Christmas Should be 12 Days . . . Or More . . .

I don't really have anything to update. Things are pretty much the way they've been. Oh, I guess there is something! We're going to see Paul's family for Christmas! I'm super excited. It is very cold there, though. Thankfully, we both have warm coats. We'll be leaving a week later than we had initially hoped, but we'll still get plenty of time. We'll also get some couple time before we go, which I'm super excited about. I'm planning to make a Christmas dinner for two. We'll listen to Christmas music, maybe watch a Christmas movie, play games, and exchange gifts (so we don't have to take them on the plane).

Christmas (like birthdays) have always been more than a day-long celebration in my family. Growing up, we wouldn't always open our presents on Christmas because sometimes, we'd be out of town visiting family. We also had a family celebration a week or two before Christmas, one Christmas Eve, and another one around New Year's. Once, we even talked my parents into letting us open the presents after dinner one night, a week early.

So the fact that we had Christmas with my side of the family on Thanksgiving, we'll have our family Christmas a week early, and Christmas with Paul's side of the family on the actual day doesn't seem weird at all. In fact, it's kind of fun. And, I'm not completely sick of the Christmas season yet. I think it's because I've been avoiding TV.

Last Saturday, I picked up a shift at work from 2:30-6:30 and wound up staying until close (for an on-call shift). I had been running late and hadn't packed a supper. So, Paul and our friends Kyle and Lisa who were in town picked up burgers and brought them to the store. We ate them together in the car on my half an hour break. I was sad that I couldn't spend more time with them but was so happy that we could hang out. I've been so blessed with awesome friends.

I should probably go to bed. I've got a bit of homework due Saturday (last packet!) and some end-of-semester materials due next week. But then I'll be done for the semester! Yay! I will definitely be taking a brake.

Old Posts

I just spent the last hour reading old blog posts. I probably should have been doing something else. It was fun though. Do you ever feel like you aren't quite yourself? I was reading those posts from when I was in college, and I started to think that I'm not myself anymore. College was really when I stepped into myself and let my own personality out. I think once I moved back into the house I spent highschool in, I sort of reverted. I'll have to work on that.

I also came across a couple posts from a time when I was having a rough spell with one of my best friends. I don't know if I ever posted the resolution for that, and I thought I should. So first off, I was a jerk!!!! I just didn't realize it at the time. But my goodness, I sure was. I can be so selfish sometimes. So anyway, I just wanted to say that that friend is still my really good close friend, and I think getting through that time proves it. She's awesome to have forgiven me, and I love her. So, here goes. I was the one who caused the problem, and I should have said sorry a loooooooong time before I did. When I first wanted to. Which was like, a few days later. :-\ I could have avoided a lot of strife on both our parts.

Good Day--Weight Loss and Coffee

I've had a good day. I'm sitting at a new coffee shop that opened up. It's local. I like local coffee.

I had work this morning. Yay! I like my job, and I like money, so it was good. :-) I ate lunch in the break room. Then, I ran errands. I went to the store, went to the post office, did a little gift shopping (didn't get anything). Then, I came to coffee. I've got 23 handwritten pages (approx. 20 double spaced, typed pages). Oh, of my new story for workshop. I was going to work on it more, but I might wait until this evening or tomorrow.

Also, I've been steadily gaining weight over the last two years. My clothes were becoming too small, and I don't have the money for a new wardrobe right now. So, at the beginning of October, I started counting calories and trying to exercise more. Since then, I've lost 10 pounds, 2.5", and dropped a pants size. So, ironically, I might have to get a new wardrobe afterall. But I'm super excited. For the first time in my adult life, I'm within the healthy weight range for women my age and height. I'm small boned, so I've got more to lose, but it feels good. I walked approx. 3.1 miles this morning at approx. 3.5 mph. That feels good too.

Well, it's getting dark, and I ought to go by the library on my way home. Talk with you later!

