Month: December 2010

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More Christmas 2010

My parents were here for about 3 1/2 days….we had a lot of fun!  As you saw in the previous posts, they loved the snow!  Besides tubing on our snow chute, we ate a lot, played a lot of games, went to church twice, took naps, went on walks, and used lots of dish cloths!!

I’m glad they came when they did.  It is getting warmer and all the snow has just melted and turned into mud!  It’s lovely….really….

Here are some more pics of when they were here….

Paul and me on Christmas Eve

Paul on the tractor plowing on Christmas Day

Mom getting ready to go outside (they don't own snow boots, so they brought big rubber boots)

Dad trying to get mom's boots off....

Mom and me stringing popcorn and cranberries (we did that one time when I was little)

 

We strung them outside, but unfortunately, they are still there....no squirrels or birds have eaten them...yet...

Just a side note…..the pajama pants I have on in the picture….yeah, I’ve had those since my freshman year in college….almost 15 years!!  I LOVE THEM!!

Well, Mom and Dad left on Monday, the 27th, to head on to Michigan to see Leslie (my sister) and her family….

Thanks for coming!  See you in a week!!

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Christmas 2010

The tree with all the presents (our present pile multiplied when my parents arrived)

apparently Santa is trying to send me a message

new slippers from my sister

new digital camera

We had a really good Christmas with my parents.  Paul and I both got gift cards:  Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Kohl’s…..we’re excited!!

Sorry for such short posts….we have 150+ people (no one really knows how many people are here) at camp right now….so we are very tired!!

I’ll post more tomorrow!

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Christmas is upon us….

Five more days and it will be Christmas!  🙂

I think it should be a requirement for everyone to have off the week of Christmas and the week after Christmas….who really wants to do work before Christmas and who really wants to do work after Christmas?  Well, apparently we do b/c we have to work this week and next week.  This week we have to clean, go shopping, and get ready for the Christmas group that is coming right after Christmas.

Before we moved here, I had never heard of people having a Winter Retreat b/w Christmas and New Year’s.  Why would you do that?  Wouldn’t you want to spend that time with your family?  But, nonetheless, we have 132 people coming to camp December 27th-30th….132!!!!  That is the maximum we can hold and we are cooking 9 meals!!  CRAZY!!!

Anyway, I’m trying not to worry about that until they actually get here.  Until then, I am getting ready for my parents coming.  They are making the drive up here and will be here Thursday-Monday and then head on up to Michigan to spend a few days with my sister, Leslie, and her family….I think they are definitely going to be surprised and excited about the White Christmas we will have while they are here.

The high on Christmas Day is supposed to be around 20 degrees with a 60% chance of snow (at least that’s what I saw today–it changes everyday)!! 

But, until Thursday, we have to work….here’s hoping the day go by fast!!

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My Two Favorite People

This weekend these were my two favorite people….

Paul

For obvious reasons, because he’s my husband, but he also supported me a lot this weekend during our Christmas production at church.  He even drove through the blizzard this morning so we could make it to church on time.  Thank you, Paul, for realizing how important this was to me. 

Diane

Diane is a friend from church and lately she has been such an encourager to me.  A month or so ago she asked me if I would sing a solo song in our Christmas production at church.  I said yes.  Over the past month I have struggled with it, cried over it, and even doubted I could do it.  But, Diane never gave up on me.  She did everything in her power to make me believe in myself and build my confidence level.  She was (and is) an amazing friend.  I’ve come to know and respect her in a great way over the past month.  I am going to miss seeing her three or four times a week for practices.

Thank you, Diane, for your support. 

We did our Christmas production three times this weekend.  Paul was a narrarator and I sang in the choir.  My solo was great and I hit every note (with a little help from Hannah who was singing right behind me-thanks, Hannah)!  🙂

I thoroughly enjoyed singing in church this morning….thank you, Bob, for not cancelling church despite the blizzard!  I practiced long and hard on that solo….I was glad I was given the chance to sing it!

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A Blizzard

We experienced our first blizzard today….no, I’m not talking about the DQ treat, but an actual blizzard.

