Our Coymas is over and now it is time to focus on the real reason for the season, Christmas.   Our family party was nice.   I  think we had about 23 people over.  We welcome anyone to our home for this celebration.   If you don't have a place to celebrate you are welcome here.  We had one return guest, a friend of my BIL.  He is in a wheel chair, but able to walk to our steps.   He is a sweet man and seems to enjoy the hustle and bustle of our home.  Also my BIL brought along his girlfriend's son.   What I have learned is to always have a couple of extra gifts like boxes of chocolates or candles so that everyone has gifts to open.  So I am always prepared for the unexpected girlfriend of one of my nephews that I didn't know about, etc.  

Tonight our plans consist of going to church, open presents from each other and having appetizers and hanging out together as a family.   Tomorrow morning Santa will have stopped by and leave presents so we will open those before heading to church.  Christmas dinner this year will be King Crab legs, potatoes, biscuits and veggie.  The boys and I will be making a gingerbread train on Christmas and playing our new family games we received. 

Erik is with his mother for Christmas.  It is her year for Christmas.  She has the week off of work so he is staying there all week so we can all work.  

I have to laugh at Josh.  He has asked everyone for cash for christmas instead of gift cards.  He is opening a ROTH IRA with the Christmas money and the money he received after the death of his grandmother.  I think he said he had to have $1000 to open the account.   He is thinking of his future and sure he will be rich doing this..and he will have a great nest egg starting the IRA so early and continuing to add to it each year.  He is young and has alot of years to contribute to it.  He makes me proud when he does these type of things as I know he is listening to me about money and things.   He did get his grades and he didn't do as well as he had hoped this first semester, but I sort of expected that .  I was the same way, I thought college would be easy like high school was for me.  I had to actually study in college.  LOL!!   He assures me next semester will be much better.  

Not much planned for the week.  We do have to make sure we get in and buy Josh new tires for his car.  Winter has hit and he needs tires.  That is where it comes in handy that he is paying us rent.  He needs tires and we have the money to get them, even though it is his money we have saved it to use on things he needs.  He isn't that great about saving money on his own necessarily for these type of things.  But maybe that is starting to change since he is working hard to open this ROTH IRA.

Good Morning.   Today is what our family calls Coymas.  This is our family Christmas celebration at out house.  I am up early as I need to get groceries to make food for today.   So I will make a list and menu and head out hopefully to beat the crowds.  Then home again to clean up the house.  

I was home yesterday with Tommy since daycare was closed.   We had a pretty good day, though he was a bit crabby.   I took him to the dollar store to buy guft for his family.   It is funny what he picks out for people sometimes.   He was so excited to wrap the gifts and hid them in his room until we have Christmas.   Then we had an appointment with Erik's therapist, which can take up most of our night.  

We came home and Josh was getting read to go to a Christmas party at the friends.   He came running upstairs saying there was a mess in the laundry room.  OH boy was there!!   A new gallon of laundry detergent had fallen off the dryer and broke open.  There was laundry soap everywhere!!  What a mess.  I have is all cleaned up except for under the washer and dryer.  It slowly continues to seep out from under there.  

I was in bed and read until a bit late.  I hope to get stuff done around here and read for the afternoon as well.   I need the relaxing that is for sure!!

Well today I decided I really needed my hair highlighted.  I have never ever done this myself.  I normally pay my lovely hair dresser well over $100 to do it for me.  Money is so tight for us, I decided I would buy a kit at Target, only $6.00.   Ok, I get the cap on and start pulling hair through.  Can anyone do this all themselves??  I sure couldn't.   So what to do?????    There is not way for me to get the back of my hair done by myself.  I call my lovely son up to help me with this.  Josh sure had  fun time with this!   Charlie also had to join in the fun, with pictures and movies.   How crazy am I to have two 18 year old boys dye my hair!!   It was alot of fun and it seems to have turned out ok.   I hate to see where the pics the boys took will be posted to blackmail me!    I better be nice to them as I might want them to help again....Did I say that????   I think I will ask my SIL next time!  Yep...always making memories with my boys...LOL!!

Sorry...don't think I will be sharing pictures with you all.  

Gardenias - Faith Sullivan - 4/5 

I read the first book in this series, Cape Ann and I don't remember liking it.  But I enjoy this one.  I had the book all read and book group was canceled tonight due to weather.  ARGH!!  

Leave it to Claire - Tracey Bateman - 4/5 - I rarely read Christian Fiction as I don't usually enjoy it.  I really liked this book and really could relate the characters and their struggle with forgiveness, etc.  I hope to read the next book.

I think I am pretty much done with Christmas Shopping...I have never been this late in finishing up my shopping.   I do need to pick up a family gift from Santa, but I can't figure out for sure what that should be.   So I will chat some more with hubby.  I finally figured out a gift for hubby, but just now came up with another idea.  ARRGH!!  We set a low amount to spend on each other so it is hard to find something sometimes.  I had $40.00 to spend on him.  

I am back at the hotel and I will be heading up to my room and then will come down to have supper at the Timber Lodge Steak House.  YUMMY!!  THen I am going to curl up in bed and read all night.  YEAH!!!  

Have a great night!!

Hello.....

SUNDAY -  I worked most of the day at the office on Sunday.  I got a lot of little things done and organized at my office.   Sunday night Tommy was complaining of an ear ache...ARGH.  After I came home fro work I clean and got everything set up for my cookie exchange party on Monday.   I was up until almost midnight.  I started cleaning and would find another spot on the wall, etc..and clean, clean, clean.  Yep ...a bit obsessive. 

MONDAY - I ran Tommy to the Dr before I dropped him off at Preschool.  He has fluid behind both drums and the ear drum was retracted in one ear causing the pain.  So we are doing a wait and see.    I dropped him off at school and ran two errands.  I went to Barnes and Noble and bought gift certs for his teachers.  Then I ran to Sam's Club to order our Christmas photo cards.  As long as I was there I picked up a few gifts and some paper products.  Then off to work.  At noon we had our section potluck and then back to work until about 5:00.  Then I raced home and started food for the party and got Tommy ready for his Christmas Program.  We were at church by 6:00 and Tommy looked so handsome in his Christmas outfit.   After the program it was home for the cookie exchange party.  I had 7 friends participate.  This is my 5th year hosting this party.  It is great and get me ready for Christmas.  

After everyone left I packed for my trip tp Duluth.

TUESDAY - I am in Duluth.  I have a few minutes until my meeting so I am using the hotel internet.   I am staying over night tonight and will relax and finish my Christmas Shoppin at my leisure.   I am off and running....got to be at a meeting in 10 mins. 

It is always a great laught to let Tommy loose with the camera.  The pictures he takes, makes you wonder what he is thinking.   So for you enjoy and glimpse into my 4 year olds mind!!

A self portrait......(his arms too short to get the whole face!)

From his collection of Pictures from our Trip to Walt Disney World...

I was reading a blog that I stumbled across and I found this wonderful website.  You can listen to Kiddie Records.  You can listen to them stream.  What fun....I hope they have Peter Pan, I remeber that one from my youth!   http://www.kiddierecords.com/  Check it Out.....What Fun!

Every have one of those days when you are just plain overwhelmed.   I am having one of those and a massive headache.  So I took a nap.  At noon I heard Josh come home from college and he had gone and gotten me my favorite sandwich from Panera.  A very rare treat for me.  He is such a sweet boy!  I love him so much!  What a blessing he is.....

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