I love this song -
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices.
O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

I love this time of year. I don't want to miss it. I want Christmas to change me this year.

Well, it seems as if the pre-winter funk has visited our family. Mike has pains(or he is a pain - I can never keep that straight), Mikey has the crud, Trey has the pukes and I'm in a funk. Don't know for sure what my problem is. Maybe I just don't like everybody being sick. Sure hope this all passes soon. We have too much celebrating to do this month to be sick. "Short-round- one" will be turning 2. I can't believe it, it seems he was just blessing us with his arrival a short while ago and now we are waiting on a new one. I will try to motivate myself to pack up some Christmas decorations I have been hanging on to and drop them at Goodwill. I just have too much stuff. Putting up my fresh greenery will be the final touch today. We found a beautiful tree at Straders. The fragrance is inbelievable. I recommend it if you are looking for a real tree, probably the nicest trees I have seen for a while. Hope everyone is beginning to feel festive, it is coming quickly.

We all need a soft place to fall.

There's snow on the ground!!!! SNOW!! Call me crazy(I've been called worse) but I love snow. I got so excited I was dancing to Bruce Springsteen's "Merry Christmas Baby" in my family room. Yea, I know you're all saying you wish you could have seen that!

O.K. my daughter is calling me a blog slacker and I can't let that happen. Truth is my life has been so boring I've had little to blog about - and I love it. I started going to a gym and I am even using a personal trainer. I love it. I wish I had done this years ago. I was always so out of it when it came to physical things when I was young. My sister and I used to joke that we were the grace sisters. It's funny how you get a picture of yourself and carry that around for years. I just never thought I had the stamina to really work out. My trainer says I am doing great and I can't tell you how good it has made me feel, not just physically but in every way. It might sound silly and it is hard for me to explain but it is really changing me. I don't know, I'm just really glad I started. My house is pretty much ready for Christmas and I'm looking forward to a great week-end. We are taking the boys to the zoo tomorrow evening to see the Christmas lights. Kerri, Jen and the boys will stay overnight Friday. Saturday morning we will go to my Mom's to help her decorate and then the BIG GAME!!! GO BUCKS!!! Then we will prepare for Thanksgiving. This week I have been totally overwhelmed by God's blessings. I love how He takes care of us. He is far too good to us.

Not feeling the greatest today but I've been thinking about something I read on a wall hanging this week-end. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away." I really like that.

O.K. I'm tired. I went to Waynesville all day yesterday with my good friend Pam and did some fun shopping. We laughed and shopped til we dropped. Today Mike and I tried to conquor some major clean-up projects that just had to get done. In a few minutes I'll head down to put the boys to bed so Eric and Kerri can help Amy and Mark celebrate. I'm looking forward to church tomorrow, it's been too long. Then our first OSU basketball game. Big week-end. Monday I have my first appointment with my new personal trainer. I am going to get into shape and take off this excess bulk. I'm really looking forward to getting started. I get my new kitchen table Monday but Mike will be gone most of the week. If anyone wants to come put it up for me I would really appreciate it!! Ha!! I tried to bribe my son-in-law with dinner but he didn't take the bait. I'm really looking forward to the holidays. I will probably spend the week making new decorations and beginning to plan Thanksgiving dinner. I may even begin baking some cookies. Who knows.

Another good week-end. Walking through the leaves with Trey, watching Riley with his buddies at soccer. Mikey seems to be doing so well. But of course I live one day at a time and try to enjoy every minute. My mom is struggling with my dad and I really don't know the answer. Growing old is so hard it just doesn't seem like it should be this way. Watched another great Home Makeover story. So many hurting people in this world. Wish I could make more of a difference. I thank God for my blessings and pray I never, never take them for granted. Prayers for all my family tonight. I love them all.

Well they say that it's a fact, if you watch the sky at night
And if you stare into the darkness you might see celestial lights.
And if your heart is empty and there's no hope inside
There's a chance you'll find an answer in the sky.

Well they say that it's a shame if you have nothing to believe
And if you can't hold on to something you might as well die where you sleep.
You don't need a prayer and there's no price to ask why
Sometimes you'll find an answer in the sky.

And it's all so much bigger than it seems
And it overwhelms us now and then
And I'm banking on a chance that we believe
That good can still control the hearts of men.

This life's a long old road we shouldn't have to walk alone
But if you find the right companion you won't feel so worn out when you've grown

All life is precious and every day's a prize
And sometimes you'll find an answer in the sky.

Somehow I think the key word in all of this for me is "sometimes". I've learned that I don't always have all the answers in fact, there isn't always an answer to be found. That has to be o.k. sometimes.

I'm so glad to be home. I don't do well in the business world for very long. I can play the role for a while but a week is long enough. Making lists, finding new recipes and decorations for the holidays now that's where I'm comfortable. I'm about ready to hit the stores to try some new things for my favorite time of the year. Kerri, the boys, Mom and Dad and Mikey will join us for dinner tonight. My daughter is craving comfort food so meatloaf and mashed potatoes are on the menu for tonight's dinner. Pumpkin bread is already in the oven. Went to the orthopedic doctor and yes my elbow is broken. But the good news is it is healing fine on it's own. I was going to have to box with the doctor if he tried to put me in a cast right before the holidays!! I now walk down my stairs carrying my shoes. Pumpkin bread's done, better get movin'.

