Cruise news

A belated report on our recent cruise of the western Caribbean, taken the second week in February. Sorry for the absence. I believe the long winter froze my motivation. ;)

Goodness, there were so many things that, according to Newton's Law, should have thrown a wrench into our cruise vacation plans. Thankfully, Newton's Law is often in direct conflict with the prevailing will of God. In other words, nothing really went wrong at all. But that doesn't mean I came away empty handed. There's a story in there somewhere. Lesee..........

As you might know, I suffered a very serious migraine attack just days before we were to begin the steps to our vacation. If you've never had a serious one, let me just paint it this way. Someone sneaks up, hits you in the back of your head with a plastic ball bat. It stings. You know you've been hit and have the sting to prove it. While you're trying to get your bearings, they trade out the plastic bat for a sledgehammer and, BAMM!, they strike again. I'm totally serious. A migraine headache doesn't feel like a headache at all. In fact, it feels like a head injury. I was nauseated and wretching. The back of my head felt like the skull had parted and I could not lay down in bed at all. The softness of the pillows felt like a vise pressing down on my skull bones. It was that bad. I went to the ER in desperation. And they provided relief after IV meds and fluids. But before the sun rose the next morning, I was in pain again. For days. Prescribed Darvocet made me wretch all over again with overwhelming nausea. Can you imagine what that does to a sledehammered head? OUCH!!!
A visit to my family doc and a migraine prescription finally brought much needed relief. I hope you are not one who suffers from this excruciating ailment at any time.

And now, the highlights (and near mishaps) of our vacation.
FRIDAY:
The day of the major snowstorm warnings for the entire midwest. Carl got off work at 1:00pm. We left as soon as he got home, as we had a 6 hour drive to Ohio to leave our kids with my parents. It took NINE hours and we counted 42 cars in the ditches, plus one semi-truck jack-knifed on 71S just above Columbus, OH. It blocked all lanes of southbound traffic heading into Columbus. Oh my! Thank goodness we were northbound.
We went to bed around 11pm at my parents', then had to get up at 2:15am to get ourselves on the standby list for our morning flights (check-in time is one way to gain priority for seats when airline employees fly standby.) Naturally, our airline's employee portal was down online, so I had to sit there for fifteen minutes in the middle of the night waiting for the site to come back up. Sigh.

SATURDAY:
We got up at 4:15am (yes, we had just been up at 2:15am) to find a good 5" of snow or more. I was SO afraid we'd get stuck, especially when my dad backed out of the driveway and we heard the deep "crunch" under the wheels. We were in my mom's Tracker and thankfully the four-wheel drive prevailed. It was a tedious drive to the airport. I worried about my dad driving back home, a 17 mile drive, alone. He made it back safely though. Phew! All still well.

We had intended to connect through LaGuardia, as there were the most open seats for standbys there. However, with Philly expecting a FOOT of snow and all (Oy vey!)....good thing we went to Dallas. In fact, LaGuardia closed down (another disaster averted). We knew we'd likely get bumped off a few flights in Dallas, but barring a cancelled Dallas-Miami flight, we figured we'd eventually get out of Dallas and on to Miami. It took three tries, but we finally found ourselves on a flight bound for Miami (and had business class seats too. They fully recline, you have your own screen for viewing movies or playing games, and you're provided a full sized pillow and down comforter. Yeah, it was GOOD!)


We usually make a trip over to Bayside Mall in Miami. It's a funky, artsy outdoor mall with lots of eateries and boutique shopping. Unfortunately, we arrived in Miami too late to do that, so we ate at the airport and then headed over to our hotel. There had been some confusion over our reservation after we booked it (as in the hotel confirmed it, then later couldn't find it). We didn't want a room mishap because there were no rooms (zero, zilch) in all of Miami due to it being Superbowl weekend (yes, we're VERY lucky we got on any flights given that fact.) Thankfully, all was well. We received our room key and a welcome bag filled with snacks, bottled water and coupons. A nice touch from an old, refurbished hotel.

