Castle in the Clouds

Well, it's come and gone in a tangle of wrapping paper, boxes, bags, and those annoying twisties manufacturers use to thwart every parent who is hurrying to unpackage their children's toys. The boys woke us up around 7:30 a.m., which isn't bad really, except we didn't get to be on Christmas Eve until after 1:30. Our oldest ended up vomiting phlegm until after midnight. I had him change his shirt and get on his bottom bunk while I cleaned up the mess. Then, because I wanted him to look cute for Christmas morning pictures, I had to throw his new pajama top into the washer and dryer. Thank goodness Santa didn't come until well after midnight! Our children were, as usual, spoiled beyond belief. Those elves must have worked overtime this last year! They got the two big gifts they had each asked for (remote control trucks and a PS2 for the whole family to enjoy) as well as several smaller presents. The only things they showed little enthusiasm for were...

What a wonderful, busy night we've had! And it's not over yet. Our family has a yearly Christmas Eve tradition of making Oyster Stew. It's a disgusting concoction that only a handful of family members will actually eat--the rest of us are content with pizza, chicken noodle soup, or chili. We had so many desserts tonight it was shameful. Check out this buffet of calories: raspberry Fluff, strawberry pretzel dessert, chocolate preztel drops complete with m&ms, white macadema nut cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pie, and cocunut cream pie. After dinner (and too much snacking) it was time to open gifts. There are eight grandkids in the family. By the time each set of aunts & uncles and grandpa buy for them, they're beyond spoiled. I'm not even sure what all my boys got. I played Santa and had a hard time keeping up with the demands of the over-eager little people. My son is the oldest at six and our youngest is 18 months. Madness I te...

Well, for me at least. My first grader's last day is tomorrow, as is my preschooler's. But I'm done! And I know I got an A. ~happy dance~

I love to write but I have a serious reading addiction I can't escape. Do you think they offer support groups for such a bizarre addiction? Can you imagine... "Hi, my name is Krista and I'm a book-aholic."

One of my cyber-pals moved over to LiveJournal. In order to post comments without being told I'm Spam I had to create a LiveJournal account. But what to do with it? I mean, I have this blog and a NaNo blog for NaNoWriMo. What need do I have for another online journal? None, really. However, since I have an account, I've decided to use it. If you'd like to know what I'm reading and are interested in my opinions on said books, please visit my reading journal .

The second wreath... 

The two wreaths we bought to help decorate the house. They smell so good! Fresh pine. Just like the tree! 

Here's our Christmas tree all prettied up! 

Might have added 100 words. Didn't do a word count before and after but I promise you I came nowhere near 1K. LOL

I'm going to add 1K to Redemption's Path before going to bed. Wish me luck!

You Are an Old Soul You are an experience soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul What Kind of Soul Are You?

We got our Christmas tree today after church. Usually it's just the four of us traipsing around Whispering Hills in search of the perfect tree, but today there were a grand total of ten people in our group. My dad and sister (the one living with him while her husband decides if he wants to be a husband and father) joined us. My sister has two kids and my dad brought my brother's two oldest boys with him, bringing the child headcount up to six. I love this tree farm. There's a kid-sized maze made out of bails of hay. My boys love it and, as expected, so did my nephews. The farm also has reindeer, geese, and ducks for the kids to "oh" and "ah" over. Once they wore themselves and us out, it was time to think seriously about getting a tree. A tractor-pulled hay wagon took our group and several others back to where the Christmas trees grow. Watching the kids delight in the very bumpy ride and run among the pines always is just awesome. While I c...

The only book that should ever be written is one that flows up from the heart, forced out by inward pressure. -- A.W. Tozer