Officially a Fuddy Duddy

New Year's Eve 2007, I ran in this awesome 5K. My wonderful friend Amy (who is Super Runner/Fellow Crazy Cat Lady) ran with me. It was freezing cold and pitch black except for the Christmas light display that is fairly well-known in this area. There were about 800 people all running, in the dark, with very little light. Seriously. You could hardly see a person two feet in front of you. Can you see the potential for disaster? Fortunately, although it slowed our pace, Amy and I made it through without crashing into anyone. It was lots of fun and started out my year on a nice healthy note.

New Year's Eve 2008, will be spent in my jammies in bed watching a movie with my sweetie hubbers while I scarf down Totino's pizza rolls and drink ginger ale (not a fan of champagne). I'm thinking it's perhaps not quite as healthy a start to the new year. But, anyway, whoo-hoo! Living it up in our home tonight! Honestly, with the state of our lives these days, this suits me just fine. There will be plenty of years for being more festive and party-like.

Looking forward to the fresh start a new year brings. It's almost like the first day of school with a new pack of crayons. Looking forward to seeing where job changes happen over the next few months. Maybe even thinking about a few New Year's resolutions, although, that's typically against my policy. Stay posted.

The Life We Lead

Isn't that little lady the cutest thing you've ever seen? Don't you just want to snuggle her up in one hand with a fist full of peanuts for her in the other? Don't you want to admire how her full, bushy tail curls around her back to shade her head? Don't you wish you had her frolicking around the lawn at your home?

-OR-

Does looking at her remind you of how she just moved into the increasing, fist-sized hole in your wooden siding at the third floor level and how she decided that might make a good home for the winter? And how if that hole doesn't meet her exact specifications that there is another increasing, fist-sized hole three floors up on the other side of the house? And how you paid big bucks last year to have multiple holes repaired? And how that brat of a squirrel residing in your home last year ate through the drywall such that if you lightly poke your dining room wallpaper, you'll go right through it?

So, officer, when you come to arrest my husband for using the shotgun to "vacate" the little rat, please keep in mind that WE CAN'T PAY TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM SOLVED ANY OTHER WAY RIGHT NOW.

Jingle All The Way

We may be living lean this Christmas season.

And we may have a house overrun by vermin and not Christmas decorations.

And we may not have all the home-baked Christmas goodies we usually do.

AND, we may not have any presents under the tree (yet).

But doggone it, we sure can dance (click link)!

Santa In Da House

Relaxing evening: popcorn and lemonade,

santa hat (he's been wanting to wear it all the time lately),

and "Mickey's Christmas Carol."

Weighing the Options

Not So Good:

• husband out of work with a salary of 2.5 days a week to carry us
• waiting, waiting, waiting for job news
• mortgage, utilities, groceries, etc. are not able to paid with just showing a bit of my hot legs
• having trouble eating due to lack of stress
• more picking up/straightening the house with the hubbers at home full-time
• receiving a few emails meant to encourage, but were actually fairly frightening
• not being able to go back to sleep when I wake up at 5:15 am
• times of stress and fear

Pretty Good:

• we have 2.5 days a week of salary to carry us
• knowing there is potential for rehire for Alan at the beginning of the new year
• my legs ARE pretty hot - I mean, this is totally stating the obvious, right? :)
• having trouble eating due to lack of stress (my work pants are fitting better)
• HAVING MY HUBBERS HOME FULL-TIME!
• receiving abundant emails and calls and prayers and love and encouragement from so many wonderful, supportive friends and family
• Finding out that Matthew is also up at the 5 o'clock hour (???) and getting some extra cuddle time with him
• times of growing faith and joy in the eternal, constant goodness of God

Who Knew Santa Was a Southerner?

Well. We haven't quite recovered from the shock of last week, although in some ways, as the news sinks in, it's getting a bit easier to take. A bit. We're trying and praying, though. Anyway, we had this Santa Train date with my dad planned over a month ago, and it was the perfect distraction for Alan and me and - as always - loads of fun for the boys.

The Santa train was at the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC. We usually go there several times a year. I think this year we just hit it at Easter Bunny and Santa time. But both were fun trips. Santa rolled up to the train station in this old fire engine. First of all, what a shock to find out that Santa is so cavalier that he would ride standing up in this vehicle. Secondly, Santa has some kind of strong southern accent. Seriously. I just figured that Santa was a Yankee. It's the NORTH Pole, after all.
We made some bead wreath ornaments in the roundhouse. I didn't think the boys would be too into this part, but they actually did really like it. They have a little tree upstairs (oh! have I paired down the decorating this year!), so they immediately put their ornaments (excuse me, "orDaments") on when we got home.

