For the first time in a decade, I sang in a Christmas concert again. No solos, thank you very much – I tortured myself and others enough with those in years past. HA! But I did sing with my church choir and loved every minute of it. We had 2 performances last weekend, and now after a break of several days, I’m almost ready to do it all again. ALMOST! It was a thrilling and moving experience, and all the glory and praise goes to GOD.
You would think that my life would be a bit calmer now that the Christmas concerts are over, but the opposite is true. I looked at my calendar this morning and was shocked at the to-dos coming up – choir party, office parties, cookie exchanges, other concerts and programs to attend. YIKES! And somewhere in there, I need to finish my Christmas shopping, write up my Christmas letter and mail out the cards, bake a gazillion cookies and attempt not to over-eat and indulge in sweets every minute.
It’s all good stuff, and I’ll enjoy nearly every minute. BUT I’m trying to reign things in a bit and refocus and center my attention on the “babe in the manger.” HE somehow isn’t the center of my attention amidst the holiday blitz, and yet HE should be. This is CHRIST's season after all, right?
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
What Happened to November?
I can't believe we are in December already. Yes, I know the calendar says this is the 8th, but I am in denial. I haven't blogged about all of November yet...
In mid-November, my parents came to Indiana for a quick weekend. We had a get-together at my brother Steve's home in Peru with lots of the family. And then that Sunday, Jacob was baptized at his church in Kokomo, and a group of us were there to see it as well.
Thanksgiving was amazing this year! I drove my brother Chuck and his 4 kids up to Michigan in their minivan. Chuck had foot surgery a few weeks back, and so his wife (who was unable to go on the trip due to her work schedule) asked if I could drive her family. It worked out well and was quite fun.
Road trips on my own are often pretty quiet. It’s just me, my favorite tunes and some snacks, and I’m good to go. My stops along the way are quick – 5 or 10 minutes tops. I’m in and out of gas stations or drive-thrus and then back on the road again in a flash. But with a family in tow, it was a different adventure. There was never a dull moment.
I got caught up with my brother Chuck and heard all kinds of stories from the kids – Caleb (16), Caitlynne (14), Carianne (12) and Cera (8) on the drive. We had lots of laughs. Honestly, I just enjoyed the “noise.” And I mean “noise” in a good way. I’m on my own a bit too much sometimes. It was great to experience something else for a few days, and the time spent at my parents was anything but quiet with all 4 of my siblings and their families, including 8 of the 9 nieces and nephews. WOWZERS!
Wednesday: After getting to Croswell around 9 PM, I quickly gave a few hugs, dropped off my luggage and headed out with the “boys” to see a late night showing of the latest Harry Potter film. My oldest nephews, Jordan and Caleb, and my brother-in-law Jonathan wanted to see the movie and asked me to join them. We’re all readers and big HP fans, and it was awesome to spend time with them. Sure, it was a bit tough getting up on Thanksgiving morning, but it was worth it.
Thursday: My Mom always outdoes herself with the cooking, and this year was no exception. It was incredible! After our big meal, my Dad and brothers watched and talked football while the rest of the gang spent hours playing games like Clue, Life, Monopoly, Scotland Yard, etc.
Friday: Half of us went out and braved the Black Friday sales. We stopped at several stores and visited the local mall. Great fun! There was a special 30-minute shopping experience in Bath & Body Works, where even Jonathan and Caleb participated in the “smell” adventure, but I’ll let them share that story on their own. HA! Before heading back home, we visited the Lexington General Store and stocked up on unique Christmas ornaments and 2 cent candy. (This store is a one-of-a-kind family favorite!)
We rushed home from our shopping and bundled all of the other kids up for a trip to visit the Croswell manger scene and see the Christmas parade. My nieces and nephews have been posing with the town manager scene figures and animals since they were quite young, and they are used to their photo-blitzing aunt. HA! It was a chilly November night, but we stayed for the whole 15-minute parade and caught lots of candy. It was fun for all of us except Caleb, who remarked that his dreams were crushed after spotting not 1 but 2 Santa Clauses in the parade. Hee hee!
Saturday: We packed up and headed back to our homes in Indiana. It was time to get back to real life again. (sigh!)
OK, now December can officially begin. I'm caught up on November...
P.S. Pictures of November are available here. WOOHOO!!
In mid-November, my parents came to Indiana for a quick weekend. We had a get-together at my brother Steve's home in Peru with lots of the family. And then that Sunday, Jacob was baptized at his church in Kokomo, and a group of us were there to see it as well.
Thanksgiving was amazing this year! I drove my brother Chuck and his 4 kids up to Michigan in their minivan. Chuck had foot surgery a few weeks back, and so his wife (who was unable to go on the trip due to her work schedule) asked if I could drive her family. It worked out well and was quite fun.
Road trips on my own are often pretty quiet. It’s just me, my favorite tunes and some snacks, and I’m good to go. My stops along the way are quick – 5 or 10 minutes tops. I’m in and out of gas stations or drive-thrus and then back on the road again in a flash. But with a family in tow, it was a different adventure. There was never a dull moment.
I got caught up with my brother Chuck and heard all kinds of stories from the kids – Caleb (16), Caitlynne (14), Carianne (12) and Cera (8) on the drive. We had lots of laughs. Honestly, I just enjoyed the “noise.” And I mean “noise” in a good way. I’m on my own a bit too much sometimes. It was great to experience something else for a few days, and the time spent at my parents was anything but quiet with all 4 of my siblings and their families, including 8 of the 9 nieces and nephews. WOWZERS!
Wednesday: After getting to Croswell around 9 PM, I quickly gave a few hugs, dropped off my luggage and headed out with the “boys” to see a late night showing of the latest Harry Potter film. My oldest nephews, Jordan and Caleb, and my brother-in-law Jonathan wanted to see the movie and asked me to join them. We’re all readers and big HP fans, and it was awesome to spend time with them. Sure, it was a bit tough getting up on Thanksgiving morning, but it was worth it.
Thursday: My Mom always outdoes herself with the cooking, and this year was no exception. It was incredible! After our big meal, my Dad and brothers watched and talked football while the rest of the gang spent hours playing games like Clue, Life, Monopoly, Scotland Yard, etc.
Friday: Half of us went out and braved the Black Friday sales. We stopped at several stores and visited the local mall. Great fun! There was a special 30-minute shopping experience in Bath & Body Works, where even Jonathan and Caleb participated in the “smell” adventure, but I’ll let them share that story on their own. HA! Before heading back home, we visited the Lexington General Store and stocked up on unique Christmas ornaments and 2 cent candy. (This store is a one-of-a-kind family favorite!)
We rushed home from our shopping and bundled all of the other kids up for a trip to visit the Croswell manger scene and see the Christmas parade. My nieces and nephews have been posing with the town manager scene figures and animals since they were quite young, and they are used to their photo-blitzing aunt. HA! It was a chilly November night, but we stayed for the whole 15-minute parade and caught lots of candy. It was fun for all of us except Caleb, who remarked that his dreams were crushed after spotting not 1 but 2 Santa Clauses in the parade. Hee hee!
Saturday: We packed up and headed back to our homes in Indiana. It was time to get back to real life again. (sigh!)
OK, now December can officially begin. I'm caught up on November...
P.S. Pictures of November are available here. WOOHOO!!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
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