SUNDAY:
Got up early and took a walk outside our hotel. It was just down the street from where we stayed last year, but we didn't realize then that it backed up to a nice neighborhood. We enjoyed our sunny morning walk through the neighborhood, then headed back to the hotel to wait for our ride to the ship. We didn't have to wait long, and by 10:30am, we were on our way. We were one of the first 10 passengers or so on board. Our room wasn't ready, but who cares when you have a ginormous ship to explore? We enjoy looking at the millionaire homes alongside port of Miami, so we spent time doing that, eating lunch, and watching other passengers board before we set sail at 4pm. Woohoo!
MONDAY:
A day at sea. We worked out in the gym, walked almost 3 miles on deck, and enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day out by the pool. There are so many activities to enjoy that I won't list them here, but suffice it to say we had plenty to do (or not) to help us relax as we pleased.


Tuesday:
Today we were on the island of Grand Cayman.


We decided to take a Jeep 4x4 island tour. Whoa, was it ever F-U-N!


Carl was our driver, which suggests we had passengers. Another couple from our ship. Very nice, from Chicago, very TALL. I mention this only because of "the incident." Let me back up though and say that our day began with a trip to a local hotel where we had full use of their facilities; a private spot on Grand Cayman's 7-Mile Beach, lounge chairs, a free drink, restrooms, and free use of their snorkeling equipment.


We enjoyed about 2 hours on the beach before we bussed to pick up our jeeps for island touring. The guides took us to a BEAUTIFUL spot called Morgan's Harbor. It was a rustic, untouched area of coastline. In the photo, you'll see the waves breaking as a solid white line out from shore. That is actually the reef that surrounds 75% of Grand Cayman. From the shore to that point, the water only deepens to 15 feet. Beyond the reef? A FOUR MILE drop in places (I won't tell you how terrifying that is to me.)


The incident. Okay, so. We were heading back through the semi-jungle terrain of Barker national park. As we drove off of the sands of the beach onto the dirt road out, our guide yelled to Carl, "Give it the ol' Caribbean spin!" (think thick Jamaican accent there.) So Carl does what any "big boy with a toy" would do. He floored it. A 180º sand tosser and we quickly got up to about 45mph when he suddenly noted the HUGE potholes in the dirt road.

It was too late to safely avoid them, as we were already into the "put the shocks to the test" phase of hitting the potholes. If he had forced the breaks, we might well have flipped the vehicle. So there was nothing to do but release his foot from the gas and bump and bounce along until the jeep slowed down. And THAT is when it happened.

As we hit several large potholes, a loud "K-bang, k-bang" was heard in the back seats. I assumed it was seat belt buckles, but oh. no. it. was. not. Before I could safely spin around in my seat to see what had happened,.....BAMM! I myself was in the backseat.
Not just me.
All of me.
As in seat and all.
And I landed in the lap of a six foot tall stranger of a man behind me.
"Why, hellooOo there." To my great relief, he was laughing hysterically (and frankly, I thought it might be a sign of head trauma). It seems my jeep seat didn't lock into place well, as I ended up in said stranger's lap TWO MORE times before it was all said and done.

We spent time at the Rum factory (nothin' like giving a bunch of cruisers the keys to your jeeps, then heading on over to the rum factory and offering them free samples of about 15 different rums and rum cakes, eh?)




We also went to Hell.


No, not that Hell.
Hell, Grand Cayman.
It got its name from the unusual rock formation behind the post office (yes, you can send postcards from Hell. Who knew?)

Wednesday:
We arrived on the island of Cozumel. Because we've been there several times already, we opted to take a 45 minute ferry ride to the mainland to visit the Mayan ruins at Tulum, a 45 minute bus ride away.


The tour operators were wonderful and provided us with a thorough historical overview before arriving. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and the beach behind them? To die for. It was soooo lovely.


Not as lovely as Crane Beach on the island of Barbados, but still breathtaking. What wasn't so lovely, and in fact was downright frightening was the ferry ride over and back. The water was rough enough to make us somewhat seasick on the ride over to the mainland. Imagine our dismay when we got back from the ruins, only to discover the sea had become even more choppy. I was seriously concerned for our safety heading back to the ship. Hubby wasn't, but he tends to happily roll with the waves punches so you can't go by him.

