Pat I forgot to tell you we used some of the foam stockings you sent me. They used a paint/glue mixture to make the top white and then sprinkled glitter on that. We did it along with the ornaments for their parents in hopes that they might be able to keep the present a secret because they would still have a project to bring home. Of course it didn't work because the little ones all said where is my pinecone!! LOL

Well I am just waiting for Rick and then we are on our way out the door to go to the outlet stores.

Have a great evening!

Good morning....

We got almost an inch of rain last night!!!!! We really needed that. We are over 12 inches of rain behind normal. Would gladly take some more, but thankful for what we got.

My friend will be here in about a half hour and we will head to Kansas City. Looking forward to a fun weekend. If anyone needs me to pick anything up for them, give me a call

Have a great weekend everyone.

I think I've caught up on all the posts. Today is the first day I've felt like I've returned to the world of the living and even then just barely. I still have a cough, but it isn't much at all. I've resorted to taking Nyquil and it's helping me not to cough at night.

I've not made much progress on anything and I'm really in a bad place because of it. I'm grouchy and down on myself and generally not very happy. The tree isn't decorated and the bonus room doesn't look very good and overall it's just terrible. My energy level is nonexistant and when I do go to do anything, I give out pretty quickly. I'm just annoyed and angry about having gotten sick; and angry and annoyed that it's the holidays.

OK...so I'm going to go back upstairs and see what more I can do in the bonus room before the day is over and then call it a day. In the meantime, everyone take care.

Carrie, I'm glad you are doing so well in your recovery.

Pat, you are getting everything ready for your family gathering.

Laurie, sign in.

Paula, you are making some cards.

Nancy, you are busy with the wee ones and making their gifts.

Hey, I know I can be thankful for some small things like the fact that I feel better and didn't get worse sick than I did. At least I didn't appear to get sick with bronchitis, and it seems like most of the shopping is done for now, and even though it will be a push to get it all finished up, it will get done, and we have lots of things to be thankful for. I need to stop complaining and stop and count the small blessings we do have.

Good morning ladies!

Wow Pat! you had quite a shopping day yesterday. I like shopping for furniture (surprised?? haha) I hope you are finding some ideas that will work for you.
Great job, getting the ornaments!! That was a time consuming project!

Lizzy, sorry you are so frustrated not being able to get the things done you want. Remember, they are just things...get healthy and then do what you can. (they are not going anywhere, )
I don't remember if I told you about our tree this year...
Dh hangs the pieces of our tree from the rafters and I could only get the very top piece down so with DS's help I got that down and a box of ornaments last week. DS brought it upstairs and put the tree top on the tree stand. He got a big kick out of that and said we should use it for our tree. (he really doesn't like our fake tree and wants a real one every year) So we plugged it in and left it like that for when DH came home. He laughed and said he liked it. So I put it up on a small table with the tree skirt and there it sits. No ornaments or anything. hahahaha The only other decoration I have put out is the Nativity set.
So sometimes you just let to let some things go. Life goes on.
And your right, we have so many, many things to be thankful for. Every day I am thankful for a roof over my head, heat that keeps us warm, plenty of food to have what we not only need but want too, my family and friends and a body that can repair it's self even though I don't understand it. I can go on and on...

Yesterday I brought some food to a young lady from church that had twins a month ago. I was blessed to be able to hang out with them and hold those sweet, perfect little people. It made my heart smile all day. Wow, it's been a long time since I have been around babies. Sometimes it's hard to take that step and do something for someone you are not close to but she welcomed it and I found out she has very little help so I will be going back to help her out now and then.
Friday I took advantage of a chicken breast sale and made some freezer meals. My freezer has been bare (like Mother Hubbard's cupboard) and I have not been doing well for meals. So since I did that I had some to share. Today I was going to make twice baked potatoes to freeze but I haven't gotten started and we are going to The Hobbit this afternoon so it may be too late to start. hmmm...

Good morning all...

