still celebrating?

I've seen trees on the side of the road already! Is it really time for Christmas to be over? We are still celebrating.

Christmas Eve
We had dinner at my parents and watched Home Alone, my dad's favorite Christmas movie. (And before our holiday movie? oh we just watched the first 5 minutes of Terminator 2... like the rest of America on Christmas Eve) We didn't go to midnight mass this year, and I am happy we made that decision to treat ourselves to a respectable bedtime.

Christmas Day

I woke Dp up. Who isn't still excited on Christmas? We opened our presents and went to church with rents and Aunt Susan. We had lunch at Lemon Grass, the family has done this before on odd Christmases. Mega buffet with shrimps, ribeye, curry, goat cheese covered grapes, sausages, crepes, omelets, bread pudding, tiny itsy bitsy pieces of pie... it was quite decadent.

We went home with full tummies and slept for 4 hours. Merry Christmas. Dp and I woke up from our slumber and went over to his parents cooked some pasta that didn't turn out well and watched Elf.

Christmas +1

So I worked on work stuff in the morning, yuck right? And I made Dp do some crafty things at the table with me so I wouldn't be at the computer while he is playing video games, cause that just isn't fair. And I think my mom told me that life was fair. Yes, that is how she phrased it.

That night was the big show. My performance at cooking Christmas dinner for the family. I've been full on freaking out over it for weeks now. And there was a slight disaster with the oven turning off and NOT cooking our food. Luckily Dp's family are the least persnickety people there are and my "disasters" were still gobbled up.

Christmas +2

I work this week. Yes, me and the other 6 sad souls who dragged their butts into the office.

Leah & Michael and twins made it into town around noon and certain little boys told MiMi I was taking too long to get there.

We had our little Christmas and this one was way better cause I wasn't in charge of cooking it. *hear my new found respect for my mommy and grammy*

Birthday and a Grad

Last night we celebrated Andy's birthday and David's graduation. Andy liked his cake and David loves "his" Ipad2.

to be continued....

make a joyful noise

Dp and I were trying to get the oven to stay on so we could cook some bacon wrapped dates. Don't we all love how trendy bacon is these days? No shame in loving you some bacon.

Mary started to get upset, which was somewhat expected for the time of day. I put on some relaxing Christmas piano music which she seemed to really enjoy. She got quiet and smiley.

Back to the oven.
Back to roasting eggplant.
Back to mashing potatoes.
Back to steaming tamales.

It started softly but grew. I looked and Dp, and he at me, and us at Mary.

She was singing.

I imagine God smiling, delighting in the joyful noise celebrating his birth, and maybe singing along.


Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. Psalm 98:4

christmas spirit

hope you all find your Christmas joy. i found mine

trending

My life is trend analysis.

All day I work at finding patterns in economic and employment data and their implications in commercial real estate, as well as tracking transactional activity. (yup, i'm as smart as i sound, but they treat us like screetch to their zach morris)

This is what is trending in my life:

Wooo's

• We went to Waco on Saturday to meet Jeni's new little, Oliver. Of course he is cute, they make cute babies. Dp and I had the whole day off on Saturday and it was amazing.
• Friday night I braved the Galleria and got 1/2 of my shopping done. Sunday I braved the crowds again and got the other 1/2 done. I love giving gifts, but this year it seemed difficult. Next year I am taking a cruise during the holidays.
• Dp is working at Yapa's again. I like it because it helps pay the bills and he brings home IBC root beers for me. Maybe he can work part time at Yapa's and part time at Crave and bring me home a gingerbread cupcake. Brilliant idea!

Boo's

• Having Saturday off was so good it opened my eyes to how badly we need more breaks. I'm not sure if anyone reads my blog (I think there are 4 of you), maybe God is a blog stalker, but please we need prayers so the family can make the best care decisions for everyone, especially Mary.
• My sad little tree has one strand of garland on it. Hard to get in the holiday mood without a decorated tree.
• I had a whole list of these but I'm losing my mind. I have no focus, no memory, no easy of sleep, no mental capacity. This busy month has ravaged my poor brain.

92

Today is MeeMaw's birthday. It is an easy one to remember, December 19, 1919. I wonder if this date will always be MeeMaw's birthday to me.

It is shocking that it has already been a year. In some ways it feels like she is still here. I love all her little ceramics and paintings that fill my day; a desert scene in our bedroom, her stork picture in the living room, lighthouse in the sun room and funny orange caterpillar on my desk at work.

Her house feels so small. It was bigger, I just know it. The backyard and her garden - tiny. The house that had this magic and vibrance is small and quiet now.

The magic wasn't the house, it was the woman in it.

2009 -90

2010 - 91

my breath

I didn't decorate. I did get the turkey's put up and put glitter on some pine cones.

I keep thinking that maybe if I get the tree up I will find my holiday spirit.  I've tried advent devotionals, holiday movies, a LOT of emotional eating and so far nothing but a deep desire to just skip December altogether. I just want to get 2011 over with. It has been an awful year. Last year wasn't particularly great either.

I was watching Oprah's Life Class, the episode about finding joy. (Do you miss Oprah like I do?) She says that if you really can't think of anything to be joyful about
  stop
  close your eyes
  quiet the world around you and the thoughts inside you and
  breathe
  think of your breath filling your lungs

Because maybe life isn't good or even bearable but at least you have your breath. And that is a start to findng joy.

Sure - I'm missing the "meaning of Christmas". I know everything this season means. I just don't feel it.

I think that is ok.

to do list

On Sunday I brought in the Halloween doormat, but it is still in the living room. I have my Tgiving turkeys and pumpkins out next to the Christmas tree which is just taken out of the box and not fluffed.

To Do-
Deck my halls