Well I'm home again. We had probably a record market. It went very fast but was very tiring. A lot of stress but it all worked out. The guys will be home today. I'm anxious to settle in to the holiday season. I went to see my boys as soon as I got in town. I will take today to rest up, maybe even tomorrow! Ha! Not much more to say. When you come back from market, it feels like a re-entry process. You are so cut off from the real world. It's good to be back.

A really good evening with my beautiful daughter. Dinner at one of our favorite places, Brio, A really cute new maternity outfit and a good movie. Family - one of God's greatest blessings. Mike and Mikey are already at market and I leave tomorrow. It's become a rather nice interruption, a change of pace so to speak. But don't let my husband know that. Kerri and I took the boys to the pumpkin patch last night. It is such a relaxing, family place. The wide-eyed squeal of Trey as he slid down the slide was priceless. Riley pumped his fist and said "awesome" after every time down. A straw maze, hayride and Trey giggling at the moon "up high" confirms that it's the simple things in life that bring the most joy. Sounds really corny but so true. Well, tomorrow begins a long week, I better hit the sack.

Go Bucks!! Yea, I know they lost. But everytime they lose I am reminded of the important things in life. The year my son almost lost his life, there was a letter in the paper about how it was such a crisis for the Bucks to lose. My husband immediately wrote a letter to the editor of that column and talked about real crisis. Let's see - important things in life; God's love, the love of family, peace with those around you, seeing the sunrise of a new day, children that make you laugh and the knowledge that "all things work together for good". Oh, and then there's chocolate!! It's a little cloudy out there this morning but somehow I just knew the sun would come up even though the Buckeyes lost. There's always next week.

I had so much fun with Trey today. He is such a special little boy. We played with Little People( I love watching him play, he is so intense), went to Target for some special treats, had snack at Barnes and Noble, played with Thomas and went to storytime. It's really fun when I get time with one of my boys at a time. You just can't find anything wrong with a day like today.

Well, summer is officially over. I made my normal stop at my favorite farm market for my peaches and was informed that this was the last they would have for the summer. Not a big deal to most but for me it is. See, I really like peaches. But only GOOD peaches and they are not easy to find. And everytime I eat a peach I think of my Papaw. I remember lots of days with my Papaw(the most wonderful person that every walked the earth!!) But one day I really remember is the day he put me in his truck and we drove to the roadside market. On the way home the peaches were in the back and finally it was more than we could stand. He pulled over on the side of the road, reached in back and handed me a peach. We sat there together eating our peaches but they weren't ordinary peaches. They were so big I had to use two hands and they were so juicy it rolled down my arms. That's the only way to eat a peach. Well, when I found out that this was the last of the peaches of course I had to buy a bunch. So this week, everytime I eat a peach I will have to eat one more for Papaw.

What a great few days Mike and I had!! We had the little ones since Thursday night. I am so tired but so fulfilled. They literally make my life wonderful. It was fun to watch Riley and Papa share the old classic cartoons like Tweetie Bird and Popeye. They both giggled like little kids. Trey is such a little brute but such a lover. The week-end included dinner with Jean and DocDoc, a trip to the store for lunch boxes and new shirts and a treat of M&M's. Shhhh, don't tell. Lunch with Mikey, the family room filled with toys and several trips around the block in the jeep. Thanks, Kerri and Eric for giving these two wonderful boys to our family and giving us so much time with them. The house sure is quiet.

Not much going on but I haven't blogged in a while. I have finally recovered from losing 4 days of our vacation. I know, I know I should be grateful and I am. Life has gotten back to normal. Tomorrow the little ones will arrive and I will have them all week-end. Fun times!! After that I will begin preparing for market. Yea!! Actually it isn't that bad and I think we are going to have a good one. It is time for business to pick up. I've been carrying around some STUFF lately and I'm not sure how to let it go. Actually I'm not sure I should, maybe it's to be carried by me right now. I just keep praying for strength. Sometimes I feel really tired emotionally. Oh well, enough whining. Think I'll go take a walk.

Home

Well we made it there and back. We had a wonderful vacation, just had to cut it short. I always love coming home but if we had just been able to finish the entire vacation the coming home would have been better. Yes, Ophelia had her way with us. We were forced out by a mandatory evacuation. We tried every way possible to stay. We considered going to Myrtle until they would let us back on the island but decided it wasn't worth the gamble. If we had all been there the first week it would have been easier but Mikey and Eric were only there three days and didn't get to experience the beautiful weather we had. But I am grateful for the time away and looking forward to jumping into Fall and all the things a new season brings.

Katrina

I'm praying today. May God keep us all in an attitude of prayer for the people living the nightmare brought on by this storm.

A Sunday the way Sunday's are meant to be. A house full of family, water gun fights, basketball, food, swinging on the front porch, a monopoly game, and beautiful paintings by two of the cutest little boys you'll ever see. Just kickin' back and relaxing. Thank you God for the beautiful gift of this day.