The Days

My days have been pretty stressful lately, and I don't sleep very well. The second I wake up in the night, my mind is racing about situations that I don't think are healthy. One day, when things are more stable, I may be able to blog about some of it; but for now, I just spend my days half doing the task at hand and the other half praying and problem solving. My mom has always made me feel better by stating that intelligent people are harder on themselves, because they think about all the options and angles before making decisions. Believe me, I have created more angles than mathematicians know exist at this point.

Sometimes, the ability to laugh is the greatest gift. Way back, when Alei was new on Facebook, I posted on her wall the saying, "Alei, just be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn, then be a unicorn." The people at work asked her what that was supposed to mean. (If loses it's humor if you have to explain it.) One time, Alei bought me a mug that had that same saying on it.

Since then, there have been many unicorn gifts exchanged between us. I originally really hated unicorns since my first room-mate in college arrived with her porcelain unicorn collection. In time, they have grown on me... a bit. This Christmas was a banner unicorn year - Alei bought me these super classy, rainbow unicorn slippers that I will wear with pride. And, I found her that unicorn sweat-shirt in her favorite light teal color.

I hope that supplies a bit of humor to your day, but in case it doesn't, let me leave you with a conversation I had earlier today at the library with my "chief arguer" child. We walked in and while everyone else went to collect books, he (there is a clue) sat down at a computer. I told him to go find books, we didn't come to use the computer. He has a HUGE habit of arguing so quickly that he doesn't evaluate the foolishness that spills out. He said, "there are no good books here and I've read most of the them anyway!" All that pops in my head at a time like that is a saying that has a semi-bad word in it; not really a cuss word, but too close for use in our house, (unless you are a semi-adult and bucking authority, but that's a different kid and a different conversation). I toned my thoughts down to my traditional, "do you hear yourself? That is one of the dumbest arguments yet. We are in the LIBRARY, (where again I have to refrain from not adding the semi-bad word as a adjective before library.)"

So, there you have it; my second attempt at some humor for you.

                                                                       Jenny

 

Christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours -

                                 

                                                                                         Jenny

Christmas Eve

 I feel like I've been living in the kitchen. My sister has made pear bread and pumpkin bread daily to take to the Afghan immigrants she visits.

The kids and I attempted Christmas sugar cookies yesterday, but they did not roll out nearly as well as normal. I ended up having to take over most of the operation.

The kids were freed up to begin their gingerbread houses; we did teams of one older and one younger child per team.

I'm really amazed how well they all turned out!

The big kids worked nicely with the little guys and there wasn't any conflict; which is often not the case.

James and Elijah's underway -

Tori and Selah's -

The giant behind the house -

We are eating Christmas dinner earlier than usual tomorrow, so we did all our salads and desserts today; we also make Amish soup for tonight after our church Christmas Eve service. It's pretty impressive how helpful the children are in the kitchen now; Elijah chopped all the carrots and Julia the potatoes.

After church tonight, we will finish our Advent reading and hang our last ornament on our Jesse tree.
 

Then we will tuck the little darlings into bed, hopefully before they fall asleep on the couches.



Selah and Hunter

Advent Season

This is what I chose for our Advent reading this year. We have a Jesse tree and hang the corresponding ornament to the chapter we read each night.

Don't take the following two pictures too seriously, Ann Voskamp; it wasn't the story that put them to sleep, it was the fact that today was our last big day at CC before Christmas, and the feasting and games wore them out.

looks comfortable, huh?

Tomorrow is the beginning of my catch up phase. I have a list a mile long, but school will only be about half it's normal load until the new year.
                                      

                                                                             Jenny