Monday, December 21, 2009

Star Log - Monday, December 21st... (Coming Up for Air)

Early December - My Date
Sami had a sleepover one Saturday - the first weekend of December
So Jake and I snuck in a date.
In between errands, etc.
We love our Chinese Food!

Peaking in a Store Window
Back in November!

Sami Made us a Christmas Tree
The weekend I was working and asked
Dick to take the kids to get a tree.
This was the result.
I was a bit nervous when I got a cell phone call from her,
'momma, where's the glue gun?'.


The Teacher Gifts
At 7am last Thursday, the last day of school before break,
my daughter asked about the teacher gifts.
Oops. I knew I forgot something!
The result? A furious wrap and adrenaline rush.
The bus comes at 7:15am.
I did not make the deadline.

These babies got delivered to the school at 9am.
I drove on black ice.
That was a bad ice day on the interstate.
I saw an abandoned boat, and trailer.
Ice, Ice baby.
The irony?
I wrote on the tag to the bus driver that I was thankful for her keeping our kids safe!
That night I learned the bus slid off the road into a side ditch
and another bus came around the corner, locked up it's brakes
and came within inches of hitting it!
(and there are only 2 buses)
Angels. I swear we have angels that watch over my kids.


Last Monday, A Tree Was Delivered
From our neighbors. I came home from job #2 and found
it laying on the living room floor.
Chop Chop people!
It was up in no time.
Each day it leaned a little bit more to the left.
So, come Thursday, I tied the top to the 2nd floor railing
with fishing line.

The lights didn't get put on until this last Saturday,
at 5am, before I left for Boise.
Sami assured me the tree could not get decorated unless I put the lights on first.
I guess I missunderstood her.
The tree is still not decorated!


Sami's Work!
However, Sami took control of the stockings.
Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
Otherwise, we would have no decor!
And no our family did not grow!
The last 4 stockings are for critters.

.Some of our Ornaments
For the most part, the majority are still in the box!
Four days 'til Christmas.
There just aren't enough hours in my day.
Two kids are on vacation, and my husband is home working.
I think they can deal with it.

They are having fun playing with the ornaments!
That cute little gal is from my Sister Avis.
The cowboys? From last years gingerbread house making party.
Dusty Duplos?
Priceless.

Drive to Boise on Saturday

Yucky. Snowy. White Knuckles.
For the first 2 hours of the drive.
But 'nirvana' was at the other end.
Sushi at the downtown Albertson's!

Total miles logged: 300
I left at 8am and got home about 4pm.
My husband left on Friday to Portland.
The kids were home alone the whole day.
Did the tree get decorated?
No.
But the house was still standing.
Sometimes you gotta keep it in perspective.

And Then there was Pendleton, Yesterday
First, it was snowing. Big Fat Flakes - over Lad Canyon.
Then there was rain. Somewhere. I forget.
Then Fog. In Pendleton.
Total miles logged: 180

After the Pendleton Drop -A Trip to Hamley's
How about that bronze???

Mr. Sexton's Christmas List included a new felt hat.
Here are the specs:
Stetson.
Not Wool.
Beaver.
Silver Belly
XXXXXX
That would be 6x.

He warned me 'they are expensive'. $250 for a good one.
It's been a while since he hat shopped!

Hamley's was once famed as a saddle maker.
They've gone Hollywood.
They take up an entire block in Pendleton and are really a 'destination'
tourist spot.
Pendleton Round-Up and all.
They are sporting a steakhouse, a coffee house, and the store.
Not sure if they are still making saddles.
But oh my.. The store is gorgeous!
Yummy stuff!
I want to live there.

So.. I had a lesson in types of hats, types of felt
(wool, rabbit, buffalo, beaver)
who is still making hats in America
(Stetson has outsourced to China!)
Resistol is still American Made.
I was a very 'smart' shopper.
I scored.
I came home with a beaver hat,
with a 4 inch rim.
leather interior band,
Silver Belly
6X.
(The newer ones of equal quality are 20x).
Steamed, cleaned, and formed 'Ranch Style'.
The hat man took pitty on me.
He found an older hat that had been in the basement
and revived it for me - with a discount.

And I'm keeping the hat box!
Way cool graphics.
I'll share it after Christmas.




It's only 4 days away and my Christmas Cards are still in their original box (photo cards), and all the gifts that need to be shipped are still in my room...unwrapped. Naked. Don't ask about my annual Calendar.. Not done. Not ordered. Maybe in January. And not one cookie has been made.

However, our little family is taken care of.

I logged 480 miles this weekend doing ranch deliveries. Saturday was to Boise (just over 300 miles) and Sunday to Pendleton (just over 180 miles)... The weather was horrid, but the people and the sales were awesome... and I finished my Christmas Purchases!

We will have guests coming for dinner Christmas Eve. And the kids will get to make custom gingerbread houses again.

Dick and the kids have been practicing their Christmas Songs on the guitars.

Even though I've been working each day, and running crazy, I still have a peaceful feeling about Christmas. I'm looking forward to the magic that will begin, the songs we will sing, the stillness, the peace, the gift of Christ.

Peace be with all of you...

And of course, a Very Merry Christmas!

6 comments:

ScrappyPam said...

Andi, wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday!

Jacqueline said...

Love the stockings on the stairs!
Happy Christmas dear Andi and family!

Karen said...

You're not busy or anything, right? ;> Love Sami's Charlie Brown tree (I almost spit my coffee at the monitor when I read, "Momma, where's the glue gun?" in regards to getting a Christmas tree! :>) Very sweet to squeeze in a date with your son. I love one on one time with each of my kidlets. As for ornaments? That's about the ONLY thing that has been done for Christmas prep here!! I still have to wrap presents (there's one lonely present without a tag or a bow under the tree..sniff, sniff...), figure out the Christmas Day dinner menu (we're hosting), shop for it, decorate the house, clean said house, oh for goodness sakes...I'm exhausted already! lol So glad those angels were watching over your kidlets on their bus ride to school. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas, Andi!! :>

Suzanne C said...

Merry Christmas Andi! Wow! What a busy life! Hope you and your family have a healthy and happy holiday!

Elise said...

Ohhhhhh, friend! You. YOU! YOU! Feels like coming home and reminds me that I'd be a much better blogger if I'd remember to take photographs of my "non-craft" antics... but alas... Been off grid for a WHILE!!!! Your post was extremely sobering! Have I mentioned that YOU ARE A VERY BRAVE SOUL! I love your courageous jaunts through the river and through the woods, blah, blah, blah ~ you ROCK! Love the hat and the man story. Hilarious, really! What I REALLY want is to road trip to that town with the huge Pendleton store/EVERYTHING with you! {Fun! Wheeeew!}

If I don't truly vault back into blogland in time, have a WONDERFUL Christmas! Looks like you're nearly there! (I love the beginning of the baton passing, as it were ~ had a glimpse of that myself this year : SCARY and wonderful all at the same time!) Merry Christmas, my love!

Sweet Blessings said...

Hi there...and PLEASE don't feel alone...similar lack of Christmas things happened at our house this year too..and you know what...it all turned out fine in the end :D However, you are much braver than I am...I think those roads would of made me cancel..or at least cry half way there :D Hope you enjoyed your Christmas and that it was blessed in GREAT ways! Sweet blessings!

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