Lizzy, so glad to hear you are beginning to feel much better. Just be careful not to overdo it to quickly. You said it perfectly - the house doesn't have to be from a magazine, the season is about time with friends and family. Hope you find some great bargins at Kohl's with your Kohl's cash!

Carrie, glad your recovery is going so well. Please continue to take it slowly as well. Did DH take you to get the cards? Have fun with the gift wrapping.

Pat, WOW, 10 hours shopping. Jim is such a trooper. Hope you found lots of good ideas. Furniture shopping is so much fun, especially when you actually might be purchasing some soon.

Paula, how was the show? I know the new mother really appreciated your visit as well as the food. Being a new mother with 2 babies would make taking time to cook good meals somewhat difficult. Loved the story about the "tree".

Nancy, hope you have caught up and are taking time to relax and enjoy the season. I know Riley is probably getting really excited about his upcoming trip. Would love to see the pine cone project.

The shopping trip went very well. We shopped all day Saturday, did get a few items. I did get myself a new Keurig. They were on sale at Kohls and I was able to use a 30% coupon so I think I got a good deal. Merry Christmas to me! Then on the way home Sunday, stopped at a friend and saw her home remodeling project. She is so excited and it is coming along nicely. I am now going to concentrate on wrapping the last couple of Christmas gifts and maybe try to make a few holiday treats for our Christmas get together on the 24th.

Better get ready for work. Hope everyone has a great day.

Oh my - just heard on the news that 2 police officers were killed in the line of duty yesterday in Topeka. Just seems like the bad news just keeps coming.

Good afternoon!

Rhonda glad your shopping trip went well. I have hear that coffee is a bit strong for some people. It is nice that they now have the filters so you can make your won for those people. I hope you enjoy it!

Carrie I am so glad you are doing well. Did you get your gifts wrapped and cards started?

Lizzy I glad you are on the mend but it sounds like you are not completely there. I always hate to waste my kohl's cash too. I usually manage to get in to use mine.

Pat you really had a long day. Rick is good about that stuff too. Not all men are so we are lucky! Do you think you know what you will be getting for new furniture or are you still undecided?

Paula I agree with letting some things go. I have had to do that this year. We had a good chicken sale here too. I now have chicken stocked in my freezer again.

I did find some great deals at ON. We got $350 worth of clothes for $88. 50% off and then the $15 off of every $50. There was also an extra 30% off clearance. They took the 15 off of the total before the 50% off so that coupon saved us $105. Everything worked out to be anywhere from .63 to about $6. Boy did I have fun!!

I will post a pic of the pinecone ornaments when I am done with one.

Riley was on the local news last night for his trip to Cambodia. They didn't post the video on the stations website though. Just the script. He didn't say too much though. I feel like we have a lot to do for that. He needs to get in for a booster, spray his clothes with repellant made for clothes, pack, make sure batteries are charged, memory cards emptied, buy some Muskol since mosquitoes love him, get prescriptions.......so much to do so little time!

Baby needs me! Have a great day!

good evening all.. Long day here and not as much done as I had hoped. Didn't get any baking started. I messed with the furniture in the LR and while I am not happy, it is all I can do. There is just too much in there and I am stuck with it for the time being. The pieces we looked at Sat were more traditional style and not the over stuffed country we currently have, which is overwhelming. Not near the seating we need when the family is all here. I am trying to be thankful for what we have, but I am just frustrated right now. The room is just too busy.

Nancy, you did really well at ON. Our closest store is the next town, which in this area is not a big deal, but it is not convenient and dense traffic. They do have great sales though.
Jim really was a big help on the shopping. He keeps me focused. We really didn't shop the whole 10 hrs. That was how long we were gone, but it included lunch and dinner at sit down restaurants and a stop by the house to unload and put away some groceries. But it was still a LOT of shopping.

Lizzy, glad you made it back home from Kohl's without incident. Are you keeping yourself hydrated?

Rhonda, glad you had a fun time with your friend. Jim also has a Keurig and he loves it. Since I don't drink coffee, it works perfect for the one cup at a time for him. We get the cups at Costco and at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% cpn.

