Merry Christmas!

Our reunion party was a smashing success. We had about 65 people show up and it was awesome. So much laughing and reminiscing.

Yesterday we finished up all the shopping and little errands we needed to get done, and today has been spent in pajamas, wrapping, watching movies, painting shirts to go with the pajama pants I made. In a few minutes we're headed out to see Christmas lights, still in pajamas!

Tomorrow we'll make cookies for Santa, have a family Christmas lunch, and go to church. After church we'll come home and track Santa, eat the leftovers from lunch and watch our very favorite Christmas movie, A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Christmas day will start with my mom and brother here for breakfast and playing with new toys, while the evening sees Mark's family here for dinner.

I'm signing off for a few days minimum to enjoy the time with my family. Merry Christmas to all of you, and many blessings in the New Year!

Parties and Baking and Dancing, Oh My!

Thursday night was the Christmas program(s) for the kids' school. It was sweet and terribly unorganized as always. The kids were really adorable, but the parents? A completely different matter. If you ever wonder why many children seem to have incredibly bad behavior? Look no farther than those who are supposed to be the role models. The most egregious behavior? SB and three other 8th graders were performing a waltz while the younger students were being situated on the risers. This woman comes up right in the center of the aisle where they are dancing and stands there shooting pictures. With no thought of moving. SB and her partner nearly mowed her down before she finally moved with an exasperated sigh. SO RUDE! And I'm sure she got a great shot of her kid taking his or her place on the risers. A really important picture!lol!
It was SB's last Christmas program. A little bittersweet. She waltzed and salsaed and did the 22 step, and was a speaker. But also? She choreographed two hip hop routines. It was some awesome choreography, and even if I hadn't known ahead of time (or read the program) I would have know it was her choreography. Some of the moves were so much her hip hop style. Impressive work for a 13 year old girl. She wants to eventually teach dance, which is awesome, but I hope she goes somewhere where her love of hip hop can really shine.

I spent the day yesterday baking up a storm. I'm going to do a bit more today along with getting the rest of the house ready for the influx of people. At last count, I think we're expecting 45 adults and the children that go along with many of them. The other organizer of the event is handling the main dishes, I just worked on sides and treats. But I had to clean! So there!

Last night we braved the cold and crowds to watch SB dance at Glendale Glitters. It was fun, once we got our hot cocoa and a place to sit to watch her dance. Before that? Way too many people for me. It was sooooo crowded. Not my type of scene. Overpriced trinkets and mobs of people are not my thing. The lights were pretty, but you couldn't really stop moving to see anything because people would run you over. But, we enjoyed watching her dance. My mom and FIL went with us, and the Princess and FE did really well even staying awake since she didn't dance until 9 PM.

I'm off to get the house and myself ready for the big shindig. Have a lovely day!!

Hooray!

Today is my last day of work until the new year, and my last day with my two littlest charges for 3 weeks. It is a much needed break at this point.

The kids have their Christmas program tonight and parties tomorrow, which is a half day, and then no school for 2 weeks.

SB dances at Glendale Glitters on Saturday night. I'm afraid it's going to be mighty cold, but the dressing rooms are heated at least, so SHE won't be cold. And the rest of us can drink hot cocoa!

The rest of the weekend will be spent baking and getting ready for the big reunion on Sunday. I'm ready for it to be over with all ready. I've been stressing over cleaning and such and had this huge realization last night that I probably will not see most of these people again, or at least not for another 20 years, so do I really need to be so worried about what they think? Not so much. It was a huge burden lifted.

Four Little Monkeys!

This is my secret project I finally finished today. SB has wanted a sock monkey for years. I never liked the generic quality of the ones in the store and made my own, but I made one for each kiddo. They were super time consuming, but I think they are cute!

I've Fallen and I can't get up...

I'm in a funk right now. I am just feeling so deeply sad. Christmas is usually my favorite time of the year, but I can't wrap my heart around it this year. It's about all I can do to get out of bed this week, much less do any of the things I really need to get done.