Thursday:
Another day at sea as we made our way back to Miami. On this day, we saw the best performance we've ever taken in on a ship. It was a dance group from the Jean Ann Ryan Company. This production company turns out Broadway and Vegas quality shows and let me tell you, they were extremely talented and polished. They performed two nights and both were equally fabulous. However, on Thursday night, Hubs told me to look above my head during the show. What did I see? You'll have to go HERE, then click on the picture image to experience it. We sat right up front and I still can't believe that caliber of a performance was included in my cruising cost. Amazing!

Friday:
We got up very early, ate breakfast on the ship, then waited for the announcement that we could deboard. It came early enough that we wanted to try to make a mad dash for the airport to try to catch the first flight out. Otherwise, we anticipated a long day of full flights. Thankfully, we did get there in time to make the flight to Chicago and connected back into Cleveland with no trouble.

THE END (Well, until next year, that is. Getting this down, Sniz and Big Doofus?) ;)

Toni

Just a note to say...

I don't usually jot down "just a quick note" but decided I would just this once, so you'll know where I've been and where I'm at.

Where I've been:
In a dark bedroom for 6 days, sitting upright in a chair and praying for healing. I had a most awful migraine that was relentless. A trip to the ER, IV meds and fluids, weekend calls to the doc for more meds (which made me sicker), a Monday visit to my family doc for an injection and even MORE meds and finally (FINALLY!), relief is coming now. So that's where I've been.

Where I'm going:
To the Caribbean to rest and recoup. It won't be the same without our dear, dear friends, SNIZ and BIG DOOFUS (they were with us last year and we all had thee BEST time together.) But It will be fun and it is sooo needed at the moment. I'll give a glimpse of it when we get back.

Oh, and one more thing.
I just wanted to say hello to several new friends who popped in very recently here on my blog. How nice to "see" some new names and I'll be sure to stop to visit you when we get back. And I want to say thank you too to faithful readers who have regularly come out of the shadows to comment and to let me know you're there. I really enjoy writing, first for myself as a creative outlet. It's something I've always needed to do, probably since around the fourth grade (courtesy of my phys. ed teacher who also happened to be a published author and encouraged my attempts with the pen and page.)

But I do write for my readers as well, in the hopes that God will somehow use my spin on the seemingly mundane moments of everyday life to remind both you and me that there really is a glass half full in the midst of whatever season we're in. To me (in my limited understanding of how life works) it would be terribly sad to have passed through the limited number of seasons we're each given to experience while on this earth, and to NOT have recognized the blessings hidden among the burdens. And sometimes,...sometimes those blessings are disguised as the average moments of average days. 'Nuff said.

See y'all soon! :)

Toni

Time travel

I absolutely love calla lillies. Every time I see one, I'm immediately transported back in time to the absolute best of times, my early childhood and days spent with my grandparents back in Pennsylvania. My mom grew up in a tiny "patch" town which sprung up in the first decade of the 20th century in response to the coal mining industry there. I would venture to say that maybe 300 people lived in her town? And that figure might well be generous.

My grandparents had little in the way of material comforts. But they had what really mattered; a roof over their heads, enough food on the table, and deep, abiding faith that carried them through the very darkest of days, even the loss of their daughter, Toni, after she gave birth to their first grandchild.
Yet, I, as a child, wouldn't have known they had little. Because in my little girl eyes, they held the keys to the kingdom and I was always excited to head for their "castle" on the hill (yes, their little town flourished on the side of a lone hill.)

There were only 2 bedrooms in Gram and Pap's house (three if you count the storage room that was perhaps 6'x10' at best, and was once used as a bedroom.) Including myself, there were four of us kids, and we absolutely loved to pile into the down feather beds, two to a bed, to fall asleep to the sounds of barking dogs in the distance and the smell of coal in the air. That bedroom, to me, was special. It sat at the end of a short but curved hallway with a single sconce light on the wall. And I thought my Gram and Pap were rich because really, who has curved halls?