Veteran's Day

I know it's late, but before I got to bed, I just wanted to thank everyone who has fought or is fighting for our country and our freedom.

Thank you to the veterans of WWI and WWII
Thank you to the veterans of the Korean War
Thank you to the veterans of Vietnam
Thank you to the veterans of Gulf Wars One and Two
Thank you to the veterans of the wars and skirmishes I know I'm forgetting. It's late, and I've always been bad at recent history.
And thank you to everyone else who has fought in wars and battles big and small, protecting the American people and our American values.

May God bless you.

Birthday and Cleaning the Garage

I've had a crazy but awesome week. Paul's birthday was last Wednesday, so I made him baked stuffed tomatoes and cherry crumble pie. Friday, some friends came into town. We had Polynesian chicken with rice and stir fry veggies followed by homemade, 3 layer German's chocolate cake (my great-grandmother's recipe). Mmmm--but full of calories.

Saturday, we went to a wedding reception. I got to meet some of Paul's friends and chat with some of my friends. Sunday, we were going to go to an airshow, but it was raining. Instead, we played a 3 hour game of Settlers of Catan. I won. :-D That's one game I do okay at. I'm not too bad at Spades either, even though I am still learning (that's a joke).

Last Thursday, I cleaned out our garage. Well, only one half of it. I went through the boxes my sister and I hadn't gone through since we moved. I found some interesting things. Por examplo:

A Burger King bag from when The Lion King had just come out. Their faces look kind of like mine did when I found that bag. . . .
Cups from the theme park 11 years ago . . .

Yes, it was about time I went through the garage. If I'm brave, I'll go through the stuff Paul and I have stored there in another week or so. But before then, I have some craft projects to work on.

Oh, and how could I forget? Another interesting thing I found in the garage was a half decayed, dead rat. He smelled awful, and I was not pleased that I had to deal with him. I hope I don't find any more out there . . . At least I was prepared with my handy-dandy ufilly belt! (if anybody knows that that's from, points to you! And Karen, you'd better know . . .)

Hope everybody has a good week!

Praises (and caffeine)

Sallie Mae disbursed my loan!!!! Finally, two months after they approved me for the loan. If you ever have to work with Sallie Mae, I'd suggest asking for a supervisor. Praise the Lord for providing! God is good.

I have a busy day tomorrow. I have to type my handwritten pages, proof my thesis, go by the bank, pick up new library books and read them, turn in old library books, do laundry, get the oil changed in the car, and pack for our trip Thursday. I'm probably forgetting something else I need to do.

I've been having a pretty good fall. I feel as though I know what's going on and we'll be moving on to the next phase of life soon. I'm over halfway done with grad school (yippee!!). My crazy health problems are pretty much gone, which makes me think they're stress/depression related.

I have a job I love, good friends, a wonderful family, and an amazing husband. I also serve a merciful God. Life may not be perfect, but it sure isn't bad. :-D

P.S. I went to a coffee shop to work on my writing. I always forget to ask for decaf . . .

A Good Day

I had a very productive day today. I got up at 6:30am to go to the grand opening of an organic food market. I got a free tote bag with groceries in it. :-D I then walked approximately 1.8 miles at approximately 2.7 miles per hour. I showered, ate breakfast, read some, checked my e-mail, and called Sallie Mae. I had a two hour meeting. I got home and got ready for a shopping trip with my friend's mom to pick out bridesmaid dresses. We had lunch, then went to two bridal stores. We didn't get back until about supper time. After supper, I looked up lemon recipes and downloaded the bridesmaid dress pictures.

And that's my day.

On an another note, my critical thesis is almost ready to go to the office. Yay! And Sallie Mae is extraordinarily frustrating. I applied for a loan 2 months ago, had it pre-approved, but the funds haven't been disbursed due to technical difficulties on Sallie Mae's part. I have the Sallie Mae phone number memorized. I called 3 times yesterday. :-\

Otherwise, I'm doing well!