Well, I need to get to bed, so I can get up early and get started baking. Shortbread to start and then pumpkin gingerbread mini bundt cakes. Then if I am lucky I can get the Russian tea cookies.

Good morning. I can't find the post I did yesterday. Hmm...

Nancy I have never heard of ON. What is it? When does Riley leave? Do you have a swing or something similar available for baby?

Pat seating for everyone is not necessary. Some of the younger ones can curl up on the floor. The kids will be running around. It will all work out, you'll will all be together.

Rhonda I use the Keurig every morning and sometimes again in the evening. There is a website, coffeeforless.com, and they have coupons available. Pat's BB&B tip is good too. Jim uses the basket but the coffee seems weaker to me that with the K-cups. How was dinner last night?

Lizzy your energy will slowly come back. Just keep plugging along and you find yourself back to normal in no time. Hairapy is always good. I have that tomorrow too.

Washing my hair is the hardest thing. I can't take showers because of the drains. I can't lift my hands above my head and I am not allowed to lift more than 2-3 pounds. Yea, right? Jim took me shopping the other day and all of a sudden I was done. Worn out! Exhausted! Me? But I did get cards started but they are too much. Maybe I can get a few more done today.

Yesterday I tried to go out shopping by myself. Then I came home and slept for 2hours.

Today I have a luncheon for the golf ladies and a tennis one too. I need to figure out which one I am going to.
I need to get the office books balanced.
My deco mesh cleaned up.
Cards made
Thank you card done
All the medicine bottles from drugs I didn't take put away.
Figure out how to get the wrinkles out of the shirt I am going to wear cause I can't lift the iron.

Good morning!

Lizzy it sounds like you have a plan for not overdoing it. It seems to get dark here when are going outside. It is almost dark when all the kids leave. Makes it hard to stay outside. Riley leaves on Dec. 29th. It is coming too soon.

Pat I hope your baking is going well today!

Rhonda glad you liked your Keurig! We drink way too much coffee for one of those! We have 3 coffee drinkers here. Enjoy dinner out!

Carrie I imagine that even though you feel fine it takes a lot out of you as your body heals itself. ON is just Old Navy. Riley leaves on Dec. 29th. I do have a swing for the baby but he enjoys the exersaucer much more than that. He is getting easier.

Paula I am hoping to get my cards in the mail tomorrow. Did you watch the video from the link on the news story? I haven't actually watched that one.

I have been plugging away at my list. I have gotten most of our gifts wrapped (Sunday), play-dough made as an extra gift to the little ones, printed my address labels, registered for a college course...speaking of that did I tell you I am going back to school? Well it is just for 3 classes. I was only 3 classes shy of another associates degree in Child, Youth and Family Studies so I decided to do it!

Have a great day everyone!

Hi friends! Well, it's been a good day despite sleeping very late and dealing with a runny nose all day. I got the tree decorated...make sure you go to my timeline on FB and check it out. I cannot even begin to tell you have incredibly relieved I am to have that done! I started show with a plan to work on small pieces at a time and ended up just getting it all done. WHEW!

Yesterday, I got all the bills paid for the rest of the month, unless a few stray ones come in although I don't know for sure what they would be.

I still have some schoolwork to do, but I figure I can do that eventually. I don't have to have all that done until January 4 or 5.

I have some laundry to do tonight before my housekeeper comes tomorrow, so I need to get to that yet tonight. I had checked on the laundry earlier, but the first load still wasn't dry so I redid the dryer and then forgot about it. Hmmm...

Carrie, I'm following your advice...just doing what I can. I did take a Nyquil capsule last night and slept like a rock quite late today. I got up before 6, fed the dog, and then slept another four or more hours. It was great. I still think sleep is my best bet on everything here. Don't know for sure why my nose is so runny, but as long as it's not nasty, I'm good.

