"Are we going somewhere special today?"

As a typical first half of December, it's been a little hectic around here...the girls wake up asking, "Are we going somewhere special today?" "Who's coming over today?"

Last week, we had a nice visit with Ricci's mom, dad, aunt Carolyn, and uncle Jim, who were staying at some cabins not too far from here. We were able to meet them for supper at Canyon Grill (yum!!), and then they all went on to see the Christmas lights at RC (brrr!) before joining us at our house for some coffee and hot chocolate...and the amaretto-chocolate pecan pie that I had promised to Ricci's mom. We had hoped to see them the next day, but a dear friend of ours had a death in her family, so we were busily helping her make arrangements to attend the funeral and be with her family. Then ahhh....Sunday....a day of rest! Isn't it so true that when one has a true need for something, one so much more greatly appreciates it?!? Rest to the weary! A friend to the friendless! Money to the needy! We've all experienced some form or fashion of such a gift when needed! God gave us such a gift when He created the seventh day, so after church we came home and crashed!!!

Then Monday night and Tuesday morning I hosted my annual Christmas Open House. This year I hosted the open house with my friend Kelly Raschall (as Cricket calls her), and it was so much fun to collaborate with her. We already have bigger/better plans for next year! Toss in a fun birthday party and prairie club that afternoon, and it was early to bed that evening!

The next morning we went to see some friends in the Nutcracker, had lunch with good friends and their adorable daughter Mary Alice, made a last-minute doctor's appointment, did a touch of Christmas shopping, and then headed off to pick up Efrem and go to our Christmas banquet at church where Cricket and Lovey performed Matthew's Begats (for the last time for a while)...it's time to learn a new one...got somethin' else, AP?

On Wednesday afternoon, when I squeezed in a doctor's appointment to check my thyroid levels (for I was completely out, and they wanted to recheck my levels before prescribing more of the same dosage), it was all in God's perfect timing for me to be forced to squeeze that into my schedule, for when the doctor looked at me and then my throat, he said, "Uh, you need to be on an antibiotic!" I thought everyone felt worn out and tired at this time of year...with a touch of a sore throat! Whew...I feel so much better after having had a course of Z-pack! A new woman! I hadn't realized that I was feeling so poorly until he said that!

Today and tomorrow I'll (hopefully) wrap up my Timeless Treasures orders and get them delivered, so that's great! And for those of you that joined us, I so greatly appreciate your friendship and support! I do enjoy giving/selling monogrammed jewelry and embroidered gifts, and I also enjoyed getting some of Kelly's new books!