September 11

In remembrance of September 11, 2001, I want to thank all those who serve our country and our people. I want to thank the military--army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard. I want to thank police, firefighters, and emergency responders. Thanks to the families of those who serve, for all that you go through. Thank you all for all you do.

I keep you all in my prayers.

May God save America.

Don't Let Your Left Hand Know . . .

My brain is fried from reading on the computer all morning. I have until Tuesday to get a complete draft of my critical thesis done (that's the deadline I've given myself).

I had a really great weekend. Our friends David and Lezli came for a visit with their two boys. We had a lot of fun hanging out, eating Mexican and German food, enjoying entirely too much sweet stuff, and eating a ton of home-grown watermelon. I hadn't had so much fun in a long time. The boys get up early, so we had a lot of time to hang out. Praise God for good friends!

This morning, I got up before Paul. Before I left the room, I went to give him a good morning kiss. He started yelling, and I realized that when I leaned down, I had accidentally turned my glass of water over, right on top of him. You know the part in the Bible where Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing? Apparently, my body took that literally . . .

I leave for work in about half an hour. I haven't been to work all week, so I probably won't know where anything is. Oh well. I'm glad I like my job. I like my compy, too. :-D

Catch you later!

Short Random Thoughts

!!!!Celebration!!!!!

My first packet is in! I hope it was good. I hate proofreading when I'm tired. I always miss really obvious stuff.

I think I finally have financial aid worked out. AHHHHH!!!! Want to scream. Well, I guess I just did.

A couple of nights ago, I dreamed that I found a little kitten in the middle of the road. It was cold and raining, so I picked it up and brought it home. And I named it Table. Yup. Even in my dream, that was a weird name.

On my way home from work tonight, the radio played "You'll Be In My Heart." :-) Yay for summer!

Some of my favorite fall pieces at Eddie Bauer: Wool Bias Skirt, 3/4 Sleeve Sweater, Layering Tank, and Scoop Neck Tee.

This collection of Random Thoughts was brought to you in part by a tall mocha frappacino, lack of sleep, and viewers like you.

I've Been At Starbuck's Since 10:30 This Morning

So I'm definitely a slacker when it comes to updating my blog. On the uphand, I've been writing in my paper journal a bit more.

I've just spent the last five hours or so--let me think--four and a half hours at Starbuck's working on my critical thesis. And guess what? It's coming along really, really well. Yay!!!!! If I had felt like panicking, yesterday, I would have been panicking. I'm supposed to have a first draft due Thursday. Until this week, I mainly had research and bits and pieces of writing. I had planned to spend yesterday at Starbuck's, but I got caught up in the morning talking about important things that needed talking about. Then I spent all afternoon trying to sort out my financial aid. And feeling sick. So I read Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. The whole thing. Yesterday. I've gotten much faster at speed reading. I enjoyed it.

Since I got back from residency, I've been getting on a better schedule, which has really helped me with getting things done--except for school. I can't seem to get my school done. But I am getting better at chores, practicing piano, and cooking. Yay!

Oh, and I'm trying to get healthier. I bought a scale for my bathroom and discovered that I'm only about 5 lbs heavier than when I got married (yay!). Unfortunately, I'm a size and a half larger, which means I've lost muscle and gained fat. I'm not discouraged though. I used Web MD's food and fitness planners to help me get ideas on eating healthy and exercising. I'd like to drop a size by the end of the year. I did great on eating well for about a week. Then I realized that my brother is leaving for college soon, so we keep going to coffee or eating out. Plus, I've found that going to coffee shops really helps me get my school done--but it also helps me eat lots more calories than I should. :-)

That's probably enough of an update for now. I'm getting sick of Starbuck's, so I think I'll pack up and leave. Catch ya later!

P.S. My new favorite hot coffee drink is a hazelnut latte. Thanks to Christy and Carolyn for introducing me to hazelnut, my favorite coffee flavor.

