Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Joyeaux Noel!

I don't think it matters what language you speak, to a child, Christmas is special. The magic it brings for me is very special too. It doesn't have to do with any gifts that I give my children, but with the gift that God gave the world so long ago, Jesus Christ. I'd like to take this time to thank God for this wonderful gift. I greatly appreciate it.

When I was little I was Mary in a church Christmas play. I remember being very scared. We had a wagon that someone had cut a donkey out of cardboard and painted, and then attached to the wagon. With a box and a sheepskin over the side, and the metal handled wrapped in rope, it looked really cute, as I was pulled across the stage. I also remember having to recite this verse at one time, and it has always stuck with me:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

A few of the Christmas traditions that I celebrate, due to my love of family, heritage and just plan loving traditions. I have begun saving the tree from the previous year to burn on Christmas Day. My very own Yule log! I also like to make my Grandmother's Cinnamon roll/bread recipe. For some reason no one appreciates and likes it like I did as kid. This year, I just halved the recipe, because no one wants to eat it, they would rather have the cinnamon rolls in a can! The ingrates!

Normally, my family (sisters and brother) get together on Christmas Eve. This year is the first time in 20 years or so that we didn't. We will be getting together tonight, Christmas Night because my youngest sister Ashley is arriving in town early this morning at the airport.

After breakfast, we will open our gifts to each other, the girls are playing with their gifts from Santa. He went kind of crazy this year. It looks like I need to send him an email and ask him to tone it down next year.

Have a Merry Christmas! More news later......

Christmas at Ann's was fast and furious. Everyone seemed tired, and we bugged out around 9 p.m. The food was good, Ann had a really great dish made with those canned croissants, taco meat and cheese, then baked. They were so good! I ate three.

Hannah played the Wii and hit herself in the face while playing the boxing game. It looked like fun.

The gifts I received are listed here (so I won't forget to mail thank you cards):

Beautiful Perfume gift set (Rodney and kids)
Hand weights for arthritis (R and kids)
Candles - 5 (R and Kids)
Three books - (R and Kids)
Stargate DVD - Season one (R and kids)
Sapphire earrings (ditto)
Pressure canner (mom and Randy)
canning supply set (mom and Randy)
2 pictures (mom and Randy)
Shirley Temple DVD, The Little Princess (mom and Randy)
1 gift card (gift card exchange)

I don't know how long we will continue to get together, unless my mom is here, because well, I felt a certain lack of feeling behind this year's "festivities". Only time will tell.

Christmas Eve

A short comment on last night's Christmas party. It was a lot of fun for me, and I am glad everyone stopped by. I was worried I wouldn't have enough food, but as usual, I over did things, and have several desserts left, though the large Dutch oven of Southwest Soup I made was GONE! I was so shocked, as well as, pleased that everyone liked it.

Today was a busy day. We had finished all of our shopping along time ago, so today we got up early, had breakfast in front of the wood stove, then packed up the vehicles with the lawnmower, weedeater, generator, gas, food, water, gun, ammo and headed to the land. Rodney wanted to try and get the well pump started, and I wanted to take a water sample to have tested. It didn't work out, while the pump had a 220 cord, apparently it pulls more amps and kept kicking the circuit breaker off on the generator.

I am just going to call and get the power turned on out there, so we can test the water, and be able to have somewhere to plug in power tools to get started on the house.

I arrived earlier than Rodney at the land, and set up "camp". I pulled out my little camp stove, and warmed water for tea. The girls thought that was worth giggling over. They played with sticks, pretending they were horses, and riding them through make believe drive throughs at DQ and Burger King.

We all went and set up the targets to shoot my new Golden Boy .22 LR. The gun holds 15 shots. Rodney shot all 15 in the center, I shot 11 on the target, Lauren got 1, Taylor and Hannah got zero.

We then headed for home around 4 p.m., after spending all day out there. We rushed into town to drop off Candi's present she had ordered for Brian and that I was holding for her. The church also had a small gift for each family, and the kids in the congregation. Brian had been sick, so they missed church yesterday, and my Christmas party last night. I dropped that off too.

We then headed for Home Depot for PVC pipe (which closed at 5 p.m.) so we headed for Lowe's (they closed at 6 p.m.). We stopped for dinner at Taco Bell, and the made it home before dark.

Cranked up the wood stove as it was getting really cold. I had the kids take showers and get their PJs on, while I mixed up sugar cookie dough. When everyone was ready we cut out and decorated sugar cookies, drank hot cocoa, and watched the Santa Clause on tv. Blake and a neighbor stopped by to say hi. Sent them off with a small gift for each of their kids (a book and a coloring book).

I mixed up dough for cinnamon rolls for the morning. I just need to wait for them to rise, and then I can roll out, and have ready for the morning to pop in the oven.

Waiting for the kids to go to bed in 10 minutes, so I can get their gifts out.

I am very tired. Who knew that walking up and down 10 acres of "prairie" would be so tiring? I also have a bad sunburn! On December 24th no less! It was in the mid 70's today, and the sun was shining bright. I just didn't think to take sunscreen this close to Christmas. Now I am paying for it. My face is bright red, and my lips hurt. LOL!

Well, I am off to check the NORAD tracker to see how close Santa is, I want to get to bed before he gets here...don't really want to handle the conversation on how naughty I have been this year....yikes!