Make a Smilebox slideshow

Remember my wrapping paper dilemma?

....problem solved!

Merry Christmas to all...

and to all a good-night!

I can't believe we finally got a white Christmas!

okay, now I'm really excited for Christmas...

I just found my favorite color wrapping paper...

turquoise!!!

Merry Christmas!

(but now, I don't want to wrap gifts, just the thought of it being ripped off presents and thrown away makes me shutter.....

I just want to sit and stare at it!)

Happy Sweet 16...

5 years without....

The grieving process is strange,

so much runs through your head and heart sometimes,

I miss Steve, we all miss Steve, when he was around, he made me a better person,

I think he made us all a little better,

the sun felt warmer when he was around,

it really did,

he was just one of those people,

did I mention that I miss him.... alot,

but, I'm grateful after 5 years my heart doesn't physically feel like it's breaking

and I can actually breathe,

now, I just miss him heart-wrenchingly normal....

5 years seems so long

but, on the other hand it seems like he's been gone for 6 weeks

and its time for him to make that drive back to Texas for a visit,

gosh,

I miss him!

z

Guess who had their first piano recital, and guess who did GREAT!

My "funky" tree is starting to grow on me!

When everything else fails .......blog!

It's a ridiculous hour in the morning,

I'm sick and keep waking myself up with a nasty cough,

and I hate when I can't sleep cuz I'll so pay for it in the morning.....

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So after a week of my Christmas tree beckening me to decorate it,

I finally did....

I came home from work and decided once and for all,

this was it, I'd had it!

So, I threw some decorations on it and it took me a total of about 15 minutes

and I did it totally different than last year,

I've been in a funk with the Christmas decorating stuff

and really struggling to get in the spirit of it all,

do you ever have years like that where some years you go all out

and some years you can't muster

enough gumption?

well, this is my gumption year, I guess!

So, in my funkiness,

I just threw my tree together, all while Kurt went to pick up Caitlyn,

and when he got home he said

"nice tree, I think it's the best one we've ever had"!

Which is ironic considering my precisely placed ornament hanging in all the other years!

(the tree on my blog is NOT my Christmas tree,

mine is actually cuter!)

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My emotion have been running wild as of late,

with Kurt losing his job and all,

there is never a good time to be jobless

but this time of year seems harder....

So, I've encouraged my kids to really earn and save their money

and buy each other gifts this year, they are old enough to do it and I want them to be thinking about giving to others instead of worrying about our situation and what they're going to receive,

plus, isn't it so much more funner

(I know you can't say "funner" in English, but you can in Italian!!! ha!)

to give than to receive....

So, of course, my little Lynzie gets right on that idea,

last night she made everyone a piece of paper and wrote a 'service' that she was going to do for them, sealed them each in an envelope and put every ones under the tree,

then today after work and before trimming the tree, I took her to the dollar store, I stayed up front, she got a shopping card and went to town,

do you know how thrilling it is to a 9 year old little girl to push a cart,

all over the store without her mom saying,

"come on, come over here, we have to go, no, we're not getting that today"..........

So, she picks out presents for everyone in the family, including the dog,

puts all her treasures on the belt at the check-out line, and hands the lady her money,

*I think that was the best gift of all for her!

she walked away with her shoulder back and the cutest twinkle in her eye,

she came home and wrapped all the gifts in cute Christmas shirt boxes,

taped them all up, put names on them,

and now they are all sitting under the "possibly best decorated tree we've ever had!"

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As weird as this jobless thing is, I feel blessed in so may ways,

and grateful, grateful for the things we do have, it could be worse....

Sometimes I'm calm and sometimes I think what is the meaning of all this?

like I said, my emotions have been running wild as of late....

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okay, now it's really even more of a ridiculous hour...I must be a slow typer,

according to my girls, I am! but, I don't necessarily think so...

Maybe I'll be able to sleep now that I've rambled on...and on.....aand onnn...

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