Good Times

1. What's the point in celebrating Christmas if you're just going to complain about it?
2. I love my brothers.
3. My daughter is super cute: We finally decorated our tree (2 weeks after we put it up), she was carrying around the bead things calling them necklaces.
4. Toddler beds are good. Madeline likes hers. She wants to sleep in it and not with me. Enough said.
5. 'Tis the season of giving.
6. I want to help everyone that needs help. Especially at this time of the year. That one good and bad thing about me.
7. Everytime Madeline sees a Christmas tree, she says, "Tree, tree, tree, tree," until someone acknowledges her.
8. In January, when the second have the season starts for 7th Heaven, it's the LAST 11 episodes. I have sooooo been watching that show from the beginning. It makes me sad to see it go. But it's had a great run.
9. CLT's Christmas party is this Friday in Harrisonville... that will be a good time. The following Monday we have off work, I will have a couple of days off, then that Friday my office is (hopefully) moving. Madeline's daycare is closed that week. Volunteers for the week? Okay, for a day or two? And it's not really volunteer work, I pay for babysitters. Anyone?
10. Being dissatisfied in my job choice is not something that I want for the rest of my life. Keep going to college, Rachel, keep going to college.
11. I am thinking about writing something for the Creighton First Baptist Church news letter. But what to write... Hmmm.
12. I am 99% sure I'm finished with my Christmas shopping. No surprises anyone. None.
13. I had a dream last night I went to a concert in my pajamas and my grandparents showed up there. No holiday stress here.
14. I haven't sent out my Christmas cards yet. I know. It's late. I just like moving at my own pace, that's all.

Monday for Certain

Everyday, I try to learn something new. Everyday, I feel older. Every Friday night that I stay home I am reminded of the Friday and Saturday nights that I dared not to stay home. I feel like reminiscing to the "Old Days" when Friday and Saturday night communication is following someone around (while cruising) until they stop and talk, fun is doing something illegal, and spare time is spending money at Wal-Mart. It's easy to see how much my life has changed and to see the changes for the better. It's just weird to see different people making all the same things/mistakes that I did at that age. Why can't people learn? Communication is still honking, waving and yelling out of car windows (which was the same when my older brother was in HS, and my younger brother for that matter). "Fun" is still all too often illegal. "Spare Time" still calculates into spare money to be spent on w/e. It's like nothing ever changes. Boy, am I glad that HS's over and the real world has knocked me on my butt so I could see what I needed to see.

I went out on Friday night for the first time in a long time. I was SUPPOSED to have a class meeting, but the school was all locked up when I got there. Pissed? Yes, I was. My parents had Madeline with them in NKC. They were babysitting my heathen nephew and delightful niece. So, I called a friend who's birthday was recently and asked if he wanted to hang out. He did. First of all, we had to go to Family Center, then to Walmart. That made my night, really. I run into more people when I don't want too. First, it was an ex-boyfriend's cute older brother who stopped and talked a minute. Wow. Still cute after all these years. Then it was my kindergarten teacher. How weird... That's H'ville for 'ya. Anyway, I really didn't want people to jump to conclusions about me and Jeremy so when he was speed racing through the aisles, I kept my distance. We were just hanging out for something to do. Then his friend, he and I all went to Sheriff's. Talk about a waste of time. It was awful. We stayed for like 30 minutes (about 25 minutes too long) then headed out. By this time it's after ten, and I'm about asleep. So I watched his hook up some hitch thingy on his 4-wheeler and fell asleep on the couch. Now, isn't that just the most exciting Friday night ever? The whole time I'm thinking, this is so weird. It's a Friday night that would have never fit up to my standards back in the day, but it was so good to get out of the house and out of my routine for one night that I did have a little fun. So, long story and 3 Shmirnoff Ice's later... Here I am. Enjoying what I have. Now. My darling daughter, my little Christmas tree, and no more Cruising on Friday nights.

SNOW

Today is the first day that my little one has been able to walk in the snow. She was VERY excited. This morning events in slow motion:

Me: "Maddie, let's get your coat on so we can go bye-bye. Mommy has to go to work!"

Madeline runs wildly around the kitchen, squealing and giggling.

Me: "Madeline, let's go!"

Madeline & Me: wrestling her into her coat and mittens. (Grandma already had her in her snowboots) We walked to the back door.

Me: (Opened the door) "Look, Madeline! Look at the snow!"

Madeline hesitantly steps onto the deck-- her eyes grew big as saucers. She slowly got down the steps (Grandpa had shoveled a path to my car [Thanks, Dad!]). She stepped onto the pavement and squealed with glee at the six inches of snow just a toddler step away. She walked about two steps toward the car on the beautiful path then ventured into the snow to her right. She giggled and jabbered and tried to walk some more in the snow, but she fell. Poor thing. Face first into the snow. She reminded me of the kid in "Christmas Story," the little brother who couldn't get up. I picked her up only to see her smiling face (I was afraid she was going to cry, and it's so cold, not a good combo). We brushed off. She giggled some more. I made my way to the car to put my purse in there. She was still up by the house. I put on my gloves, gathered a little snow in my hand, packed it as best I could, and threw it in her general direction. Well, the snow is so dry that it only made it about half way there, and came apart in the process. Her eyes danced at the sight of more snow falling around her for a second. Finally, I got her into the car and we were on the road. We made it to our destinations with no major problems. The roads were a little icky, but the Rio was happy to go.

I have that funeral today, but I am hoping to get out early enough to get some snow boots from Wal-mart and play in the snow a little with her tonight before dark.

Tribute to a Man I Love

Have you ever had someone that made an impact on your life, but you never told them until it's too late? I have. Russell Dunn. He was a deacon (among other things) at a little Baptist church in Creighton for years. He always had something to say and a great sense of humor. My dad has used him as an example in his walk with God for years.

Why is he so special? There are many reasons, but here's one in particuliar: one year at HCS, we were having a grandparents' celebration. My younger brother and I were bummed because we knew that our grandparents wouldn't be able to make the 3 hour trip for a banquet. Russell and his wife Helen stepped in and acted like our grandparents for the night. Well, we never really gave up the thought. They've always been a 3rd set of grandparents for us.

A few years ago, they had to move out of their old house to a house next door to their daughter near Springfield. Yeah, Springfield. We've missed them, but kept in contact via email, letters, and one visit about a year ago. Last week, our pastor asked me if I would be a back up to play the piano at the funeral, just in case he passed while the other pianist is out of town. I gave in. For him I would. Yesterday, I practiced the song with the soloist and decided that I didn't think that I could.

After fellowship dinner, the church phone rang. It was their daughter, Barbara. Russell had just passed away. My heart sank. I didn't even say good-bye. But I'll say it now, "Good bye, Russell. I'll miss you. You'll always be near my heart. Thank you for all you have done. I'll see you in glory."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengths me." Philippians 4:13