The End of Best Laid Plans

Remember that adjustor? Well by Friday the 12th, he had still not showed up at the repair shop, so the parts had been ordered but no work could be done. Therefore Debbie and Mike continued on to Colorado while Laura and the kids came back to Texas on Saturday and waited for the car to be repaired.

I know she was ready to get home and see her husband and continue to prepare for Christmas but we really made the best of difficult circumstances. We watched fun Christmas movies together, made the weekly trip to Wal*mart together with 3 kids 5 and under, made sugar cookies with all 4 kids, and had plenty of laughs together. We have both been wanting time together with our kids and the Lord made a way to provide it to us. It just wasn't in the pretty package we would have planned. It is funny how because of the unusual change of plans, we were blessed with more time together. Now I did not get my Christmas cards done or a lot of my Christmas shopping that still needs completing. Those things can take a back seat to time with my sister and her 2 babies.

But now it was Thursday and the car was ready. Jake, Laura's husband, was flying in to meet her so they could make the long drive together. But don't get too haisty, the story doesn't end yet. It couldn't be that simple.

Adventures in Cross Country Travel

As I said earlier...the accident happened after they had driven 14 hours through the night (much easier to do with a 2 and 4 year old) and were waiting to turn into my driveway when the street sweeper quickly went in reverse and backed into them. Needless to say, this put a damper on the arrival. The front of the car was damaged as well as the radiator. The driver of the sweeper admitted fault at the scene but the insurance company (after 2 days) said they would only pay 75% of the damages. Laura had to get her insurance involved to get the ball rolling so an adjustor would even be scheduled. I called a friend in town to get the car picked up but he could not begin the work until the adjustor showed up. We spent a couple of days together having fun with the kids. We all opened our gifts to each other and had fun laughing and spending time together. Laura, Debbie, Mike and the kids finally recieved their rental car on Wednesday and continued East on their trip. They were going to plan on heading back to my house in a caravan, since Debbie and Mike were renting a U-Haul to pick up the remainder of their possessions back east to carry back to their new home in Colorado, on Saturday the 13th and leave to head back to Denver on Sunday evening...that was the plan before the street sweeper entered the story...to be continued.

The Expedition Was Run Over By a Street Sweeper...

Pulling into Amy's Driveway for a Christmas Visit! (This should be sang to the "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer" tune) This is how the visit with my sisters began. This is such a long story I will post over several days. We have made the best of a bad set of circumstances and the saga continues. I'm telling you, I should write a screenplay about this adventure.

MY SISTERS ARE ON THEIR WAY!!!!!!!

My big sisters Debbie (along with her husband Mike)and Laura (with her babies Josh and Brooke) are driving in today on their way to see the rest of our family back East. They will be here for one day then continue with their trip. This weekend they will be back again for a couple of days before they head back to Colorado. When they come back on Saturday, our friend (who you may as well call a sister too!) will drive in with her two girls. We will have a HOUSE FULL and I LOVE IT!

I am worse than the kids. I stayed up until 5:00am wrapping presents because I was too excited to sleep. Now that is crazy! I am a grown woman who should have more self control than that. oh well, who wants to sleep when there is fun to be had. I can sleep after they leave.

I'll post pictures of all of our craziness later. For now I'm off to work.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

and I am ready! We put up our Christmas tree while Nanny and Poppy were visiting. I just love getting out the boys ornaments and unwrapping the memories each year. They love to hear me tell them the special memory that goes along with each ornament. I took the boys last night to purchase their ornament for this year. Andrew picked a Walle ornament since that has been this year's obsession for him. Mason picked out a cordless drill ornament. I thought that was very fitting considering what he has been doing this year with his daddy at the "Yucky House". I just love the thought they now put into their ornament selection. It is so cute to see them trying to decide on one when there are so many fun things to choose from.