Mornings were always the same. I awakened to the smell of fresh coffee, visible in the glass top of Gram's perculator. And she sometimes gave me a plastic teacup filled with just a bit of coffee and a barrel of cream. I might have been 5 or 6 years old and definitely not fond of the taste of coffee, but that mattered none. At Gram's house, it was ritual and I was not about to miss out.

Her kitchen seemed large to me as a child. In retrospect, I realize it was really very small. I still remember the pattern on the linoleum. And the lovely glass knob on the basement door. The canned sardines in the pantry. And Pap's oak desk in the corner. Oh, and the warmth of the stove. But most of all, I remember the view from the kitchen window. It directed one's eyes further up the hillside, to the cemetery that sat near the very top. The cemetery where my Aunt Toni was laid to rest. Gram used to do the dishes there, and occasionally I would see her gazing up that hill. While I can't be certain, I do believe that she might have been with my Aunt Toni, if only in thought, in those moments.
Time travel? Hmmm...
I sometimes wonder if the view from that place in Gram's window brought both pain and peace.

We loved to sit on the high front porch on summer nights after our baths, Pap listening to his transister radio, mosquito coils giving off their famliar smell, as the glow of the imposing street lights cast a radiance on our time spent together. Bowls of icecream in our laps, we sang songs, chatted, and attempted to hang on to whatever time we had left to our day before the final bedtime call was issued. Then off we'd go, down the enchanted curved hall to our feather down slumberland for the night.

And that's when I'd always take note of it.

The oval framed photo hanging just through the entry way that lead to the curved hall. The antique frame, with it's beveled glass and youthful subjects. It was a photo of my grandparents on their wedding day long ago. My grandfather looked tall (he wasn't) and proud (he sure was). And my grandmother? The most beautiful bride I had ever laid my youthful eyes on.

And those flowers.

Those magnificant, soft and wonderfully curved flowers.
I didn't know what they were then.
I only knew that they captivated me every time I took notice of them.

I'm not sure I ever ventured through that arched entrance toward the back rooms of Gram's house without taking notice of the wedding photo and the magical beauty of the calla lilies my grandmother held in her bouquet.

So, many years later, when I became a bride, I carried calla lillies in my wedding too. They were, are, and always will be a symbolic connection to that brief and precious time in my life called childhood. I love that they transport me back to a place of incredible love, safety, and peace.

Time travel.

Perhaps not unlike that kitchen window and the faraway place I sometimes noticed in my grandmother's eyes when she stood there staring up the hill?

Only she knows the answer to that.

And I fully intend to ask her someday, when I am blessed to see her again.

Love and miss you always, Gram and Pap.
Wish I could tell you that in person on any given day.

Toni

Sketchy Santa: lesson learned

It all started just before Christmas. Expectations shattered, that is. We had taken the kids to get pictures with our local Santa who, by the way, speaks with a serious southern drawl and looks,...hmmm, not sure,...like he's either very tired or somewhat tipsy (if you need a good laugh clarification, just go HERE and I'm sure you'll come away with a better understanding of our own sketchy Santa.)

So we waited in line for over 30 minutes for our chance at slapping down $15 for a single 5x7 photo (sheesh, apparently Santa's working the poor enconomy as well), and finally it was our turn. The kids briefed Santa on their wants of the moment (which were changing just about hourly at that point in the season). Santa then directed them to choose a candy cane from the box next to him. Brandon, age 3, had a puzzled look on his face.

"Go on, baby. Choose a candy cane."
(heard behind me: "Hey Santa, can I have two?" Heard from my own voicebox: "Hey Reece, don't ask Santa for more than you're supposed to get." Santa accomodated Reece's request, no doubt to move my pack along.)

Next thing I know, Brandon is taking a candy cane while pouting and clearly holding back tears.

As we walked outside into the artic-like winter winds, he began to cry.
"Baby, what's the matter? Didn't you like Santa?"
"Yes." (pout, sniffle)
"Don't you like candy canes? Santa even let you take two."
"Yes." (pout, sniffle)
"Then,...why are you crying?"
"Santa din't gib me a heweecoptoo an' a aiw-pwane."

