Project 365, Week 50

Have you enjoyed all my nice newsy posts lately?  :)  I miss blogging, but I like sleep more and I'm very protective of the 6.5 hours I get a night.

It feels like one of the craziest December's in quite a while, though I'm reminded of the many, many years I was working full-time and going to school.  Papers and project due dates and finals were always in middle to late December and then I would start thinking about Christmas.  When I think back on all those years, I am inspired by all that I have handled in the past.

Thankfully its all great stuff we have going on, including good jobs.  I guess I always approach this season picturing us sitting on the couch watching the top ten Christmas movies, while sipping egg nog and stringing popcorn.  I see the girls and I doing all kinds of crafty crafts while the smell of cookies wafts from the oven.

Isn't that silly?  Especially since I couldn't stand sitting through ten movies (my year's quota) in one month, I don't like egg nog and I don't have the patience, mess-tolerance, and follow through for crafts. Obviously there's a little gap between my expectations and reality.  :)

Instead I watch with great joy as my family serves in ministry and are involved in things they love.  It really IS the most wonderful time of the year.

ANYWAY!  Onto our week...

December 4
This is noteworthy because I was in church...on a Sunday.  We almost always go on Saturday nights, but when I realized I would be doing a two + month stretch of not sitting in a service, I thought it might be nice to darken the doors.  And it was.  Always good to be there!

Right after church a friend took us to the stables where she works/rides and Amanda got to go horseback riding.  She was thrilled and almost immediately was asking if she could do jumps.  Crazy girl!

December 5
The weather was SO nice so I took the kids and the dog outside.  We raked what we could and as I was just about to head back in, the truck came to suck them all up.  Perfect timing!

 Second Nutcracker rehearsal of the week and dinner in the car.  It doesn't happen enough but I sure love getting one-on-one time with this girl.

 December 6
I worked a whole lot and didn't even take a picture....luckily I found this one on the camera Amanda and Avery took to play practice.  :)

December 7

Shopping night for our Adopt-a-Family.  Avery helped shop and then Amanda, Aiden and I joined up with the family for wrapping.  Its so great to see the kids getting involved with giving to others in need.

 December 8
I graduated from foster care training!  I haven't shared about it here, but will soon, now that I know I passed.  :)

 December 9
Another crazy work day, but Amanda came through for me.  Nice shot of our cake batter for Grandma's birthday cake.

 December 10
I was at Avery's school at 7 AM helping with a fundraiser event they were having.  I came home and got to work decorating the cake...this was the view from my kitchen window.  :)

 Shaun's grandfather took us all out to lunch for Christmas...his two daughters, their seven children and significant others and our children.  We were missing a couple, but had a nice lunch and are grateful for the time we get with him.

 Later, we headed back to our house for Shaun's mom's surprise 60th birthday party.  Here she is with all five of her grandchildren...

 ...and all four of her kids.  I'm so thankful for her life and the gift she brought into this world (that one on the left).  :)

Have a blessed week!