Summer Res, July 2009

I'm at my summer residency right now. I have a brief respite between all the things I have to do. I just finished meeting with my advisor, and I have some good direction for my critical thesis. A problem is that I've never written thesis statements before, and I have to have one by the time I leave the residency.

I've been having a pretty good time. This residenccy isn't as jam-packed as last summer, but at the same time, I feel more tired than I did then. In fact, maybe I should go take a nap.

My class has picked our name, and we're going to announce it today. I'm excited. :-D

The weather here is a nice change from 102. The other day, the high was 66 and the low was 46. It's been really nice. It feels like fall. Of course, last summer was blazingly hot here, and since most rooms (including the dorm-rooms) don't have AC, I packed mostly shorts and tank tops. Thankfully I threw in a sweatshirt at the last minute.

If you think about it, I'd appreciate prayer. I'm in a writing program for children and young adults, but I've had to walk out of at least three readings because of the sexual content. If you'd just pray that I'd have strength and wisdom, that would be awesome.

That's all I've got time for now. I hope you all are doing well!

Summer is Here!

I just had an awesome weekend! First of all :::drumroll::: I turned in my last packet of the semester!!! Yay!!! I have some time now to do some fun things and catch up on stuff (like blogging). So that was Friday. Yesterday, I spent birthday money at the fabric store getting supplies for my many sewing projects that I hope to work on this summer. Mom went with me, and we had fun. We also stopped by work so I could turn in some paperwork, and I got some new scents for 75% off at Bath and Body Works. Yay!

Paul, Harry, Mom, and I went to supper and then played Settlers of Catan (my birthday present from Harry). It was fun! Today, we went to church together (the four of us) and then had sandwhiches for lunch. Yum. I used some of my new sewing supplies. I also talked with Karen and Lina on the phone today. Yay!

So, a good weekend.

Eliza the Bot

While doing some digital literature research, I came across Eliza, the first computer bot. She's programmed to respond like the kind of therapist who repeats what you say. She provided a healthy break from homework. My packet is due Saturday. I've been working on it since eight this morning. Ah!!!!!!

My Conversation with Eliza, May 7, 2009
Me: Hello.
Eliza: How do you do. Please state your problem.
Me: I have too much work to do
Eliza: You say you have too much work to do ?
Me: Yes
Eliza: You seem to be quite positive.
Me: Well, yeah, it's a lot of work
Eliza: I'm not sure I understand you fully.
Me: I'm busy
Eliza: Is it because you are busy that you came to me ?
Me: No, I just came for fun
Eliza: Are you saying no just to be negative?
Me: No
Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
Me: I wanted to take a break
Eliza: Can you elaborate on that ?
Me: My brain is about to explode
Eliza: Your brain is about to explode ?
Me: Yes!
Eliza: You are sure.
Me: Positive
Eliza: Lets discuss further why your brain is about to explode .
Me: Well, I have two essays due tomorrow that I haven't even started
Eliza: Do you say you have two essays due tomorrow that you haven't even started for some special reason ?
Me: I've had to research
Eliza: Please go on.
Me: They're complex topics. That's why it's taking so long
Eliza: Why do you ask ?
Me: I didn't
Eliza: That's quite interesting.
Me: Yeah, I'd say so
Eliza: What does that suggest to you ?
Me: That you're malfunctioning
Eliza: What makes you think I am malfunctioning ?
Me: You thought I asked a question when I didn't
Eliza: We were discussing you -- not me.

Spring Cleaning and Homemaking

I'm up too late. I was playing with my new craft blog. I'm not sure if it's ready to be viewed yet, but I'll hopefully post a link soon. Especially for you, Lina! I actually still haven't finished that placemat I started once. . . . I just moved on to other things.

I have been so unmotivated for school the past two weeks. Spring came, and I went into Spring cleaning/homemaker mode. All I want to do is clean, organize, throw things away, and especially, SEW! Yay for sewing! I've been making some things from patterns, but I'm also playing around with freestyle type sewing. Not clothes, though. I'm not up for clothes yet.

