Much better...

Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes after my post last evening.  I am feeling 90% better today and feel like I can actually form a cohesive thought.  I still plan to take it easy today, while taking some time to make our house look like we do not live in complete squalor.  I woke up to a house that looks like a 2 yo was in charge yesterday.  Do the laundry piles not understand what it means to take a sick day?  Seriously, no mercy. 

Sick Day

This post is not for the faint of heart.  It all began last evening...perhaps because I wasn't humble enough about my lack of pregnancy sickness.  It was around 9 pm.  I was looking at recipes, and suddenly I didn't feel too good.  Nothing was looking very appetizing anymore.  Not long after, I found myself violently hurling into the porcelain throne.  I felt a bit better after that...but not for long.  My mom has been telling me about this stomach bug that has been plaguing their area, but I don't know many people here who have been sick.  I didn't even go anywhere yesterday.  Well, my rendezvous with the commode continued every hour until about 7:30 am.  I'm not sure if I got more than 15 min of actual sleep.  I spent the ENTIRE day on the couch or in bed.  I had no energy to even be on the computer...certainly no mental energy to leave comments.  So, your blogs went unread today.  Due to the weather, my hubby got home early today.  I was never so happy to see his smiling face, and Adeline, well, she was an angel today.  She played well, checked in with mommy on occasion or made enough noise so I knew she was okay.  She ate the dried cranberries and Cheerios I gave her for breakfast without asking for more or fussing.  We only dealt with one tantrum where she was sure mommy needed to get up from my spot on the couch.  I assured her that wasn't happening.  I managed to keep down some Gatorade (even though I still don't understand why pure sugar in liquid form is GOOD for you when you're sick).  Tonight I ate about 3/4 of a piece of bread.

Pray that the rest of my family does not endure this plague.  I can't imagine what I would have done if Adeline had been  vomiting along with me today.  I guess God only gives us what we can bear, and He would have given me the strength if I needed it.  Of course, I was in the church nursery on Sunday.  Not sure if that's where I picked it up or if there will be many unhappy families swearing off all groups of children until May.  Sorry everyone!

Heidi, we will have to play this weekend by ear.....

  

Christmas Party in January...

I realize I should have managed to post this BEFORE changing my blog look away from the Christmas theme, but such is life...

I hosted the annual Women's Christmas Party for our church.  We decided to do it in January (the 8th to be specific) this year so more people could come (or not be so stressed out about fitting one more thing in their December calendars).  There were about 25 women in attendance.  Everyone brings food, so cooking the entire meal was not on my shoulders.  My mom was here to help (since she comes at the end of every week now), which was a HUGE help for me given her clear talent which I have shown on many previous posts.  The biggest job was just getting out, washing, and putting away all the dishes!  Thanks mom for doing the bulk of the clean up work on Friday while I was at work...

Pregnancy Update...

I know, I've been lame about posting updates about my pregnancy.  Here is a picture at 23 weeks (I'm 24 weeks today) of my growing belly.  I had my 20 week ultrasound on Christmas Eve.  It looks like all the right parts are growing in all the right places.  And no, we didn't look at those parts....you're just going to have to wait until May with the rest of us.  This has been a very easy pregnancy thus far....no sickness AT ALL!  Except for the nagging fatigue at the beginning (which led me to go to bed at 9 and still take 2 hour naps in the afternoon), I've been feeling great.  Thanks for all your comments, prayers, and questions.  Baby is kicking all over the place, and I am loving every minute.

Right of Passage....

As of Tuesday, I can now check another box on my responsible adult list (not that I actually have one of those).  I served my town and my country for a day of jury duty.  I arrived at 7:30 am, waited in line for 45 minutes, and then sat for about five hours, never being selected for anything.  I was released at 12:45, and my duty is served for another three years.  I ate some snacks, met some nice people, and read a few chapters in my latest book club book.  All in all, not such a bad day.  Thanks, Nancy, for adding my baby girl to your crew (especially at 7 am!)....she had a blast.

Wordless Wednesday---She's practicing...

More book reviews...