I don't really know what happened. I was happy this weekend watching my girls dance. I think that the reality of the situation with Bubba maybe didn't really hit me until all the commotion from the weekend was over. I really want to enjoy this time with him, but it keeps coming back to me that, if things go according to the current plan, he will not be home next Christmas. And my heart can't bear that thought. Not only might he not be here, but he'll be fighting a war that started when he was 11 years old and hadn't even a thought of joining the military. My heart is just hurting so much right now. I think also, the reality of him leaving in January is so much closer. Christmas is next week and that really has been the benchmark. He's leaving after Christmas. Well. Christmas is almost here. And I don't want it to be. I don't want him to go. With every fiber of my being I want to keep him home with us. And I can't. And it's killing me.

All Tuckered Out

We made it through the weekend, which, although it is a lot of fun, is also completely exhausting. Especially for the girls.

SB was tough to wake this morning and was so tired she was crying as she walked out the door to go to school. It broke my heart. This whole year has been so exhausting for her. Teenagers normally run on a sleep deficit as their bodies change anyway. add to that dance every night and homework and youth group and the last few months of Snow Queen, I think she's extremely ready for Christmas Break.

In some news that I'm still trying to digest, Bubba's unit has been called to go to Iraq. They are due to leave in April. Bubba will still be at AIT (that's the advanced training after Basic) at that point, but it sounds like he will go directly from his training to meet his unit. Bubba just found out on Saturday at his monthly drill and is being very quiet about it right now. I'm just praying that a whole lot changes between now and then and somehow, some way he doesn't have to go. Because I don't know how I would possibly get through that. I'm an emotional wreck in my day to day life. That just might push me right over the edge. I'm praying hard.

Two down, two to go!

We've finished one day of the madness that is Snow Queen. One more to go. We had a wonderful day watching our girls light up the stage yesterday. You can see some photos here!

It's Finally Here!

It is Snow Queen weekend at long last! Both girls dance in all four shows this weekend, so it makes for a long weekend, but we're all so excited! I've been waiting years to see SB dance as a snowflake. I just can't wait. And The Princess' first time in the show as well. I'm bringing tissues!

In other news, my doctor issued a referral for an orthopedic specialist, so I have to wait for them to hear back from the insurance and then make an appointment. I'm sure nothing will happen before the first of the year, but at least there is some hope on the horizon.

I've been sewing my little fingers off all week. I'm not quite done yet, but all I have left is a bunch of hand sewing. I hope to finish this weekend at some point so I can concentrate on baking and cleaning next week. Our big reunion party is next Sunday, so this next week is all about preparing for that!

I'm off to get things together for our big weekend of dance. Have a great weekend!!

Osteoarthritis

My diagnosis is degenerative joint disease, otherwise known as Osteoarthritis. The treatment? At this point, they really only want to send me to a pain management specialist to see if we can get the pain under control. There is nothing really to be done for this disease, other than possible joint replacement.
Just to be clear, the osteoarthritis is present on two vertebrae, so that is an accurate diagnosis, but I don' t think it is what is causing the pain.

My friend, who is an RN, and my husband both think a second opinion is necessary, so I'll be trying to get my Dr. to refer me to a neurologist. I just am having trouble wrapping my head around this diagnosis since the pain came on so suddenly. Something isn't adding up in my head.

I am pretty depressed about this. I wanted it to be something fixable. I don't just want the pain managed. I want it not to be there. I'm not even 40 yet. I just feel like this shouldn't be happening to me...

Pop Goes the Reindeer

Last night Mark was locking up the house and garage and putting the doggies to bed for the night when he heard a loud popping sound from outside and then running footsteps and a car driving away. He ran out the front door and saw that someone had popped our reindeer blowup. Needless to say, he was beyond angry.

Mark spends an entire two days getting the outside of our house ready for Christmas and now, twice in the same week, someone has stolen/destroyed part of our display.

Mark stood inside the gate of the courtyard for a while just watching outside. A few minutes passed and a car drove up with its' lights off and a kid jumped out with a camera. Mark bolted out of the gate and the kid stammered that he wanted to take some pictures for a "school project" (at 11PM mind you). The kid then proceeded to stand about two feet off the sidewalk and take one picture. With his flash.