This train so reminds me of the "Polar Express." It's amazing just how big these engines are.

And here's Southern Santa! He was about the jolliest Santa I have ever seen. When Michael told him that he wanted dinosaurs for Christmas, Santa told Michael to count on it! Matthew was actually kind of shy and was hesitant to talk to Santa. So, hopefully Santa will just know what to bring him.

Here we are heading down the track. Michael and I snuggled up and Matthew sat between his daddy and his Gampy. Actually, he sat on Gampy's lap most of the way. Which, you must know, Gampy just hated. Poor Gampy. He's so willing to sacrifice for his grandsons that way. I look about four feet thick, don't I? Don't think it's stress eating...just a t-shirt and a fleece and a jacket and extra tissues and an orange and the little horses Michael bought and the compass that Matthew bought (both with their own saved up money). And probably some other stuff I've forgotten. I'll post a picture of me in my bikini next time to assure you of my svelte-osity. HA!

Thanks, Dad, for a great day. Little boys were worn out and grown-ups had a good time. Thanks for spoiling us. Yet again.

Not the Path I Thought I'd Be Walking...

Yesterday when I came home from work, Alan was already home. This happens on occasion, but is fairly unusual. I was excited because I thought it would make our evening - going to Michael's preschool Christmas program - easier to coordinate. I love it when he comes home early. So, when I walk into the living room, sweet Alan proceeds to tell me he was laid off along with three other people in his department. We've been through two job losses for him before. I was hoping that would be it. Evidently not.

How would I handle this if I wasn't a believer in the sovereignty, grace, and faithfulness of God? Really - what hope would we have?? It's still hard...thinking of bills to come to balance on a two-and-a-half day a week salary. And struggling with some depression like I do - especially seasonally - this is not the best time for me, anyway. But oh my. I am completely overwhelmed with the support through emails, phone calls, financial offers...calls from COMPLETE STRANGERS that is all to encourage us. It's absolutely as overwhelming to receive all this support as it is to go through this situation in the first place. God is so, so faithful to bathe us in His love through the efforts of friends and family around us. I truly do have complete faith that He will see us through and that this will be a time of tremendous growth spiritually. Would I choose this situation for us? No. Will I try to see how God is going to use this for His glory? Absolutely.

Thought: do not listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's CD with the following scripture, though, unless you want to be a big crybaby driving down the highway. Thank goodness big sunglasses are hip right now.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Oh Dear...There Goes My Parent of the Year Award

Matthew is working on some homework at the moment. He has six Christmas trees on a worksheet and on the trunk of each tree is a number. He has to draw that number of ornaments on the tree. He also needs to color the trees green. I just went to check out his trees and reminded him that I would like to see the green crayon stay inside the lines. And that I think he should probably "check" the white spaces he has left in each colored tree.

To which he replied (with tears and a huge sigh): "This is the worst day ever! And it's all because of you!!!"

Where does he get that proclivity for the dramatic?

Guess Who's Back...

...and busy making a brand new hole in our house? Right outside Michael's bedroom...

Future Carpenters of America

Today was Home Depot Day! The first Saturday of the month, HD offers a free wood craft workshop. They provide the materials and an apron (which the kids get to keep). You provide the kid and labor. The boys have made an airplane, a fire engine, and flowers for mom in the past. My dad and Alan always go with the boys. Today was my first time.

Here we all are with the finished products! They made art easels today. Or, as Michael informed me: "shields". After our HD visit, we also went to a model train show that was open to the public. As I have mentioned before, my dad is a huge train aficianado, and the boys always enjoy train events with their Gampy.

Inspirational Reading

Alan is very active in the Men's Ministry at our church. He has a passion (I hesitate to use that word in this post) to encourage men's relationships with Christ. For several years, he has lead a mens' discipleship group and has served as a part of the men's leadership. He has frequently ordered Christian books relating to men's ministry during the past few years from several different sources, one of which being the Christian Businessmen's Committee.

And so, he was on the list to receive this free book that came in the mail this week. It's really about accounts of "God's love and miraculous power at work in the lives of men associated with the Christian Businessmen's Committee International." It was originally printed in 1962, and is meant, I suppose, to demonstrate how this organization has been used to strengthen mens' relationships with Christ. I'm not actually sure Al's really going to read this.

But, oh my word, every time I see the cover, the title TOTALLY cracks me up. Am I being too irreverant?? I'm afraid my hubbers thinks I am a bit, but he did admit that "it is an unfortunate name."

Still Sitting With My Mouth Hanging Open

One of my students had a green envelope waiting for me in his speech folder this morning.

With this inside.

"Merry Christmas", the card said.

Ummm. Yes. If I can recover from the shock.