So this week, I really need to buckle down. I have got to start my new story so I have something to send to my mentor. It's been simmering the past two weeks (hey, I'm amazed that I came up with something at all!). Before I can start, though, my MC needs a name . . . I also have to read a bunch of stuff and write my essays. I'm kind of excited about the essays, though.

And when I'm not doing all that (when will I ever not be doing all that???) I need to clean up the house 'cause Harry's coming next week! :::waves arms like a puppet::: YAY! At least I'm in a cleaning mood, right?

I also have work this week (like tomorrow morning--I need to get to bed!), but not too much.

Oh, and after two weeks of feeling mostly normal (yay!), I've started feeling dizzy and feverish again. I hope I get our insurance info soon so I can make a doctor appointment. And my symptoms aren't flu-like, so NO I don't have swine flu.

That's what I've been up to! Someday, if I can ever get my craft blog working, I'll post pictures of all the cool stuff I've been making! (Unless it's a present for someone . . .) I hope you all are doing well.

Annie

P.S. God made me laugh today.

Date Weekend

I just read a few of my old posts. Nobody else may enjoy reading what I write, but I sure get a kick out of it!

I just spent an hour or two trying hopelessly to find articles on my essay subject. I found none. I have Incas to thank for that. Or whoever came up with the concept of zero. I'm sure if no one had thought of zero, then I would have found some articles, just like how gravity didn't exist before Newton walked into an apple tree.

I had a pretty good weekend. On Friday, Paul and I were going to see wildflowers, but it was stormy. So after a day of searching for articles for my essay topic, Paul and I went on a date. We tried out a Greek restaurant we'd been curious about (it was yummy!). My gyro came with fries. I love America. ;-) After that, we went and saw Monsters vs. Aliens. It was pretty good. I'd probably give it a three or four star on my CG movie meter. I like Pixar movies the best, but Dreamworks movies aren't bad. I partly liked it 'cause Paul laughed so hard. Oh, and we went to Barnes and Noble. I like Barnes and Noble.


Saturday, I actually did some crafty stuff (pattern cutting). I haven't started sewing yet, but I'll get there. I also had work Saturday. That was okay except that the AC was broken. Hot.

Yesterday, Paul and I drove a little over an hour away to the wildflower fields. We had fun and got cool pictures. The wind was crazy, though! We had yummy German food for supper. Mmmm.

Poppies! Poppies will fix them. . . .

Not that all of that is super interesting, but too bad for you. ;-) I like reading my friends' blogs about their kids. Hopefully, in a few years or whatever God's timing is, my blogs will be more interesting 'cause I'll write about my cute kids.

Have a wonderful last full week of April!

Annie

You Know You're Married to an Engineer . . .

. . . when he compares your essay to a suspension bridge.

Good Friday

I think Easter is my favorite holiday. Yes, I like it even better than Christmas. Think about it--without Easter, Christmas has no meaning. I also like the lead up to Easter. We have Passover, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday, and then Easter. The lead up helps me to really focus on God and what Easter means. I am a selfish person who can be pretty mean. God has greatly freed me from that. When I get the urge to be selfish, He nudges me and tells me to do what He would do. And even though I have that selfishness inside me and have all sorts of crazy bad things in my past, God doesn't remember them. Even though God is holiness itself, I will someday be able to stand in His presence. Why? Because of what He did two thousand years ago on Easter.

When decorating eggs this Easter, remember what they represent--that the tomb (the shell) couldn't keep Jesus inside. He broke free and rose from the dead, freeing us all from our sin if we'll just accept His sacrifice.

He is risen, indeed!

Still Procastinating

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

"a birth control pill for female hogs is still in development"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,497004,00.html

(thanks, Dave, for sharing this. ;-) )

Homeschool Fiction!