Now, when we take photos of our lights, in order to get the entire yard in the photo, we have to stand across the street and zoom as far out as our camera will allow. and, if you're taking photos of Christmas lights, you wouldn't typically use a flash. The entire thing seemed quite fishy. Like he was the vandal coming back to take a picture of his work. Mark got the license plate number off of the car while he was standing there.

We decided just to call the non emergency number of our local police department, thinking they wouldn't really do anything, but we had a license plate number, so why not call. We did and they sent an officer TO OUR HOUSE! The officer was there within 15 minutes!lol! Slow night in the suburbs I guess! The officer took the information and said that they were going to run the plates and go to the house and talk to the parents and kid about what he was doing out taking pictures. Now, maybe the kid really was taking pictures for a school project, but my guess is not. And my guess is he also knows what happened to Baby Jesus. And that the police showing up and waking his parents at 11 PM is hopefully going to scare him enough that he stops vandalizing property. Because we can't be the only ones he is doing this to.

And it's so hard to understand why someone wants to destroy the property of others. So, while we feel kind of foolish that the police came out, if we saved just one Baby Jesus or reindeer from the same tragic fate, it was worth it!

A Meme!

Saw this at Karin's. (Bold what you have done. I also italicized what I’d still like to do.)


1. Started my own blog (2005)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I sing)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (cake decorating!)
15. Adopted a child (Do dogs count?)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (I have, however, slid into second base! As an adult even!)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40.Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (I don't remember it though)
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (One that Mark made when we were in high school!)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (I am going to in 2012!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (a poem was published in one)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (I had lunch with Sarah Jessica Parker at a Youth Government event in high school)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (or 4)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

Can You Hear the Crickets??

I love my doctor. I really do. He is thorough and quick and checks for things you couldn't even imagine might be wrong with you. He diagnosed my thyroid issue when i went to see him about a mole on my shoulder and won my affection forever. My husband now sees him as well as my BFF. I don't think they love him as much as I do, but he serves his purpose.

His nurses on the other hand? I swear you can hear the air going in one side of their heads and out the other. His latest nurse called today to tell me that my hip xray came back normal. I waited a moment to hear the results of the back xray. She asks me if I'm in pain. Yes, 6 months of pain now. and then i finally ask about the back xray. Which she knows nothing about and has no report on and she'll call me back. That was, of course, 4 hours ago and I've heard nothing. and my guess is I won't until I call and leave several messages bagging her to call me back. UGH!

A Special Place in Hell

Someone took our Baby Jesus from the Nativity in our yard. Can you believe it? I mean, even if you WERE ever going to steal something, would you steal Baby Jesus??? I surely wouldn't want to have to answer for that!

Finally!

Congratulations Arizona Wildcats! Way to beat that other school that shall not be named!

6 months and counting

So my back still hurts (well, really mostly my leg and hip but it's back related). It's been over 6 months now that every day I've been in pain. Some days severe, some not as bad. I went back to the Dr. on Wednesday and he gave me some meds and also a referral for some xrays, which I had done today. Hopefully we'll get some news sometime next week. If it is what they think it probably is, we're going to have to talk about surgery. I'm really not wanting to go down that path. I've never known anyone who had a back surgery that was okay afterwards. And that really scares me.

In other news, in the last two weeks, two people I know have had their houses broken into while they were away during the day. Yesterday was one of SB's good friends who lives right down the street from the school. Her mom is a teacher at our school and the daughter went home with her sister after school (without the mom) and found the mess. They took major stuff from this house. Computers, ipods, complete jewelry boxes. So scary!

In happier news...we're getting our tree tomorrow! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

House of 10,000 Lights!

It's hard to get a great picture, but you get the idea. Mark built the stable for the Nativity this year, and there's actually hay in there (Thanks Susan!). The black space on the roof is where the solar panel blocks the lights, we didn't just miss it!lol!