I have struggled this year to get everything done. Not just blogging, but everything. It's weird because I had six months with no job and still have not completed tasks I thought I would have finished. The month of December has been a complete blur. I'll recap as best I can and try to be a better blogger in 2009. I've missed posting. Honest. And I pledge to do better than the three posts I've managed to do this month. Shameful.
One of the Christmas celebrations (we've already had three and will still have another) we had at work was a luncheon hosted by Bishop Michael Jackels. It started with a mass at the Spiritual Life Center and then we had a delicious meal catered by Corporate Caterers. Bishop Jackels served me wine and then coffee before I pushed back from the table. He has a great sense of humor and I had a great time at the luncheon. Here's a photo of the Bishop serving coffee to Michael who's the director of the counseling center and the Marriage for Keeps program.
Just in case you were wondering, I didn't win one of the poinsettias that were on the tables. Also, I'd completed my hours when this luncheon was over, so I didn't have to go back to work that Friday afternoon.
Christmas preparations were late for me this year. The tree didn't get lit and decorated until about a week before the holiday. Jennifer and Bella helped me decorate. A three-year-old's decorating sense is wonderfully refreshing! I managed to make about 10 dozen sugar cookies and five loaves of English muffin bread this year in addition to wrapping my gifts, trimming the tree, writing the Christmas letter (they just got mailed this week) and packing up to go see my family. I decorated some of the cookies for friends and co-workers, but my family has been trained by me to frost their own cookies. Pretty smart, huh?
Zach was definitely the star of the show at my family's Christmas Eve celebration. Andrew, Rachel and Caden were with Rachel's family in Missouri, so we were without his antics. Zach kept us plenty entertained on his behalf. I'm already excited for next year when they'll both be two years old. I've got some pictures of other people, but the ones of Zach are by far my favorite. Without further adieu...
He walked all around the house in one of my dad's boots until he lost interest and focused on the platter of cookies and goodies my sister Teresa brought. Dig the Santa suit!
And he helped grandma eat some of her birthday cake. Or more specifically the frosting on her birthday cake.
Lynette, John, Jenny and Mark tear into their presents.
When Zach opened his presents he wanted to play with them immediately. He looked at or played with each thing before he moved on to open the next present. Especially the books. Notice how he's using Jessica's legs as a book rest while she continues opening her gifts. The whole living room is filled with people and chaos, yet Zach is looking at his book.
Some of the chaos at the other end of the room included Christopher and Frank (sitting on the floor), Teresa, Katie, Kyle, Victoria and Jeffrey. You can also see Anissa's head on the right side of the picture.
After things calmed down a bit, Christopher and Victoria worked on a teapot puzzle that Teresa got from Jenny. Teresa said: "I don't do fuzzles. I mean puzzles." We all agree she should do puzzles instead of sending out forwarded email messages.
Mark and Jeffrey enjoyed looking at one of Zach's new books. Mark had to work the morning of Christmas Eve and he comes over right after getting out of his truck, that's why he has on his work jeans.
Last weekend Caden was here for a few hours while his mom and dad went out shopping. He was taking a nap when they left, but woke up because he had pooped himself. After the diaper change, we played.
Earlier in the day last Sunday, I was one of the teachers for the preschoolers at my church. We had a visit from a very special guest while we were working on a poinsettia project for the bulletin board.
I had dinner that night with my friends Kathleen, Laurie, Joyce and Jennifer. Sorry, no pictures of us or our food.
On Wednesday evening, I attended my book club's annual Christmas party. The wine, the food and my dining companions were impeccable as were the festive decorations and Bonnie's recently remodeled kitchen. We had our customary book exchange, but this time enacted an unlimited steal rule. It worked out in my favor. I had to steal it twice, but I walked away with this bag knitted by Amy (she used it as the gift bag) along with the book "Pride and Prejudice"!
I've been incredibly busy with work lately. This weekend has been spent mostly helping with the Christmas Sharing event that Catholic Charities does for the low-income families in the area. The families are able to come and pick out gifts for their children, get some non-perishable food products and browse a thrift shop where all the items are FREE. Friday I spent my time gift-wrapping their gifts. Last night we also had a holiday get-together for the couples in the program where I work and I helped get set up for that. Consequently, I have only gotten my house partially decorated for Christmas. That changes today. I'm working on decorating and making a list of presents I have yet to purchase. And I need to write my Christmas letter. So many things, so little time!
The big news from my Thanksgiving vacation is that Zach's mommy and daddy are getting married!
This was not Zach's reaction to the news. He was pretty mellow about it, really. Take note that he is sitting on this tractor backwards. It's got this storage compartment under the actual seat, but he likes to open that and sit on the steering wheel. And every now and then while he's sitting on there it honks at him. It's pretty funny.
But back to the reason for this post. Apparently Mark and Terri decided a couple of weeks ago to get hitched, but waited for the Black Friday sale to buy the ring. Little did I know that's what Terri was going shopping for at 4 a.m. Friday morning while I was at their house with Zach. Mark had to work, but he went to JC Penney's in Great Bend first to see and buy the ring. And what a ring it is. It's a stunning two carat engagement band and the wedding bands add another carat or two. That's a huge amount of bling on Terri's left hand! She's very deserving of it for having put up with my brother for at least eight years! Here's a picture of it on Terri's hand just hours after purchase. Sorry for the poor picture quality. That's my fault and not the fault of the jewelry.
You can't tell from this picture, but in addition to the three large diamonds on top (that she says signify her, Mark and Zach), there are channel-set diamonds along the sides of the ring. It's very pretty. As it stands right now they'll get married in a small private ceremony in August and then have a big party for everybody a couple of days later. I'm so glad that I will be able to officially call Terri my sister-in-law, since that's what I've been calling her for a while now!
Just in case you were wondering, I didn't win one of the poinsettias that were on the tables. Also, I'd completed my hours when this luncheon was over, so I didn't have to go back to work that Friday afternoon.
He walked all around the house in one of my dad's boots until he lost interest and focused on the platter of cookies and goodies my sister Teresa brought. Dig the Santa suit!
And he helped grandma eat some of her birthday cake. Or more specifically the frosting on her birthday cake.
Lynette, John, Jenny and Mark tear into their presents.
When Zach opened his presents he wanted to play with them immediately. He looked at or played with each thing before he moved on to open the next present. Especially the books. Notice how he's using Jessica's legs as a book rest while she continues opening her gifts. The whole living room is filled with people and chaos, yet Zach is looking at his book.
Some of the chaos at the other end of the room included Christopher and Frank (sitting on the floor), Teresa, Katie, Kyle, Victoria and Jeffrey. You can also see Anissa's head on the right side of the picture.
After things calmed down a bit, Christopher and Victoria worked on a teapot puzzle that Teresa got from Jenny. Teresa said: "I don't do fuzzles. I mean puzzles." We all agree she should do puzzles instead of sending out forwarded email messages.
Mark and Jeffrey enjoyed looking at one of Zach's new books. Mark had to work the morning of Christmas Eve and he comes over right after getting out of his truck, that's why he has on his work jeans.
