Happy Holidays!

After a nice, long family weekend, I am currently typing up my next blog entry. I am in the car, with no network to connect to the internet, but thought it would be a good use of time to blog! I know, I know, it took me long enough! :)

Our weekend was a family gift from my husband's parents. His siblings and their families were also on the trip. We all took a day of driving, went to Nashville, TN, and saw things like the Hermitage, General Jackson's showboat, Charlie Brown ice sculptures and the Opryland hotel. It was a wonderful weekend! We are on our long drive back.

On our last car trip I thought to download podcasts to listen to. I was just starting out with podcasts, so I only grabbed one or two I had seen suggested on scrapbookers' blogs. I enjoyed them immensely, and downloaded a few new ones for this long car trip. While on our trip, we talked about podcasts, and my brother-in-law mentioned that he listened to “things you should have learned in history class” or something like that and “how stuff is made”. Both had really interesting topics. I downloaded a few, but as of my writing this, I haven't listened to them, yet.

For our trip, I prepared the items from one of the contests I won; the scrapbooking kit. It had almost all the items for an embellished Christmas themed album, but needed some things cut on my big papercutter. So, the night before we left, I spent about 45 minutes cutting, assembling, and organizing each page's items into a plastic carrying box. Then, on the trip, with breaks here and there, and a little bit on the way home, I assembled it. It turned out very cute. I look forward to using it as my December Daily album for this year! Especially with the pictures from this weekend! :) It was a great prize! I wouldn't have purchased it on my own, but have loved it and hope to get more kits similar! I will be a regular on their site!

One of the breaks from the scrapbook that I took was to begin reading to my husband. I think I've mentioned before that on car trips we both enjoy Nicholas Sparks books. We've read several to each other since we have been married. On car trips we start them, taking turns driving/reading, and then we are far enough into the book that we can't put it down and read it in the evenings once we're home. If it's a real page turner, we “steal” it from each other and devour it in our spare moments! :) The one we've currently started is the Last Song. I had bought it a few car trips ago, but we didn't get it started. Then, we went to see The Princess and the Frog, and there was a preview for a movie that was based on the book. Now, I have those movie characters in my head when I read it. Blech. ;) I much prefer to form my own pictures in my head before I see a movie! :)

I am ready for the holidays! We have just a few gifts-one we've been looking for all over, but have had a hard time finding. We also have a few things for the great grandparents. But everything else is bought, wrapped and I'm pleased with. Ahhh. :) Maybe I can get a few moments to scrapbook? A little gift to myself, now that the contest scrapbook kit got my creative juices flowing?

This week, as we lead into Christmas, I have baking to do, the last gifts, listed above, and some family time. I look forward to that. I also need to make sure I call my parents and grandparents, since I haven't and feel as though I should do it more often. Then I will need to deliver the previously mentioned baked goods to neighbors and friends.

I have been exercising nicely, as of late. I ran Thursday and Friday of last week, even though the temps were low. Then, Saturday we were driving. Sunday, my oldest daughter and I got up early and used the hotel's exercise room. We worked out; I made myself tired. Today, Monday, we're traveling again. But, back to it again tomorrow. Those were specific attempts at exercise. We also walked around, to most of our destinations this weekend, and at most of our destinations, so I felt good about that, as well. Although, the eating made it all come out in a wash, I think. ;)

Hopefully I really will write again soon! :) Thanks for sticking in there and reading my rare posts! ;) Happy Holidays to you, Reader.

Winner

I am not usually a contest/drawing winner. Until last month, I hadn't won a thing, although I had entered in many drawings on my favorite sites when they had "giveaways". Well, last month, I won here and then today I discovered I won a giveaway here, too! What a wonderful surprise! The first prize I won will be a gift to someone else this Christmas and today's will be a gift to me! :)

A few of you commented on my mood in the last post. Things were a bit down and overwhelmed! The down was due to sadness of loss of life in our community. The two who died were my daughters' ages, the oldest attending the school where my oldest goes to school. My girls didn't know them, but it was a tragedy felt by all in our community. It made me ache with sadness for their mother-and to think that the holidays approaching won't be any easier, worse in fact.

The overwhelmed feeling comes from the holidays coming faster! At the time of my last post I really hadn't gotten much done at all. Now, I feel better, but things still aren't complete. We went to see my family in my home state last weekend, as we did two weeks prior, too. This coming weekend we are getting together with my husband's family, more on that later.

I have not scrapbooked at all. I wish I had. I have that creative itch I get when I look over my magazines full of ideas! However, each time I think about it, in the office painted a beautiful turquoise... {insert happy sigh, here} I remember all I have to do for the holidays and weekend... etc!

Running has been sparse, but I have walked a bit, with my husband and youngest daughter. Yesterday's weather was a bit warmer, perfect for walking in fact.

Have subbed a lot less, due to blocking off a few days last week so I could catch up a bit, and this week is the last week for schools in the area to be in session, so most teachers aren't taking off/in need of a sub. Which is ok with me! :)

I have gotten some baking in, and am looking forward to doing more soon! Then delivering the goodies to neighbors.

That is all for now! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Winter

Hello! I'm sure it seems as though I've been hibernating since I haven't posted in ages again! I have actually had a lot on my mind/list to blog, but when I sit down to blog, I think that I don't have time to get it all down. I will start with a few little things today and try to spread posts out-post more often. :)

I met Molly for dinner a while back, and her lovely daughter, too, while she was in the area. I enjoyed the evening immensely. I could have conversed with them longer! :) Such wonderfully nice ladies! Sitting down with her felt like like I'd known her for ages.

Running has been virtually nonexistent this week, although I did run a few times last week-only twice this week and once was on the dreadful treadmill so I didn't get very far. Blah.

I have been in a bad state in the arena of eating. The cold weather is moving in and this time of year always moves me into hibernation zone where I want to eat every nonhealthy thing in site and have no ambition to exercise!

I have been subbing on a daily basis, as usual, which leaves nothing done at home... That has me feeling overwhelmed about the pending holidays! :) I have started a spreadsheet called "tasks" and I continue to add new tasks, but get to delete the old as I complete them. I don't have the usual suspects on it like "laundry" or "groceries". These are things I'd like to see done a few days after I place them on the list.

Traditionally speaking, we used to have an advent tree-a wooden tree that played music similar to a music box. We got it when my youngest was an infant. It had finally broken down last year. This year, I didn't think of it until December first, we had no advent counters! I saw this one, and am using paper strips instead of ribbon, and have printed out the ornaments. Better late than never?

That is all for today. I hope you are well, dear reader, and are enjoying this holiday season!