A Million Kinds Of Happy

I did give you fair warning that I'd be posting Christmas pictures WELL into the New Year.

This one is actually from Thanksgiving. Ha.

While we were all in SC for Turkey Day, we went to see a Christmas lights display in the city near where my parents live. It's one you can drive through, and this year they added a "walk-thru" part. With a S'mores fire pit and a hot chocolate vendor. And Santa. Good times all around.

All of us (we 3, my mom and dad, and my brother, sis-in-law, and nephew) piled into the car and had ourselves a hoot of a time.

But these 2? I don't think the word "happy" does this picture justice.
They had just seen Santa, sucked down some hot cocoa, and were stopping along the path at the "photo spots."

April took the picture, and I have it as my screen saver because I cannot look at it without smiling.



O. My. Word.
They kill me.

Have you ever seen a smilier picture?
People talk about "bottling" kids' energy...
but I'd like to bottle some of that happy.

8 Things Beacuse I Can't Think of 10

I know you've all been wondering how I started off the New Year. I am convinced that 2011 is out to get me already.

All my favorite blogs have "lists" going right now. So I fall victim to the peer pressure once more.

1. We made it home from our whirlwind Christmas travels on 1-1-11. I think that's pretty cool, and I tried to think about when it would be 2-2-22, but then I really thought about how old I'd be. So I quit thinking about it.

2. Dan/Daddy has this really nice looking brown corduroy jacket. He always forgets he owns it. When he actually remembers he owns it and wears it, it's usually 70 degrees.
On Sunday, it was 96 degrees INSIDE the chapel with 98% humidity. I looked over at him, wiped the sweat from my upper lip and asked him if he was gonna take that jacket off. He said,
"I remembered to wear it, and I am not taking it off. It's the principle of the whole thing."
And they call me stubborn.

3. I am baffled by the amount of birdseed that the birds in my yard can consume. Where do they put it?

4. While making returns/exchanges this week, I stopped in the parking lot to get something out of the back of my car. I put my receipt down for a second, and a gust of wind blew it away.
I chased it underneath a minivan. Really. It blew ALLTHEWAYUNDER the minivan, and I had to belly crawl to reach it.
Somewhere in Kohl's Executive Offices, someone is watching parking lot security video footage of me. Low-crawling under a minivan. To get a receipt.

5. We packed up Dan/Daddy and shipped him off to school this week. 6 months of Advanced Army Chaplain school. He's only about 2 hours away and we'll see him most weekends, but his truck was loaded down. The man can pack a lot of stuff. I wonder if he took the brown jacket?

6. The boy turns in his Science Fair project today. Praise be to the Lord on High. It was kinda fun and exciting to us all for the first month or so he worked on it. Now we're ALL happy to see it DONE. Lately it felt like it was breathing down our necks. Staring at us from the corner of the room. "Finish me... Finish me..."

7. The boy, at the ripe old age of 11, had visible stress on his face as he finished up that project. Is the ability to stress out inherited or learned? Poor kid doesn't stand a chance either way.

8. All the Christmas decorations are put away. All except the ones on the front porch and lawn. I am thinking about leaving them to see if any of my neighbors say anything.

That's it. That's how the first week of 2011 has gone for us.
(There was an exciting trip or 2 to the cel phone store, but that's thrilling enough for its own post.)

Have a great weekend, friends.

White Day-After Christmas

Christmas came and went... calmly and sweetly. It was great, and I will post pics from all our festivities. We still have MORE celebrating yet to do. (smile)

But we were treated to a "day-after-Christmas" special that I had to show you...
(And it wasn't the great buys at Target... I couldn't get there!)







According to the newsfolk, we got 8.2 inches! Yippee! I'm like a big kid when it comes to snow... Love it. LOVE it. The only thing that would make it better would be missing a day of school.

Most of the day, I sat inside in my PJs and enjoyed it. Having Dan/Daddy home to play in the snow with the boy was great. I've had "play-in-the-snow-duty" the last few times when he was deployed, and it was a nice change to sit inside... dry and warm.

I did venture out to get a few pictures and taste some snow. (Yes, I said taste it. I told you I'm like a big kid.)





