later. 

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Christmas Party Night

We are having a nice overnight stay for my husband's Christmas party. Last year's party ended differently so I was a little nervous about this one, but so far it has been lovely. So far, I say, because I walked back to our hotel after the four hour dinner and party and HoneyHusband went out to the next place to play some pool with the hardcore group. I am hoping for a carnage free holiday, anyway.

I forgot the cables for my camera or I could post some pictures of the snow today and some of the lovely Napa Valley. 

The children got to have their big sister and her husband come over to stay the night and I'm hoping the house and tree got decorated and some Christmas cookies were made (and not entirely eaten). We'll see tomorrow. 

That's it. I'm going to snug into bed and knit for a while. There is something so relaxing about staying overnight. I just love it. 

Oh, Dawniy has started listing three positive things a day. That is so worthwhile--counting our blessings. It changes our focus from the negatives that are always around, so we start paying more attention to the lovely things that we so often take for granted.   I'd love to take that challenge along with her and with whoever else wants to do it, please feel free to add yourself in. 

Okay. My postives for today:

1) That it snowed and looked so lovely this morning.

2) That it didn't stick long so that we could drive without the roads being all iced up.

3) That my children are safe at home and enjoying time with each other. 

4) Our drive was so lovely and it's nice to spend time with each other. 

5) Some days are more easy to find lots of positives and this is one of them. 

Have a lovely day, all of you!

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I May Not Have Been Clear

Did you think I meant "the next day" type of tomorrow?

Because that would have been yesterday. 

And since today isn't looking good either, "tomorrow" remains intact in its etymological essence.

You're welcome for that bit of education.  Now you can get back to your regularly scheduled program.

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Forgotten But Not Gone

I have no idea what I've been doing the last few weeks. One thing I do know is that I spent some time enjoying looking at some other fantastic blogs and I've gotten so inspired for decorating things and making things I almost can't wait to start the next day.  There is a world of loveliness out there, and my goodness--the talent! It's absolutely amazing.  It's also just the slightest bit intimidating to come back to my blog, see all the lovely colors and sit and love how Dawniy worked it, then realize that I'm still responsible for the content. I can't make up these beautiful crafty things like those other blogs. I'm still the one with her head in the clouds and feet in the manure.  

I have some buttons on the side for neat places I've been visiting. I fully intend to make a glorious garland per The Nester's wonderful directions (photos to follow if I actually end up doing it) and we've been planning on lots of crafts--candlemaking, putting various mixes in jars for Christmas giving and doing some knitting. Three of us are started in on our knitting , with one teetering on the brink and the last one saying he wants to do some "mitting" also. I'll definitely have to put some pictures up of those. 

One of our favorite crafts has been the Hearts and Trees kits. We got the summer one first and it was a great lapbook experience so we got the fall one and now with this winter one I think I'm going to have to get two.  They are so much fun and very educational and we look forward to the next ones coming out.

There was a cold going around our family and I finally got it. It was a mild thing, very quick moving, but I lost my voice again for a few days (as usual) and there were many people who cheered that one. Isn't it nice to be loved? Hello? Hello?!  You look at me when I'm whispering to you!!  Being totally ignored can have its humbling side. Without me giving advice and direction, things still seemed to go on just fine, even if it wasn't how I thought it should be done, in timing or in quality. It's good for me to lose my voice from time to time. Frustrating to the max, but good for me. 

And now, something more serious. There are some people I know and have come to really like who are looking for the peace and security that only God can give, and I so want to share that with them without the things I say sounding so cliche.  I hate simply recommending books because it seems like a punt, but others can say things so much clearer than I can.  Anyway, I'm praying that God's love will totally surround those so loved by Him, yet who don't know it yet. They are heavy on my heart right now and I'd appreciate any prayers on their behalf.   Thank you so much.

Back tomorrow with pictures. 

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