I just read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson for my woman's book club at church. I've read it before, but it's been YEARS! It is a quick, fun read (you can finish it in a little over an hour). It's a fun story about a troubled family of kids that decide to be part of the local church's Christmas pageant. It gives a refreshing (and many times comical) look at how it feels to hear the Christmas story for the first time.

My aunt, Fay, gave me this book to read when our family was together for Thanksgiving. She also recommended Too Small to Ignore, which became one of my favorite books. I tried to find a link to my review, but it seems I read this before I started doing these reviews. One day I need to review some of my favorite books that I have not read in recent months. Anyway, back to the book at hand...

Amish Grace looks at the Amish communities' response to the schoolhouse shooting in 2007. Some were amazed and inspired by their quick forgiveness and grace extended to the killer (who committed suicide after his crime) and his family. Others criticized them for trivializing a horrific act of evil. The authors not only explore the public's response but also explain how the Amish belief system lends itself to this kind of forgiveness. The chapters get a bit redundant, but I enjoyed this book none the less.

Radical Gratitude by Ellen Vaughn was December's book club selection, and I am regretting that I did not write this review sooner as I am now struggling to remember specific examples of why I liked this book. This book is well written, and despite it's unappealing cover, it

is certainly worth your time. I found it to be witty but with depth to each story. To quote the book jacket..."Radical Gratitude isn't about yet another discipline to master. It's about God's thundering waterfalls of love, and how to recognize and celebrate His presence in days both light and dark. It's about living in today's jungle, with practical--if offbeat--ways to grab hold of God's good grace and to swing free of the pesky vines that so easily confine...yodeling all the way."

I was recently in a book lull...I know it doesn't seem possible with my posts about books I've read, but I was. Patrick recommended I read a few of the shorter novels and stories about Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Oh. My. Goodness! There is a reason these are classics! I loved that I could read an entire mystery before going to sleep, and I loved that they were thought provoking but not scary. I loved the creativity (in a Jason Bourne kinda way) of how Holmes would solve the murders. These are great when you just need something quick and entertaining.

I'll Walk a Mile in Your Shoes...

She's stylin'!

It was time....

Her hair was starting to look straggly in the back.  If I put it up, it was still cute, but down...not so much.  I just wasn't ready to part with those baby curls.

We went to "Pigtails and Crewcuts," a kids salon.  They had trains and bubbles and lots of fun things to make the experience less scary.  Adeline did great!  She loved the airplane and fire truck seats, but wanted nothing to do with sitting in them.  She sat on mommy's lap.

Here she is with her stylist.

All done!  And looking too cute!  Mommy gave her some time to play with the trains.  And, she threw a ball with a boy who was getting his hair cut to help him not to fuss.  The parents were very thankful they were able to borrow her.

Christmas Bloggy Open House

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of my house decked out for the holidays....

I have to give all the credit to my mom.  She is my chief decorator, which has been convenient since she is here every week now to babysit Adeline.

The star at the peak of the house is called a Moravian star.  They are popular in my hometown.  

She made these beautiful swags, one for each side of the garage.

My front porch, with greens and lights around the door and an antique sled I picked up at an auction.

In my dining room...

Adeline has her own little tree complete with bears in her playroom.

I bought two paintings a few years ago from my cousin's wife.  She does beautiful work.  My mom had them matted and framed for my birthday, and I always look forward to getting them out for the season.

You see this desk and tree when you walk in my front door.  I love the candy cane display with the book and crystal sleigh with candy.

The top of my china cabinet

These wise men have so much detail.  I love to display them.

Here is the banister heading upstairs, and if you look in the background, you can see the other picture that Theresa painted.  A lovely poinsettia.

One of my favorite new decorations this year.  This gingerbread house is made of resin, so I can keep it for many years to come.

I LOVE this arrangement with lights in the bottom of the container.  It is so pretty at night.

I posted this tree before, but it has gotten a splash of red since then.

My mom collects nativities, and I inherited her love.  This is one of my favorites.  For many years, my parents would give me a few more pieces to add to it.  I always look forward to setting it up.

You can really see my mom's talent here.  I LOVE what she did on my mantle.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope your holidays were filled with beauty and cheer.