The guys made a cute Mexican snowman




... and the biggest honkin' snow fort I've ever seen. I don't know who they thought was coming for war, but it would have more than protected us.







So we are waiting for the "black ice" to melt before we hit the road again. This time to celebrate with my family.
I know... Most of you have already jerked the tree to the curb and hauled the ornaments to the attic. We like to spread out the joy and fun!



Stay warm!

And to All a Good Night

Merry Christmas, friends!

I Found Some Peace

In case you read my last post, I'd like to give you an update on my quest for peace.

I found a tiny bit the other night.

It was late (midnight-ish), and I was putting laundry away. (Do it when you can, folks.)

I went into the boy's room, put his laundry up, and turned around to leave.

And stopped in my tracks because a lump the size of Texas jumped into my throat.

The boy... not so little anymore... was sleeping SO sweetly. His favorite blanket pulled up to his chin, and his tiny Christmas tree was lighting up his face.

(Swallow lump.)

And I just stopped and stared at him. And grinned. And sniffed a little. And resisted the urge to smooch him.
And thanked God for the privilege of raising him.

And found a few seconds of peace in my otherwise nutty day.

I Am Not Called to Firework My Backside

There's a really funny commercial playing on the radio lately. I think it's for Dodge cars/trucks? I really have no idea how the whole commercial goes, but my favorite part says...

"Like strapping a rocket to your backside and fireworking yourself across the Grand Canyon."

I don't know HOW that relates to buying a Dodge, but it makes me laugh. Hard. Every time I hear it.

Because I am there. I have, in the last 5-10 days, seriously considered fireworking myself across the Grand Canyon. It would be a fitting way to deal with the chaos that is going on around me and in my head.
With my luck ,something would go wrong and I'd have 4th degree burns where the sun don't shine.

The past few weeks in our Bible study, we've been talking about peace. We're studying Isaiah, and it has been a challenge, I don't mind telling you.

Peace.

It's simple, but it's not.

But here's what keeps jumping out at me. We are CALLED to peace.
Called to it, people.

It's not just something that we sit by and wait for. Or talk about. Or even just pray for. It's not something to wish for at Christmas. It's relevant. Right here and now.
We are CALLED to it. That's active, folks.

I don't know about you, but peace is the last thing I feel lately. Peace is the last thing anybody seems to be looking for. Especially as we zoom up and down the streets trying to finish the "to-do" list from you-know-where.

I know I can't force other people to be peaceful. I can't make centuries-old wars cease. But I can start with my own peace. I am called to peace in my own mind and heart and attitude. Peace in the way I deal with my family and friends and even strangers.

Strapping a rocket to my backside and fireworking myself across the Grand Canyon seems easier at times.

It Came and Went

My birthday, that is.
It came and went, and I didn't feel any older.

Until 2 days ago when I swear I had a hot flash in the grocery store.
It may have been the turtleneck/hoodie combo I was sporting. It may have been the pace at which I was running through the store.
But I swear it was a hot flash.

Hello Middle Age.
I greeted the big 4-0 last week, and all in all... it was fairly pleasant.

Dan/Daddy and the boy had a fun little birthday weekend planned for me.

I got lots of cards, some sweet presents, lots of Facebook wishes, some folks singing on the phone, and my front porch decorated. My Christmas reindeer... Remember them? Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert? Well when I took the boy to school, Adam was wearing a Disney Princess party hat. It suited him.

Our friends came over for a Mexican Fiesta Birthday Party, and it was a riot of fun.



(I got some Botox for my birthday. Kidding. Totally kidding. That's my sexy-pouty-I'm-not-really-40 look.)

The highlight of the night was listening to Jeanna try out her Spanish accent. Which sounded a lot like her Russian accent. Which sounded a lot like her German accent. Oh what we Senior Citizens will do for a laugh.


While I may not be thrilled to be climbing "over the hill" this year, I am blessed beyond measure. Good health, wonderful family, and an amazing collection of friends... both here and not so here.
(Thanks Jeanna... for providing the camera and pictures. I am still camera-less. Sniff. Sniff.)






PS.... In looking through picture files, I happened to see last year's birthday pictures. Is it just me or is there a trend developing here?



Feliz Navidad.