Women Who Eat Chocolate

Christmas… that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance -- a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. - Augusta E. Rundel Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making." - Leigh Hunt .

We had a super Thanksgiving last week---ate entirely too much! The kids have been at home since last Wednesday. They had off Wed thru Mon. I took them out to eat and see a movie last Wednesday which was fun. We haven't done a whole lot of that since the fire. It was nice to get out and about. They head back to school today, except for Selena who is down with a nasty cold. Poor thing, she couldn't even sleep last night because of her runny nose. She's been downing aspirin and echinacea, but when I get off work this morning I'm going to see what else I can give her. I'm at work this morning, and it's definitely slowing down. I only had four rooms rented last night, with two to check out this morning. They all checked out before 7:00am! Starting in December I don't have to come in at 5:45am anymore---I can come in at 6:45! That hour will definitely be nice. The drywall is totally done in the kitchen, and the electric is in...and I'm getting ants...

Okay.....I'm officially counting down to Christmas and staying in my house. I'm doing this at my own expense because if we DON'T stay there for Christmas I'll be disappointed! It's okay though. They are officially putting in my windows as we speak, this very moment. My kitchen cabinets are in! My countertops are in! And my walls are done except for a few patches. I have officially chosen "Mark Twain House Gray Brick" for my kitchen walls. It's a very funky green so I'm not sure why it's called gray. I love it....and we're thinking about a black ceiling! Still deciding on that one. It all seems to be coming together. The floor joists that were burned through in Hunter's room are done, and the subfloor is going in tonight. My kitchen ceiling should be finished tonight too. I normally don't like to put Christmas pics on until Thanksgiving is over.....but I'm in the mood since I can't decorate my house for Christmas. ...

I'm going crazy....it's time to go home to my house! I think I've just reached that point where I need to be surrounded by my own things, my own routine, my family's routine! I've discovered that my family likes to chill. We seem to gain strength from each other by just sitting around and watching movies.....rolling around on the floor.....etc. My mom likes to work in the garden and relax out there. Not me. If you've ever seen that commercial where the guy comes home with a stack of movies to watch in one hand and looks over to his neighbors driveway where the guy is just slaving away. He's shoveling snow, and just killing himself. The guy with the movies shakes his head and walks to his door, snow piled high crunching through at least a foot of the white stuff. That would be us. We'll always be the family with the leaves piled high outside, the snow blowing drifts around our door. But there will be two tracks that have made their way out to...