A Dramatic Start to December

Oh my goodness - as I write this, it is Sunday night and I don't know about you all, but I am tired of this rain! So far this December the weather here in MS has either been way too warm (82!!!) or when it finally gets cooler, it starts to pour rain. I mean - is cold weather - just COLD weather too much to ask? It's only December 8th, so I guess there is still plenty of time for the weather to be a little more appropriate, right?

My wreath - hanging on it's new, absolutely delightful wreath hanger!

Monday of this week seems like such a complete blur. I think that day passed in a haze of sleeplessness as I drove/rode with "strangers" and finally was able to take a nap at my own house, much later than I planned to! It was certainly one way of starting off the month of December and it's not a way I'd want to repeat; ever! Santa is bringing me a shiny new vehicle for Christmas this year and I'll be more than happy to make the 12-13 hour drive to see my parents before I step on a plane again! Granted, I'd love for someone to go ahead and buy my house so I wouldn't have to make the drive at all! Patience is a virtue I'm struggling with in this particular area.

So true - I think I feel this way almost every day.

The next few pictures - well, you can go ahead and say I'm rotten or spoiled - I don't really mind. You see, when my sister moved hundreds of miles away to Colorado my parents started a tradition of sending her a box filled with small gifts and she opened one a day until the day she came home for Christmas. When my parents up and moved hundreds of miles away from me, then I got dealt into the game! My gifts started on Monday, December 2nd and will go through December 20th because my family will arrive here in MS for Christmas on the 21st! So, I've been opening a small gift a day; I save mine until after work so that I always have something to look forward to! And some of the gifts aren't even for me - some of them are for Watson!

Day 2 - the start of a yearly collection of ornaments. September is Sally!

Day 3 - for Watson, a bag of Busy Bones!

Day 4 - a cross hanging with a quote about family!

Day 5 - The second in ornament collection; Linus is October!

Day 6 - Peppermint Bark! So delicious!

The week somehow seemed to pass so slowly this week! Which is ironic since this time of year, my workdays go by so fast that I feel like I can't catch my breathe once I arrive at work. I think with the week starting off as crazy as it did, the whole week somehow seemed off kilter! I just know I was so happy to see Friday at 5 o'clock come because I just wanted to go home and do nothing - which is what I did on Friday night! I caught up on all my TV shows that I'd recorded on Thursday night; I was too busy on Thursday night watching The Sound of Music - Live! to watch my normal shows. It was excellent, by the way. I've read so many negative comments about it online but I enjoyed every minute of it and thought it was really incredible for a live performance! 

I spent my Saturday morning alternating between being lazy on the couch watching Christmas things, being lazy on the couch reading or being useful and doing some housework. I went out to eat Saturday night with a friend and since it was absolutely chilly outside, I got to wear my awesome new boots and was pretty darn excited about that! Sometimes it's the little things people - the little things.

A Saturday afternoon movie - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; I'm pretty sure this is Lindsey's favorite scene!

The many colors of my Snoopy snow globe during the day on Saturday...

My boots are awesome - aren't they? Yes - the answer is yes.

My new sweater and my blinging "Emerald" necklace are also awesome. 

This morning, one of my friends from high school brought her new baby girl to church for the first time and so, I was in absolute heaven! I loved and cuddled that sweet tiny baby for over an hour. Sometimes my job as the church nursery coordinator stresses me out - but I find it's normally the adult aspect of the job that stresses me out, never the kids! The kids are what makes the job so wonderful and my Sundays are always made all the better by the funny things they say, the sweet things they do (and sometimes even the funny but not so sweet things they do/say) and their precious smiles. There is something so heart-warming about holding a sweet new baby or having a normally wild toddler climb into your lap and snuggle and I wouldn't trade those moments for anything; I love the time I get to spend with "my" babies.

Precious girl - only our first meeting and I'm already in love! Such a sweetheart!

The girls - so sweet and precious each in their own way and both so absolutely adorable!

My new owl tote from Thirty-One...and it was only $8! I love it and I'm already putting it to good use!

Also - as mentioned, it poured all day today. So soup, a warm blanket, toasty socks and a good nap on the couch were about all the business I had time for this afternoon! Watson took a nap too, since he is thoroughly spoiled and trained to behave very much like his Momma on Sunday afternoons! I did manage to wrap a couple Christmas presents though!

A big bowl of soup is really the only remedy for a wet, chilly day!

Day 7 - this awesome book!

*sigh* I love my Christmas tree! 

That's all for now folks - I think I'm about to pile up in the middle of my toasty warm bed, read a good book and get some sleep. Because what else could be better on a rainy night than a good toasty bed and catching some Zzzz's?