Ahhhh, I get it now.
Brandon had seen Santa (the "one and only" Santa as far as his 3 year old mind was concerned) when we visited our Children's Museum a few weeks earlier. He had told Santa of his wish to get an airplane and a helicopter.
So as far as Brandon was concerned, the "order" had been placed.
In his little mind, we were going to see Santa again for one reason and one reason only.
To pick up his gifts.
The photo op was merely a formality. Where were the gifts?
Sketchy Santa failed to deliver. Brandon was highly disappointed.
Carl had to get down to eye level and explain in 3 year old terms that NO, Santa did not forget what Brandon had asked for. And NO, Santa did not provide token candycanes in lieu of Brandon's wish list. It's just that Brandon was too small to see the bigger picture.

Brandon felt forgotten by Santa. Haven't you ever felt like that? Like God doesn't hear you, that He isn't answering your prayerful pleas? I am vividly reminded of Psalm 77, where the psalmist is clearly traveling through one of life's darkest valleys.
He is tired.
He is definitely frustrated.
He feels so very, very alone.
And he isn't holding back as he pours out his troubled heart to God.

He mentions a sense of abandonment in verse 2. He also seems to lash out at God in desperate frustration in verses 3 and 4, going so far as to say that remembering God makes him tearful and unable to rest. Honestly, haven't you ever felt like that? I know I have.

But I love that Psalm 77 doesn't end with a burdened soul who cannot cope. To me, it's a message from God of tremendous encouragement. He wants me to know that He has not forgotten me, nor foresaken me (Heb 13:5). And He demonstrates this in Psalm 77 through the response of the psalmist to God's seeming silence, beginning in verse 10.

How?

Simply by recalling all the times in his life (or in the past) when God was there, when His hand did become evident, when it became clear that He in fact heard and was answering prayer, perhaps even when the psalmist didn't realize He was at work (my thoughts there.)

And like Brandon, sometimes we also are just too small to see the big picture. But it doesn't mean that it isn't being painted or even already finished. God is already there, at the end of each struggle we face. He knows how it will all work out. He does hear us.

The next time you're struggling to feel Him in your circumstances, why not meditate on the great things He has done?
Recall how He revealed Himself to you in times past, and draw on the knowledge that He was there then and is still there now.
Always listening.
Always working.
Always ready to provide His feet as a place where your burdens can be laid down.

Remember that.

And don't hesitate to meditate on the words of Psalm 77 when life blows in around you with gale force.

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah

4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.

5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;

6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?

8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Selah

10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."

11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?

14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah

16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.

17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.

19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Toni

Outsourced!

Don't you just love it when you get a new toy?
Honestly, it's great when you can catapult yourself back in time to experience the excitement and wonder of Christmas morning like a kid again; when, on occasion, you receive a gift that, simply put, feels like a toy. That's just what happened to Hubs and I this year. We made the six hour trip to Ohio to visit my parents the week before Christmas and found ourselves on the receiving end of a brand new toy. My parents got us a GPS.

Now you have to know that we LOVE small town America. Can't get enough of it. We'll be driving along a country road, out in the middle of nowhere, and we'll see a sign that reads something like, "Chatham, 2 miles." The curiosity immediately takes over.

Chatham?
What's in Chatham?
How small is Chatham?
Do they have a downtown to speak of?
A traffic light, even?
How many people live in Chatham?
Is there a must-visit diner in Chatham?

Before you know it, we're turned around and headed to Chatham because we simply MUST know.
Ya know?
Yes, really. We love to get our fill of small town America.
So a GPS, combined with a six hour drive back to our home? Oh baby, come to Momma. ;)

And at first it was great fun. We laughed when she reprimanded us for turning the "wrong" way (reminds me of that line from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: "You're going the wrong way," to which John Candy replies, "How would they know where we're going?") We also enjoyed using the various GPS features to check out local sights. And the gas station feature? A must (we nearly ran out on our way home last trip, at night, in the middle of nowhere and with no knowledge of the route we had decided on that day.)