I'm working on typing up stuff for my school packet, and I need a brake. I've been working on this stuff all day. As a followup to my last post, I thought I'd post the list of homeschool books I compiled. I found most of these book from a page of Home School Online (http://www.homeschoolonline.org/2008/08/08/homeschool-literature/). I found a few by putting "home school" into my library search engine. Not surprisingly, a lot of the books I found are Christian and some are out of print--mainly the Christian ones. . . .

I've read only a couple of these books, and I marked those. Where possible, I listed as the subject what the book has to do with homeschooling, although homeschooling may not be the main plot of the story. Thanks for everyone's help!

Picture Book/Young Readers

• Ratner, Susan Kandoo Kangaroo Hops into Homeschool subj. starting to homeschool
• Stroud, Scott Baby Kong subj. troublesome child Christian
• Stroud, Scott Grumpy Mr. Grady subj. grumpy neighbor Christian

Middle Grade

• Bibee, John The Home School Detectives subj. mystery Christian
• Bowe, Julie My Last Best Friend subj. secondary character was formerly homeschooled *I've read this one. It was a fun book. Homeschooling is mentioned in passing, and the formerly homeschooled character is a normal kid*
  
• Campos, Jacqueline R. The Adventures of Lil' Wolf, Twinkie, Toes, and Flower Girl in the Homeschool Forest
  
• Casanova, Mary Jess: American Girl Today subj. umbrella school type of homeschooling, homeschooling while traveling *I've read this one, and it was pretty good. Showed the fun things you can do that count as school*
• Gantos, Jack What Would Joey Do? subj. sent to another family to be "homeschooled"
• Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard Book subj. home educated by ghosts
• Hannigan, Katherine Ida B. and her plans to maximize fun, avoid disaster, and (possibly) save the world subj. going to public school after homeschooling
• Janney, Rebecca Price Secret of the Lost Colony and following books subj. children with a "homeschool" tutor time travel Christian
• Korman, Gordon Schooled subj. going to public school after homeschooling *I've heard this is a very bad representation of homeschooling*
• Law, Ingird Savvy subj. main character is about to be homeschooled because of special powers *this is a really good book and shows a close-knit family*
• Lepkowski, Gwen Cross-Country Treasure Hunt subj. travel with family Christian
• Lucas, Leanne Addie McCormick and the Computer Pirate subj. sent to a "co-operative homeschool" while her school is being rebuilt Christian
• Morgan, Nicola Chicken Friend subj. starting to homeschool
• Roop, Meg Summer Mystery subj. starting to homeschool
• Selzer, Adam I Put A Spell On You subj. secondary character was formerly homeschooled
  
• Tolan, Stephanie Surviving the Applewhites subj. sent to another family to be "homeschooled"
• Milne Don & Aneladee The Lost Da Vincis subj. homeschool kids search for lost parents *this is self-published and the section I read wasn't very well written*

Young Adult

• Davis, Bryan Dragons in Our Midst subj. starting to homeschool Christian
• Juby, Susan Alice, I Think subj. going to public school
• Spinelli, Jerry Stargirl subj. going to public school
• Spinelli, Jerry Love, Stargirl subj. homeschooling again

Non-Fiction

• Llewellyn, Grace, editor Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School Tell Their Own Stories subj. what the title says
  
• Lurie, Jon Allison's Story subj. an 8 year-old from Minnesota
• Voetberg, Julie I Am a Home Schooler subj. an 8 year-old from a farm

I have checked out What Would Joey Do?, Ida B., and Surviving the Applewhites. I'll try to let you know what I think. Have fun, and let me know if you find anymore books with homeschoolers! Okay, procrastination over . . .

Homeschool Fiction?

Dear Avid Readers, ;-)

I got sick the day I came back from residency, and I was in bed for a week. This week, I'm feeling better, but I'm having trouble getting back on a schedule. I feel really tired. I have a school/cleaning schedule that I'm trying to get going. I'm hoping that the more active I am the less lethargic/depressed I'll feel.

