Changing Normal

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! Um, yeah, so I'm a little late for all that, huh? Don't worry, I was party-hardy-ing all this time (mostly), and was thinking of you all often. I just didn't have time to get online much, except maybe once/twice a week to check my email...Just that time of year...and now it's January 3rd already!! Of 2007!! Hope you all had a great holiday!! :)

So, I guess I never got back to report on how the Christmas play went...AWESOME!! People really pulled through, and it turned out really neat!! We got a lot of compliments about the tableaux's (the crux of the whole program), and people were saying, "When we do this again..." and "Next time..." so that's a good sign that it's "good enough" to be repeated and made into tradition. I have to say, I was VERY nervous on Saturday when we were still practicing without our "mini stage" being up yet, and only one flood light for the tableaux scenes available. But, that's how Christmas plays are supposed to be...CRAZY!! LOL I kept saying on Saturday, "Seriously, it's a beautiful effect" LOL I'm glad they believed me :)

So, after that I could really start focusing on our personal Christmas stuff...that was the really nice thing about having our program early...and I made a few gifts ( a scarf & 2 shabby chic/scrapbook shadow boxes, and at least 2 Gift Card holders), and that was SO much fun...It was neat to remember how much I love to scrapbook & everything turned out really cool & vintage/distressed looking, just like I like, and I hope they all liked, too. For MathTeacher's shadow box, I didn't used a lot of ink & chalk distressing because the paper already had that distressed look to it, and I didn't want to go too grungy for a baby's photo, and same with the other one I made for SkinnyCousin...I didn't do a whole lot of distressing because I wasn't totally sure that either of them really liked that as much as I do, but I know that shabby chic can go with a lot of things, and those shadow boxes are small enough they could take them to work, even, and just set it on their desk or something. Anyways, I was happy with how they turned out, and I think they both liked 'em, and that's all that matters.

New Year's Eve we went to Missy's house, and that was FUN!! :) I'm glad that Jodi & Buford could come for a little bit, too. I really missed all the hugs & stuff after the ball dropped. We used to, when we'd get together in KY at AuntSurvivor's house, do the whole countdown with sparkling cider thing, then go around the room hugging everyone...and you don't know how much you miss something like that until you don't have that for a few years...so, anyways, that was nice :) We stayed really late, too, because the boys were playing their little games in the garage while we girls played $25,000 Pyramid (and Missy ROCKS at that game, btw, no matter who her partner is, or how lame their clues are (there were a few that BB's sister gave that were, like, what?) Anyways, FUN :) New Year's Day we didn't get up until around 12:30/1p.m., then lazed around & got ready to head over to Mom & Dad's house for leftovers & stuff...Steve had Tuesday off, so we just kind of did stuff around here & then used our gift card for Cracker Barrell for supper. We drove around & around trying to get Princess alseep, and finally had that drive around looking at lights that we always try to do, but it just didn't happen until later this year...Thankfully there are enough rednecks & people like us who like to keep their lights on for just a couple more days after New Year's, so there were still quite a few lights to see...

That pretty much brings you up-to-date on what I've been up to. I could go on & on about "stuff" but I won't bore you. Oh, but here's a bit of gossip since I brought Negative Nelly up the last time I was here...Yeah, she & her Negative Hubby are "officially" leaving the church. Is it bad that I was relieved when I heard that? I mean, my theory is that they were obviously NOT happy, and they weren't encouraging or uplifting anyone else up, so let them go somewhere that they can be renewed & recharged & all that, but stop being toxic to this church family. I guess, though, that they wrote a letter to the elders that was petty & juvenile. I know what most of their complaints were about (even though my hubby who is clerk to the elders knows & didn't share anything that was in the letter), and all I can say to them is "Wow, is that a mote in your eye?!?! You better take care of that..." We are all that way, I know, and we want to "help" others, and have higher expectations of others, but the Lord wants to work in our hearts & improve ourselves, too. It's not all about helping others, ya know? I'm just as bad a sinner as anyone, and I know there are things that He's still workin' on me...to make me what I ought to be...(ring any bells anyone? LOL).

Anyways...oh, and prayers, please, for a new business venture I'm sure the Lord is leading me to do? I've been praying for months for the Lord to lead me to a home-based business that He wants me to do, and ever since making those shadow boxes, I've really been thinking that doing a scrapbooking business is what He wants me to do. I'll go into it more later, but just keep me in your prayers that He would keep the ideas & opportunities coming for me? I'm really excited about this, and am looking forward to providing a little "play" money for my family, and give my creativity an outlet. SO, that's just a little snippet about that...

Okay, off to catch up on ya'll's Christmases!! :)