The Webster’s dictionary defines a blizzard as a long severe snowstorm; an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow.  Yep, we had that…..

Pictures do not do it justice….

started our morning locking the keys in the truck while it was running....at 7:30AM in the blizzard

 I’ve discovered living here that if you want to wear “cute” shoes, you have to take them with you and put them on once you get to your destination.  I wore 3 inch heels at church….but only after I walked around in rain boots.

I don't own snow boots so rain boots are next best thing

our church parking lot during the blizzard

Mark shoveling the front porch at church (but the snow just kept blowing right back on the porch)

Paul outside in the snow

our car in the parking lot

the road on the way home (luckily a plow had just come through)

The Illinois River

Lacon marina

mounds of snow on the side of the road in Lacon

me standing outside in the snow

And this is for my family who lives in Hawaii!  Do you want to come visit anytime soon?!!  🙂

Blizzard Warning in effect until 9 PM CST this evening… Whiteout conditions west of the Illinois River will diminish somewhat this afternoon…as the main area of snow pushes further east. Visibility east of the river will frequently be below a quarter mile in open areas. Some heavier snow bands may produce another inch of snow. Wind chills are expected to fall below zero by late afternoon. Travel today is not advised…as many areas have had roads drifted shut.
 
Blizzard Warning in effect until 9 PM CST this evening…
chancesnow
This Afternoon
Bitterly cold. Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow early in the afternoon…then scattered flurries late. Blowing snow. Temperature falling into the mid teens. Very windy. Northwest winds around 30 mph with gusts to around 45 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent. Wind chill readings zero to 10 below zero.
nt_partlycloudy
Tonight
Bitterly cold. Partly cloudy. Lows around zero. Windy. Northwest winds 25 to 30 mph. Gusts up to 40 mph in the evening. Wind chill readings 8 below to 18 below zero.
sunny
Monday
Bitterly cold. Sunny. Highs around 11. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Lowest wind chill readings 11 below to 21 below zero.
 
nt_sunny
Monday Night
Mostly clear. Lows near zero. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Wind chill readings 3 below to 13 below zero.
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Food for Thought

  • When I drive into camp, I always turn the blinker on to turn into our driveway.  I’m pretty sure no one is ever behind me since we live on private property….do the squirrels, turkey, deer, and coyotes really need to know that I am turning right into my driveway?
  • Does anyone else have to pee as soon as they walk in their front door?  I never have to pee when I’m in the car or walking home from the office, but as soon I walk across the threshold and I have to pee, inevitably when my hands are full of grocery sacks, books, a drink, books, food, etc.  And, of course, I have gloves on, a coat, and boots that have to be taken off.
  • Paul thinks I am completely weird, but I think certain Christmas songs are specifically supposed to be sung by a boy or a girl…for example, Hark the Herald Angels Sing is a BOY song, Angels We Have Heard on High is a GIRL song, Mary, Did You Know is a GIRL song, The Little Drummer Boy is a BOY song….is that weird?
  • Do you ever buy something that you don’t really want or even need simply b/c it was cheap.  I bought the movie, The Blind Side, and I don’t even like that movie.  But, it was only $3.99…can’t pass that up?!
  • Paul and I really need to be more disciplined about going to the gym, which is going to be even more difficult since there’s so much snow on the ground and it gets dark at 4:30pm
  • I am CRAVING pigs in a blanket right now…but we don’t have biscuits or smoked sausage, so I’m pretty sure I can’t make them….
  • I think I am the only one wouldn’t didn’t like the new Harry Potter movie….I was really bored through most of the movie…
  • Right now it is 4 degrees outside
  • The local Christian radio station is playing Christmas music 24/7.  There is one song that they play alot called Sing Gloria by Ginny Owens.  It has very strange lyrics….here’s the line that really confuses me.  “It’s a wonderful kind of feeling, like you’re living in a house that has no ceiling”…  Why would you live in a house without a ceiling?!
  • But, there’s also a song that I really do like called “You’re Here” by Francesca Battistelli.  You really should listen to it…
  • Only 17 days until Christmas!!  🙂

That’s about it….good night!