After our ornament shopping we decided to go to Chili's for a quick dinner before we had to be home for basketball practice. I was just reveling in the moment and loving our jump into the Christmas season. I was ready to bask in the joy, laughter, peace on earth...when the boys started arguing over who was hungriest. WHAT! Who would even argue about such a ridiculous thing? Brothers that have officially found their competitive spirit and now wield it in every area of our lives, that's who! Don't get me wrong, I love competition...just not over EVERYTHING! I pray that Mark and I can help the boys channel this competitive drive to constructive areas of their lives. I definitely need to pray for guidance in this area since Mark and I are both very competitive individuals. Oh the stories I could tell...like the Monopoly game that was thrown into the trash one Christmas eve night long ago. I bet Santa did not know what to think of the Monopoly money blowing out of the trash can outside our home as he flew over. Thank goodness we had no children yet. Santa may have thought they were being naughty. Neither one of us like to loose, especially not to each other. We have come a long way since those days. Let's just say we don't tempt our pride...we still don't play Monopoly.;-) Now let's see if we can teach the boys to be good sports...even with each other...even when they are hungry or playing Monopoly.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL DAY TO REMEMBER HOW BLESSED WE ALL ARE AND TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE BIG AND THE SMALL THINGS IN OUR LIVES THAT MAKE THEM SO FULL. I PLAN TO:
1. CUDDLE UP WITH THE BOYS ON THE COUCH AND WATCH THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE IN MY PAJAMAS
2. EAT MORE THAN I SHOULD
3. LAUGH A LOT WITH MY SWEET IN-LAWS WHILE THEY VISIT
4. WORK AT THE "YUCKY HOUSE" FOR A WHILE
5. EAT A LITTLE MORE
6. PUT UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND GET SAPPY AS I UNWRAP EACH OF THE BOYS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS AND REMEMBER EACH YEAR.
7. WATCH CHRISTMAS VACATION, LAUGH SOME MORE, AND MISS MY CRAZY FAMILY AND ANTICIPATE MY TRIP TO VISIT THEM IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

ALL THE WHILE I WILL BE GIVING THANKS FOR THE BOUNTIFUL LOVE GOD GIVES ME EVERY DAY. MOST OF ALL I AM THANKFUL FOR HIM AND HIS UNCONDITIONAL, ENDLESS LOVE FOR ME AND YOU.

Fun quiz...only I sure can't sing like her.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Doris!

You are a Doris -- "I must help others."

Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.
• * Share fun times with me.
• * Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.
• * Let me know that I am important and special to you.
• * Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

• * Reassure me that I am interesting to you.
• * Reassure me often that you love me.
• * Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Doris

• * being able to relate easily to people and to make friends
• * knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better
• * being generous, caring, and warm
• * being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings
• * being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Doris

• * not being able to say no
• * having low self-esteem
• * feeling drained from overdoing for others
• * not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish
• * criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should
• * being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them
• * working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Dorises as Children Often

• * are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism
• * try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding
• * are outwardly compliant
• * are popular or try to be popular with other children
• * act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention
• * are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Dorises), or quiet and shy (the more introverted Dorises)

Dorises as Parents

• * are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)
• * are often playful with their children
• * wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"
• * can become fiercely protective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz

Is it really November?

You will not believe what I ate yesterday...vine ripened tomatoes from my backyard! UNBELIEVABLE. I planted a patio tomato in a large pot by my patio this spring. It fizzled out when the weather was really hot but bounced back and started blooming again in October. I think we will pick the last few today but boy has it been a treat!

Tonight was just a fun Monday night at our house. The boys and I played Christmas music while we prepared dinner. We had to preview our selections for this Christmas season...OK, I love Christmas music and usually can't wait for the season to begin.

Before we sat down to dinner, Mason changed the CD to his music. He likes hip hop music but after turning off numerous songs on the radio because of "ugly talk" we had to find an alternative. We found DC Talk at the local christian bookstore and decided it was a good alternative. It has a sound he likes and a message we approve of...so we are all happy. Andrew was "break dancing" on the kitchen floor as I served the taco salad. I think this is a taste of the future in our house. I have to admit I love the energy these boys keep in our home. Even on days I think I am tired in the evening, this kind of fun gives me my second wind.

Our friends Kim and Paul are in China as we speak preparing to bring their daughter Vivi Jo home to the rest of her family. You can follow there journey by clicking HERE . Vivi is a cutie pie, of course, and we are all smitten with her. Please pray for her transition and leave the family some encouraging comments as they journey home!