And, Carrie, don't forget to follow your own advice!! LOL

Speaking of furniture Pat, I am loving the new stuff in our family room. It's just a sofa with a chaise and two side chairs, side-by-side. We don't even have a coffee table anymore. We have a small table between the two side chairs and a side table at one end of the sofa. The lamps are all floor lamps now. It's very simple. The living room actually needs more because it is so large, but I'm not buying anything else for that room. If I buy anything, it would be for the dining room....a buffet or a china cabinet. But, I'd have to find just the right piece for a good deal.

I think my next move is to plan some meals for the holidays. We usually eat out on Christmas Eve but I need to plan for something for Christmas Day. In the past, I've served lasagne...but I need to think about that I think everyone would like that doesn't require lots of kitchen time that day. We usually have a huge brunch and I'd like the rest of the food to be less intense. Hmmmm.....I'd also like some crock pot meals, perhaps, and some family favorites, too.

Well, tomorrow is hairapy and if I get around early enough, I may go to Target first and then on to hairapy. I'll have to see how it all goes. I know I won't be sleeping late since my housekeeper is coming. Oh well...it was sure nice today!

OK, friends, I'm signing off for tonight. I'll talk to everyone tomorrow.

Good evening.

Well yesterday was a wash. Nothing got done. My left drain became very sore and painful. And just it just wouldn't let up all day even though I sat here and did office stuff. I was very still and bawling my eyes out by the time Jim got home. He called my doctor and talked him into pulling the drains out. So Jim pulled them out late last night much to my relief.

Then this morning the cable company came to fix the tv as the cable kept stalling out. He arrived before 8 AM so I had to be up and ready. While he was working I wrapped most of the Christmas presents. Then went to hairapy.

This afternoon I completed about 20 cards and they will all go postal tomorrow in return of those I have received. Any more that come, will have to go with Hallmark cards that I am picking up tomorrow before I see my doctor tomorrow afternoon.

Nancy I don't shop at Old Navy, I guess that's why I didn't know the lingo. They are on the American Family's Naughty list and so I boycot all those stores.

Lizzy love the tree. You did good. Are you taking Vitamin C?

Pat, I am being good except when I forget and push myself up with my hands. That is a no-no and I can't seem to get it through my brain to not do that. I need to do some baking, gluten free of course, so I am searching for good ideas.

Hi friends.....my puppy is driving me nuts so I may have to cut this short. She is whining for something...food, attention...who knows what. Well, maybe she is cold and tired. I will say, she is one big, spoiled baby! I blame it on my husband!!

I went to hairapy today and now I have a thin layer of what my hairdresser calls "wispy bangs." I think I will like them. Now that I have finally grown my hair out to one length, I am not as enamored with it as I thought I would be. All I ever do with it is pull back the side and clip it because I cannot stand for it to be in my eyes. So, she suggested she cut light bangs so I won't have it in my eyes. I'll see how it does tomorrow when I have to style it myself! LOL That's always the "acid test."

Carrie, do explain the Naughty family list, please. What do they do that is naughty? I hope Target isn't on that list. I'm doomed if it is.

First of all, I believe I have rejoined the nearly fully recovered. I'm doing really well although I do have a bit of a cough and a bit of a stuffy nose. Otherwise, I am feeling energetic and not too woozy. Occasionally, I am woozy, but not too much. Yes, Carrie, I'm staying well-hydrated and doing the Vitamin C.

After hairapy today, Terry and I went out to lunch and then we went to Target to get ONE item. $200+ later and a cart FULL of stuff, we checked out. I got the ONE item plus an item for Sarah and more items for both girls, plus some DVD's, a Disney princess for Kaitlyn, and groceries, and who knows what else! It was ridiculous! But, at least that is done. I'm about ready to start wrapping gifts. I may try to do that beginning tomorrow.

Yes, Laurie, where are you? We're going to start levying a fine on you if you don't start reporting in!