It didn't take long, though, to realize that she was taking over.
SHE! With her, "Turn here" and "Make a left there."
SHE, with her clarity of voice and powerful presence, all up in my face dashboard and all.
SHE, staging a full coup. An all-and-out, "Take your lame collection of laminated maps and your backseat driver's permit and join another row 'cause you're not needed in the front row any longer," take-over.
SHE, in reality, had replaced me.

Suddenly, I was just another passenger on the manifest.
No longer the second in command.
No longer the eyes and ears of the captain.
No longer the lighthouse or ship's navigator.
No longer needed for anything involved with getting us home.
In effect,.....I was outsourced.

Come to find out you're apparently supposed to name your SHE. And so, after careful consideration, we narrowed it down and crowned her with a title truly worthy of one who waltzes in and takes away the job of another.

Her name?
Nellie the Scab.
Well what would you name someone who came in and stole your job away? Exactly!

Oh, the adventures we look forward to with our new "friend", Nellie.
But I'm telling you right now, she better bring her best game at all times.
Otherwise?
I might see fit to dim her lights and resurrect my map collection.
Not that I'm bitter about my, uh hem, displacement or anything.

Toni

Fetch! (the laugh's on me)

Winter waltzed right in. I witnessed its unrelenting force wreak havoc as child's play. It loosened the shingles on a nearby neighbor's home so effectively that the next minute they danced a rippled rhythm, as a banner high on a pole. So naturally, I sent hubs out to knock on said neighbor's door.
"In this weather?"
"Honey! You would want someone to tell you if your roof was coming off, right?"
I smiled and waved dutifully as he spotted me watching from the sliding glass window, while he pressed against the gale forces to make his way to the neighbor's front door. And in fact, the poor guy didn't know. His storm door had already been unhinged and now the roof. I felt awful for him as we too have been hit with large, unexpected expenses for three Christmases now. But you know, my house is warm and cozy, my kids are still bickering happy and healthy, and we have what truly matters most, faith in Jesus Christ and one another. Glass half full.

It eventually turned out to be a wonderful day. I consider us richly blessed to sit down to dinner together as a family just about every evening, a beautiful blessing indeed. After a good meal(coconut butternut squash pasta), we brought out all the boxes from storage and decorated for Christmas. How I love the yearly transformation. I'll share a bit of that in photos with you, but first a flashback from the earlier part of my day.

You might know we have a new dog, a Yellow Lab named Chance. Goodness, we all love that furry boy and he totally knows it. There are a few behaviors we're working on modifying, but overall he's just a big ol' yellow bunch of love. However, having rescued him from a shelter, we have been dealing with whipworms. Now I'm not one to shy away from the reality that having animals can create some gross situations, probably because I grew up with cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, ducks, hamsters, and fish. I'm pretty darn used to the various scenarios that can play out when you own a pet. And, well, we've been dealing with an ongoing loose bowel issue since Chance joined us a month ago. Some days it's better, others much worse. He's been successfully dewormed but still the bowel trouble continues. :(

So today, we had to take another specimen to the Vet to be checked for worms. Now, I don't know if you're a pet owner or not. But if you are, you know how "lovely" it is when you're asked to bring in a "specimen." Uh yeah, you have to fetch a biscuit and I'm not talking bread.

Did I mention we had gale force winds?

So I waited until my dog launched the eagle had landed, then grabbed a sweat jacket, tennis shoes, and a baggie and off I went to get it. This dirty job couldn't wait. I needed to get it over with before the poo lay buried under snow or froze to the point of impossibility. The driving snow stung my squinting eyeballs as I stammered through to the end of the yard.

Am I reeeeally having to do this?
Where is hubs when I need him?
How to pick up a steamer with just a little baggie? (no, I'm not asking you; rather, I was asking me as I stood there in the cold being tossled like a wind chime.)

By the time I had answered my own "how to" question, I looked like the rusty tin man of Oz, my wind-chilled fingers frozen and uncooperative. The baggie suddenly got away from me and I nearly twisted my ankle attempting to make a sudden dash to retrieve it. Thankfully, it lodged into the fence posts where I snatched it back right quick and returned to the nasty task at hand.

