{Christmas tidings}

I have been remiss in writing for a while. Last week, we went down to Farmington, New Mexico for my brother's wedding. It was beautiful. I had a great time meeting up with all my friends I grew up with. Bruce and Marissa are now happily married and missing the snow by honeymooning in Florida. Jon brought me back home for my surgery on Tuesday. The rest of the family got here Christmas Eve night. I now have all my wisdom teeth out, lots of stitches, and 2 little kids begging me for the ice cream I'm eating.

And yet, despite my chipmunk cheeks, numb lips, and inability to eat any yummy Christmas delectables, I am happy. I love my cozy home, children's laughter, making Chex mix (although I can't taste it), having all my family here (except the newlyweds), and holding an ice pack to my face while I play games with the fam... We also experienced a miracle. When we were given the estimate for this emergency surgery, it was $530 we had to pay up front right before Christmas. Monday we received a check from someone for $500. Unbelievable, except that our God is amazing.

On a side note, for 3 years, I've been joking about our Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and the fact that I wish for a beautiful tall one. Tonight, on Christmas Eve, when Jon and I went to the grocery store to get last minute food stuffs, there was a big "free" sign on all the leftover trees. We looked at each other like "What in the world?" So we brought the 10-foot tree home and put it in our other living room. How elated the kids were when they got to decorate it with candy canes. I hope all of you out there have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas...

{or what do you say to this?}

I was doing Katie's hair Sunday and she wasn't too thrilled. Trying to explain, I coaxed, "But you're my little girl, and I want to make your hair pretty..." (something she could care less about-I know)
She looked at me with consternation, "I'n not your dirl. I'n your yadybud. And yadybuds don't have hair!"

Later that day, she asked me for some milk and took that opportunity to drop my cell phone in my own cup when I got up from the table. Little stinker! I came back, took a sip, and the phone hit me in the lip. It's totally destroyed. Been through cream-of-wheat swimming, toilet dunking, couch hiding (for 3 months), dizzy spells in the kitchenaid mixer and bread machine, and multiple dropping. Just couldn't live through a milk drowning. I think she's going to be a fiasco/genius in chemistry lab someday.