Speaking of the cable company, I HATE our cable company so much! We have been a prisoner of this cable company for twenty years. Oh yes, we could have gotten a satellite, but Terry did not want to do that. So, they have had a monopoly on our community. We have been patient and lived with their service. Truthfully, until the past couple of years, it has been acceptable. However, the last about two years, it has been terrible. They changed their equipment here in the house, and it's been awful. Now, it's even worse, but we got something in the mail that said it was being updated. Well, we just found out that we can get the ATT U-Verse and I so want Terry to check on it. I want him to do it because he is the one who has the issues with the internet service and it has to be a certain level (for work) and so I want him to be the one doing the discussion, etc. It will take him forever to talk to them, so I am being patient.

Well, I've nothing much else to say....so everyone take care. I'll check in tomorrow. In the meantime, take care. Carrie, stop doing so much! Laurie, start checking in. Paula, take it easy with those babies.....next thing we'll hear is how you accidentally took one of them home with you! Nancy, hang in there, I think you get a vacation pretty soon, don't you? Pat, take it easy, your celebration day is almost here! Rhonda, how much time do you get off next week?

Good morning for the snowy, blizzard covered Midwest! Wow, we go from sunny and warm to blizzard conditions. Schools are closed all around and several power outages. I am still warm and have lights, so thankful for that.

Carrie, I had not heard of that list. I did not shop at ON or Gap, so I guess I was good. Glad to hear you are continuing to improve. I'll bet the shower felt so good this morning.

Paula, the babies and their sister are all so very cute. The photographer is really good.

Nancy, going back to school!!! Awesome! Hope you are getting caught up and ready for the holidays. Not to mention having to get everything ready for DS's big trip. How much time will you have off for the holidays?

Lizzy, isn't that crazy when we go to pick up one item and end up with a cart full! But now you are done and can concentrate on wrapping etc. Congrats on hairapy. Hope you like the new cut. Give Ruby a big hug from me.

Pat, the cookies looked very yummy. I am hoping to get some baking done this weekend.

I will only have Monday and Tuesday off next week. The grands, Wade and Mel will be here on Monday afternoon, then we all will go to candlelight church service. Tuesday will be quiet here. I have all the shopping for gifts and wrapping finished. Still need to get to the grocery store. May do it tonight if the roads are not too bad. Otherwise will go tomorrow night.

Good morning ladies!

It's been raining here most of the night and the creek is high. So glad it's not snow. That big storm is supposed to be heading this way. High winds and snow, well, that mess that Rhonda has. I should get dressed and get some groceries. I am going to go to the bank too. The twin's mom wants to make a teacher's gift and needed some Cricut cuts so I will bring those to her this afternoon. I am not doing my Thur. house today because they are leaving for Africa Sat. so I will clean while they are gone.

So Rhonda, did you go to work or stay home? It's nice that you get Monday off too.

I can't seem to get this posted...

Pat, it sounds like you are off to a good start today.

Carrie, and Lizzy, glad you are both on the mend.

Nancy, good for you taking those classes!
That trip is coming up so fast!! How long will he be gone? How very exciting!!

Good snowy afternoon!

We are in a blizzard warning here. Blowing snow is making it difficult to travel. I wonder if it is the same one that Rhonda has. Ours (warning that is) will end at midnight. WHen will yours end Rhonda? I only have 5 little ones today.

Carrie I had not heard of that list. Interesting to see. I never noticed those things before. I bet you enjoyed your shower! It can make you feel so good!

Pat I hope you finished your wrapping! I ordered a last minute gift and that will be here today so I have another one to do.

Lizzy I am glad you are feeling better. This flu really took a lot out of you. HOw did do you like your bangs today?

Paula I hope you don't get this blizzard too! Riley will be gone for about 17 days.

Rhonda did you stay home today or did you travel in this weather? I am getting caught up for the holidays. I actually got my cards out today!! It is mostly food stuff now. I will have Monday through Wednesday off. It will be good so we can get Riley's things packed on Wednesday. I just read you may go to the store if the roads aren't too bad so I take that as you must have stayed home. Drive safe if you go out.

Well not a lot new here, just staying busy with the holidays. I almost forgot to take a picture of the pinecone ornaments and most of them are wrapped. I better go do that!