I inverted the bag, grabbed, and sealed it tight.
Where to put it such a naaaasty little package?
As the whipping wind was quickly lowering my core temperature, I hastily settled on tossing it under the patio furniture. I figured it would be protected from the elements by the canvas coverings that donned each piece. It made good sense.

That is, until a humongous gust of wind kicked up and sent our furniture flying into the yard. That's when I thought I heard, "Cleared for take-off," and saw the steamer go fly-high-ing past our back windows.
Seriously, we had lift-off.
My kids were cracking up. "Look at mommy chasing a fly-away poo bag. Ha hah ha."
They're easily amused (grrr!)

But I'm happy to say I won. I vigorously chased and recaptured that bogus little baggie as it rode on the breeze like the tail of a kite.
SNAP! GOTCHA!!!

Now knowing that's how my day started, I'm sure you'll understand how much more I love how it ended, with decorating our home for the holidays.
Stay warm wherever you are.
On with the photo montage.....


Aw, go on and admit it. He's as cute as can be. He is!


Hubs bought these beauties for me after Thanksgiving, to ackowledge my hard work in preparing the meal for our family.


This cute little tree was created in honor of Hubs' mom after she died of colon cancer in 1995. Is that mini tree skirt and nativity scene the most adorable or what?


I love to line up photos of Christmas past on the stairs. My mom made the snowman.


I am crazy about our fireplace. Our faux cardboard fireplace with its faux flames. Kinda got a deer theme going on the mantle this year (the red one is at least 45 years old.)


HA! That's Cierah with a towel on her head. Why, you ask? Because we're playing a game called Back To Bethlehem and she was instructed to wear a towel on her head as a shepherd. This game gives great cause for laughs, as well as getting the kids to think about deeper things like, "What do you think Christmas morning is like for a homeless person?" Love it. You can find it online at Todd Wilson's website.


This is Hubs when he got home from work today. His company is flying some children to Dallas who lost a parent in service to our nation. There was face painting going on and a little girl asked Hubs if he wanted his nose "painted like Rudolph." He didn't, but said, "How do you say no to a little girl who lost her mom or dad in service to us?" Ten minutes later, he looked like this. :)


I absolutely love my nativity. My aunt found it on sale after Christmas many years ago and I thought it was the most beautiful I'd ever seen. The jewel tone colors are brilliant in person and the pieces are well detailed.

Toni

MESSAGES!

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year! Can't you just hear Andy Williams flexing the golden pipes? Oh yeah! And to date, indeed it has been a wonderful holiday season. My parents came in from Ohio for Thanksgiving, Mom's first year in decades where she was not the primary cook. And in fact, she was such a good teacher that I had very little for her to help with while here. She did make us some awesome gravy, but more importantly, she and my Dad poured lots of love into our active bunch. Nothing measures up to that (even if I did make a good turkey.)

I have some Christmas "duties" out of the way and our outside lights are up. Trust me, this is muy early for my procrastinating nature. I mean, lights up before December 1st? Check me for the fever, y'all. But it's true. And it feels GREAT to have it done. A little more Christmas "duty" in the next few days is in order. I'm thrilled with our more timely approach this year (don't even pit me against those "I'm done in June" folks; I'm simply not from that realm, ya know?)

But not everything is going as smooth as butter. Take a few weeks ago in church, for example. I was standing there talking to my dear friend, Sniz, after service. My four kids were on short leashes, chomping at the bit to throw self control to the wind but knowing we expected them to mind us. So, Sniz and I were deep in conversation when what happened next left me momentarily speechless (I assure you, this does not often happen to me.)

Apparently, I had burned up my allotted "mom chat" time (you know, that magical child determined time where a mom can talk without interruption or embarrassment at the mercy of her accomodating little darlings). And to drive the point home, my sweet babes entered into a battle of sorts. A battle over who would claim the coveted seat next to Miss "K", a lovely teen girl whom my kids adore. In their efforts to WIN said coveted seat, a little creativity was in order. I mean, hey, mom's not watchin', right?

So child "A" came up with a plan to trip up child "B".

Yes, literally.