I'm trying to find out if there's much fiction written about homeschoolers. I mean where a homeschooler is a main character. Counting series as 1 book, I've found 8 middle grade books, 2 young adult books, and 1 picture book. I also found 6 Christian homeschooling books. That's not a whole lot. I haven't read those, but from the synopsizes, some of them don't paint a very accurate picture of homeschooling or aren't really homeschooling. Some of them say they're homeschooling but it's really more of a home-bound tutorship or a private school that meets in a home.

Have you read any books with a homeschooler as the main character? If so, would you mind commenting with the title and author and, if possible, a brief synopsis.

I'm also looking for books where a side character or friend is homeschooled and books where homeschooling is mentioned. For example, I just read My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe where a new girl moves to town and starts going to the main character's school. She says she used to be homeschooled. That kind of thing counts in my mind.

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it.

Weather, Writing, and MLK, Jr.

Well, it turns out that all those clothes were a little much. The below zero weather really hasn't bothered me. That's partly due to all my amazing cold weather gear, and partly due to the fact that this is dry cold. I actually felt colder trying out my cold weather gear in Texas when I walked to check the mail in +30 weather. Here, it's not so bad. And I love all the snow. I'll try to remember to post some of the few pictures that I have.

I've been having a really good time. I'm excited about this semester. I'm really writer-ed out, though. I'm ready to go home (except that once I'm home, I have to start in on my first packet). I accidentally missed this afternoon's lecture when my alarm didn't go off. I have just one more full day, then a half day plus graduation. The next morning, I head home! Yay!

I find it significant that today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day. I don't think I can articulate what I'm thinking, so I will just say this: In Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he says, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." (http://www.mlkonline.net/dream.html). I don't think we're there yet.

Annie

-22

I’m sitting in my dorm room wearing two pairs of long underwear under my pants, sock liners under my woolen socks which are in my warm to -20 boots, a baselayer top under my tank under my waffle-knit thermal longsleeve. When it’s time to go to class, I’ll don my -20 down coat, my ear-flap hat with faux fur lining, my fleece scarf, and my down mittens.

Considering weather.com said it was -22 this morning, I’m very glad Paul had me get the -20 coat and boots. :-D And I’m glad Jeff clued us in on what to get. Yay for those Montana boys.

Another Christmas Come and Gone

Well, it's been almost another month. Crazy! Christmas was really good. I enjoyed having Karen, Dave, and Harry home for Christmas. And me and Paul, too! I was going to work on Christmas Eve, but I got sick. I'm just now getting over it, so that part wasn't too fun. Karen and Dave left last Monday (I think), and Harry left yesterday. We had a lot of fun together. I'm sad that they're gone now.

I got to see my cousins from my Dad's side (not all of them, but several of them) this Christmas. Even though I live in the same town as Tiff and Liz, I've been very bad at keeping up with them, so I hadn't seen them in awhile.

The day after Christmas, Karen, Mom, and I drove down to The Valley for Holly's wedding. Karen and I got to stay with Audrey at her in-laws. I had a blast. I actually got to talk with Holly some (for those of you who haven't been to weddings, catching the bride for a chat is a challenge). I loved the wedding. It was so perfectly Holly. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and being in the Valley again. Karen and I had a lot of fun spending time with Audrey. Oh, and of course, we ate El Pato and brought some back for our boys.

Paul and I had a date today. He doesn't like shopping, but being the sweet man that he is, he took me to the mall to look for a wallet. I've been wanting a new wallet for ages (I wanted one as a college graduation present to myself, ha ha), and now that I have a little Christmas money, I thought I'd get one. I found one that I like, and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Paul.

I have a lot to do this week to get ready for school. I am NOT ready for another semester to begin. I haven't even recovered from the last semester. And I still haven't been writing. I've been sick and spending time with family. Oh, and making wedding presents and stuff. Oh well. I'll survive. I just hope I get over the remnants of this cold before I have to leave.

Catch you all later!