Holiday Scenes

Off to Detroit in a little while to take the boys and some of their friends to the Motor City Bowl. This is the 3rd straight year my Chips will be playing at Ford Field. I'm hoping the roads will less icy by the time we leave. Have to love winter!

Christmas was very peaceful at my house, even with 20 people. Here's a few scenes from the holiday. I'm also including a shot of me and the boys from 2 years ago as a point of comparison--all of a sudden I'm short, although I have been 5'6" since I was 14...

How do you say Merry Christmas?

I found this little quiz out on one of my favorite sites. I got 13 out of 15 right! I'll admit to having guessed at a few. Ok, at several, but it was fairly intuitive. Now, if you're smart, you can do the same thing, um, well, because these are the answers, lol. Regardless of the language you use, enjoy the day.

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 14 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish Japanese French Arabic German Italian Swedish Portuguese Gaelic Hawaiian Korean Latin Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

Finding an Angel

Christmas is often a time of miracles..a time when those more fortunate reach out to those who have less. With the state of the economy this year, there are more who are on the "have less" end of the scale, and it is important during this holy season for us to give back.

Our church adopts several families each year to try to make the season memorable, especially for the children. The kids in our youth group are very blessed--and are always willing to step up and help others. As part of our annual December activities, we go shopping for gifts for our adopted families. The purpose of this is two-fold: those in need get a little something, and our kids understand how much they've been given. This year, we had $45 per person to spend, which is actually more than we usually have. We have a list of "need" and "want," and the kids try to get something from each list. They find out very quickly how far the money goes (or doesn't go).

This year, we ventured over to Wal*Mart on Glendale to do our shopping. I am generally not a Wal*Mart shopper. However, in this case, the trip introduced us to an angel in human form. One child we had to shop for was a 14 year old girl. The one thing on her "want" list was an MP3 player. The boys shopping for her did a good job of finding some clothing that she needed at bargain prices, and managed to have just enough left for the MP3 player. As they were looking things over, one of the sales associates started asking them if they needed help. She then suggested that they get a nice case for the player. The boys explained the list and the budget, and then the sales associate gave them a hug for what they were doing, and she DONATED (i.e., paid for out of her pocket) the case to give another child just one more gift. Bless this angel who, with a random act of kindness, impacted a variety of teens in a number of ways.

To all readers (if there are any of you left!) have a safe and joyous Christmas.

We're WHERE on the calendar?

I am going crazy. Literally. Obviously, since it's been a decade since I last posted (or so it seems), time is at a premium. I am the one who always has Christmas cards done Thanksgiving weekend. The trees (yes multiple) are trimmed the same weekend. Outdoor decorations--limited though they are--are out. Most of my shopping is done by the first week of December.

Not this year. I'm sitting here writing this instead of the cards. One tree is done--the other has lights, an angel on top, and 2 ornaments since no one else seems to care whether or not it is fully done (and that's how it's going to stay). I have my head buried in the sand with respect to shopping for gifts. I keep hoping Santa's bag will be full of things for my guys so I don't have to actually shop. I do have the stocking stuffers handled (and the stockings are hung, although not by the chimney).

Basketball season is starting, and I volunteered to coordinate spirit wear. Why I did that, I'm not sure. I really have it pretty organized and it isn't that time consuming...it's just one more thing on the plate. On the positive side, I'm technically on vacation for the rest of the year starting on Wednesday (unless you count the 5 or 6 reports I'll be working on while I'm home--but at least I can wear my fuzzy slippers and new comfy robe while I'm doing them at 3 am in the midst of my midlife insomnia).

Maybe, if I get motivated (yeah, right) I'll post some pictures of my trees (once I take them). Right after I do those cards and shopping....