Our Christmas

We had a great Christmas here, despite it being gloomy and green (or should I say greenish-yellow-brown?). I was hoping for snow, but alas, the only snow we've gotten was the first of the month when we had over a foot that fell.

But, regardless it was very nice, and I'm still trying to get caught up on sleep it seems.

The kids got more than they'd ever need, and we're still trying to put things away and find places for things. I'm beginning to think that the kids are going to need their own house for all this $hit!!!

The Hummer was a huge hit, and they took it out for a spin down the sidewalk right away (one positive note to not having a white Christmas). B LOVED his Nintendo DS, ad K didn't seem entirely thrilled with her dollhouse (though she has played with it, and does seem rather interested in it now .... I think there was just too much to open & do Christmas morning to get a good reaction out of her).

I got wonderful gifts .... lots of new clothes, a couple CDs, the Happy Feet PS2 game, gift cards, pajamas, slippers and the pink iPod nano. I can't complain ... it was a nice holiday.

And now here we are .... it's almost 2007!

It's over

Tonight was our last night for our fundraiser. We started off the night with sirens wailing and lights flashing as the ambulance lead the procession with the firetruck behind, carrying Santa and the 2 children that won the Ride With Santa raffle.

Sold plenty more raffle tickets within the next hour, several cups of hot cocoa, took a few straight donations and then pulled the winners for all the raffle items.

Our grand total raised ....... $2,500.

We've raised more than the fire department ever has been able to with dances, etc. They estimate that the mailing they will do prior to floating the referendum again this Spring will cost $2K. So this was all worth it, and if the referendum passes next Spring -- it was worth it that much more.

Christmas is just around the corner

Where did December go? 2006 will be coming to an end in just 11 short days.

I've been keeping busy, and have nearly finished everything that needed to be done, and I've still got hair (which I just had done again to color my outgrowth, and add some more highlights to)!!!! By Saturday night, everything should be done completely and I'll be ready for the festivities.

The food is all bought, the cookies all baked (all 17 varities and total of 1053 of them), and almost all the gifts wrapped (just a few more to do). Braeden had his last day of school today, and his class put on their Christmas program. It was *adorable*.....and I got teary-eyed, too. I didn't realize giving birth would make me so damn sappy.

This weekend will be the last for the fundraiser. Last I knew, I think we were up to $1500 or more. Not too shabby. Saturday (our last night) should be a busy one. We've got Santa coming in on the firetruck again, which the kids that won the raffle for the ride with Santa, and then we'll be drawing all the winners of the raffles, and Santa will be leaving again on the firetruck. It's really been an experience doing this. It's great to be doing something good, for the benefit of our community, with friends. This really has been a great Christmas season in that respect.

I'm afraid, though, that I don't have all good news to report. On Saturday we received the awful news that Mike's mom (dying of cancer), fell and broke her neck. She's currently being kept sedated and in a neck brace. She is not a candidate for surgery, as she would never survive the anesthesia. They have decided to have her chart marked as "DNR", because she only weighs 78 lbs and they are afraid if she were to code, and they needed to perform CPR, that they'd break her ribs, puncture her lungs and possibly paralyze her and leave her in a vegetative state.

I'm not a very religious person, but I've always believed. Now I find myself angry at God. I watched my Grams dying, suffering day after day until He finally took her Home. I yelled and cried - asking Him why he just didn't take her and stop the suffering. And now, Mike's mother has been fighting cancer and just before Mike's grandfather passed away, we got news that his mom was in bad shape, and was dying; that she wouldn't make it much longer. So, now just days before Christmas, she is suffering further and worst of all, is being kept in a state (sedated) in which she's not going to be able to communicate much with her family. WHY?!?!? How is this fair to her, or to her family? She is not curable. There is no turning back. She is going to die. Why continue to make her suffer?? Take her Home. I know how much it hurts to lose a loved one, and to let go, knowing you'll never see them again until the day you go Home. But, knowing that they are no longer in pain, no longer suffering -- it helps, just a little, to let go of that person.

It's December what?!

I swear that the month of December shrunk. Or there are less days between Thanksgiving and Christmas or something because I cannot believe that it's already the 10th of December.

Things are as busy as ever, but quite honestly it's nice, even if stressful. I've managed to wrap about 48 presents so far, and today is B's family party at the house. His party with friends was on Thursday, and it was great. Aside from bringing the cupcakes and drinks - I had to do nothing. It was worth every bit of what we paid for his 1.5 hour party there. So more and more is getting crossed off the "To Do" list. The biggest project to accomplish right now is the baking. I'm cutting out a cookie I normally bake, but instead I'm going to try my hand at making kolacky cookies. I also need to bake 6 dozen more cookies than usual as we are hosting the cookie exchange next weekend.

I'm busy, but things are falling into place and I'm hopeful that everything gets done in time. My class ended this week, so I no longer have any obligations on Thursday evenings. That will allow me a bit more time to accomplish more.

Our fundraiser is running rather smoothly. We're not seeing the turnout we had hoped, but we can't complain too much. To date we have raised $880. Not too bad, but much, much lower than the number we had in mind. At this point we're hoping for $1500. If anything, we are having fun out there, even if we are frozen at the end of the night, and it's quite possible when it's all said and done that I'll need my baby toes cut off (I'm joking, but there have been nights I've come in and had little or no feeling in that toe and it was a slight shade of blue .... that can't be good). If I need a toe amputated, I certainly hope when the fire department comes to pick me up that they send one of those hottie firemen along. :)