And since Child "B" was up wandering around (instead of remaining seated as we had asked) child "A"s plan met with success and child "B" went flying across the floor. The proof was in the wave of destruction that followed.
A loud "CRASH!" was heard.
Followed by several gasps.
Then several raised eyebrows and concerned expressions.
Because,...well,....okay, yes.

I give up.

It was my sweet little darlings,mine, mind you, who busted the church message board to smithereens. Fragments of what once was a means of communication amongst our members lay scattered about Sniz and I on the floor.
A frame edge here.
A few decorative fall leaves there.
Another frame edge.
And another.
And the other (yes, that's all four framing pieces, but who's counting?)

Sadly true! My little angels made big time wrestling out of church property and all eyes were on us to witness it.
Uuuuh,...I'm ready for my closeup??? (Toni smiles like a nervous Chesire.)
Those who watched SNL back in the day, think Mary Catherine. "Super star!"

Hubs and I did the only thing we could think of. We picked up the remains of the message board and made for the door, promising to fix and return the board later.

Fast forward to the following Saturday night. I had been up late, pressing clothes and getting ready for church again the next day. Hubs was off at "man camp" (a Christian men's retreat). I had bathed 4 kids, showered myself, and was now ready to turn in for the night. Only.....

RATS!

There sat the boogered up board on a chair in the corner of my bedroom. In the business of our week (Thanksgiving grocery shopping, dance and art lessons, picking up a few things for Hubs for man camp, packing him, etc.), we had completely forgotten to fix the board. Knowing it would be needed the next day in church, the task fell soley on me.

At midnight. Swell!

I ran down to the garage and gathered much needed supplies. A heavy duty staple gun. And a hammer and finishing nails "just in case." It took the better part of fifteen minutes for me to figure out how to reframe the corkboard with just one pair of hands. But I finally got the four sides reassembled and thus reached for my staple gun.

P-tink, p-tink!
Oh for crying out loud!

Those staples would NOT pass through the tough particle board frame. And worse yet? I couldn't get them back out. They were stuck reeeeal good. I was afraid to pull, afraid to damage the board even more. I was not at ALL opposed to simply buying a replacement, mind you. It's just that it was after midnight, I was home alone with the kids, and it was too late to implement that plan. Naturally.
Ever so gingerly, I tugged and tugged. A good 20 or so times and FINALLY out came the staple. Sheesh!

Okay then. Hammer and finishing nails it is.
Oh!
No!
It!
Isn't!
I could have bam-bam-bammed 'til the cows came home, but those nails weren't going any deeper than the staples had gone, no matter how hard I pounded.

What to do, what to do???

You crafty types know where I'm going with this. Because fact is, in the crafting world, a girl's gotta have her tools.
Get....me....my....glue gun!
I filled the tracks along each framing piece and I did the only thing I could do.
I glued 'er on reeeeeeal good. Then I stepped back and examined my work. It was holding. I was happy. But at the same time, I was very concerned.
Concerned that the job was fragile.
Concerned that the glue might only work in the short run.
Concerned that I'd carry that baby back to church and gently sit it back on the display tripod, only to find myself stuck in my own version of a scene in the movie A Christmas Story. You know the scene I mean. Where the leg lamp gets "accidentally" broken and the Dad glues all the pieces back together. But when he gently replaces the shade, the whole thing falls apart again. Uh huh, I had visions of that happening as I ever so gently carried the glued message board back into church last Sunday.

Only,....


It ended up being totally unnecessary.
The staples.
The finishing nails.
The hot glue gun.
The worrying about my personal "leg lamp" moment.
It was all unnecessary because, as I approached the tripod, my eyes fixed on a new and beautiful message board.
Whole, sturdy and unflawed.

And isn't that just like our great God and Father? We are so broken before Him. And yet He can pick up any little shard of us and use it to let His light shine through our brokenness. He can make us whole and sturdy and unflawed, if only we allow Him. If only we are willing to be made new in Jesus His Son, who died for all sin for all time. Oh, that He CAN make us whole. That only He can. And that we should discover that for ourselves. Just as I discovered the message board made whole again, not of my own efforts but of another, just as we are redeemed not because of our own efforts, but because of what Jesus did for us. Now that's a message worth sharing. Happy holidays!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Toni