Christmas Baby

On Christmas Day, Ashley (my nephew Brett's wife) gave birth to the first baby born on Christmas day in my family.

Blake Eli Johnson

9 lbs. 20 inches

Absentee Blogger

Christmas is only a few days behind us, and already we are ready to move onto New Year's Eve. It all goes so quickly.

This year I found myself especially homesick. Missing my mom, feeling guilty that she is home alone on Christmas. Missing my family. Cousins, aunties, nephews, babies, the noise, the commotion, the whole works.

April and I had a nice, cozy, warm Christmas day. We opening gifts, stockings, and played games. Christmas Eve we saw Tangled, I loved the horse and the pet chameleon. They both make me crack up laughing. Ate good at the Tulalip Casino and headed home to relax. Enjoyed watching past episodes of Big Bang Theory, brainy humor but oh so funny.

I got hit with a cold that everyone has had a work and now just recovering. Still don't feel back to myself, but getting there.

More to come, lots on my mind...

Two More Days

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, can you believe it?

I can still recall, as a girl how difficult it was to will my self to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. In our little house in Cerritos there wasn't much by way of insulation, and as I got older of course I waited and waited and waited for the sound of my parents leaving the living room. Santa had arrived! If I did fall asleep, I would awake at 3 am or 4 am and sneak out to the living room. There I would silently sift through my stocking contents (Oh the joy of a stocking!) and then onto the loot from Santa! Those quiet moments in the dark exploring all the new goodies. It was such a thrill. I don't remember when I stopped believing in Santa, but I know I played along for the sake of my much younger brother of many years. I didn't mind, I still love a good surprise gift.

My childhood Christmas were so generous, to this day it is one of reasons I tend to overboard at Christmas with gifts. Sometimes the number gifts around our tree would be go grand there had to be a six foot radius of them! Of course this included Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins but still so many presents!

I look back and think of all the hard work my mom did cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, and getting us all dolled up for the day and feel a sense of admiration and appreciation. I'm sure it was exhausting. I know my Dad stayed late many Christmas Eve's helping put all the gifts together, not to mention how hard he worked to provide it all for us. You really adapt such a different sense of the holidays once you are the one providing it! I am truly thankful for all joy they worked so hard to provide to us over the years.

In memory, I still think my favorite Christmas was during my teenage years. I got my own phone line in our house and a chair matching table for my bedroom. I loved it! I felt so spoiled! Of course, there was the Easy Bake Oven (5 I think), Barbie and all her accessories, the first Pong game my Grandpa got us one memorable year. So many Christmas' to remember, so much to be thankful for. I am happy to say Christmas once again is one of my favorite holidays and look forward to spending it with the LOML! Bring on the joy!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Time

I just love this commercial for this holiday season. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when I was a girl waiting to unwrap all those beautiful packages under the tree. A time when it seemed like days were so slow to pass and it was going to be forever before Santa arrived. Hope you like it too! Oh to feel that enthusiasm for the holiday again!

Post Fall Quarter Review

12 weeks goes extremely quickly, when it is actually only 10 weeks and Thanksgiving week is thrown in as well. This quarter went lighting quick. I won't say Medical Terminology was easy peasy, but it was NOTHING akin to all the horrific science classes I have endured. Labs and dead cats to dissected included. Finally, back on the A track and that feels good. Not having to go to the library and study is wonderful. Being able to read fiction or non-fiction for that matter and not feel guilty is a good thing as well.

Now we head into the Christmas season. Work has been painfully slow, which is never good on the pocket book this time of year. I have lost all enthusiasm for cleaning a building as old as God and as smelly as time itself (what we have to do when the restaurant is slow). Not to mention being managed by someone with severe OCD. Oh the fun there just continues.

My hope is that I can find somewhere in the medical arena to fit into for the next 9 months or so. I know I need to show some "hands-on" or "around" experience. (I have no idea if years of working as a Massage Therapy will be looked on as working with patients or not.) While applying to get into Nursing School. As they say, we shall see what happens.

Maybe it's the out of school let down, maybe it's just homesick, but I've captured a small case of the blues and am working on getting myself out of it.

Snow Days

I did not grow up in the PNW (Pacific North West) as most of you who take the time to read my blather know so snow days are new to me. Those pictures I posted a few days ago were only the beginning. There is not only a good deal of snow all around the neighborhood, but ice as well. Ice is more the reason for snow days. Have you seen the videos of crazy humans trying to navigate up and down the hills in Seattle? It's almost embarrassing and it makes me oh so grateful for off the street parking. The last thing I want to wake up to is my car buried in a pile of car dominoes. This car sliding video was shot locally and is exactly of which I speak.

I told April yesterday, "If I was a kid, I'd be so excited!" But the truth is, I am excited! I am still working on collecting the proper gear to wear out in it but I still absolutely love it. She does not, so I need to find someone who wants to go "play." There are a few little ones in the immediate neighborhood that I might make a snow man with if the rain does not wash it all away, as predicted tomorrow.

I was off of work yesterday, which was good because due to the icy weather and horrible driving conditions they closed the restaurant. I due in there at 5pm today. I am hoping for another "snow day." Hot coco, movies, some studying, and layers of clothes and a blanket. You just can't beat that!

First Snow of 2010

I don't know what it is about snow that is so magical but it is. I felt like a kid this morning when I opened the blinds to see it floating down from above. Just love it!!!