The Nativity is up

I remember thinking a while back that I love outdoor lights for the Christmas season. The ones that I love the best always had a nativity in the set up. So a number of years ago I was searching through Christmas decorations at Wal-Mart (this was before I realized that I had way too many decorations) and I found a light up big plastic nativity. Here is the funny, I think the blow up decorations are really cool and pretty but I am a little old school when it comes to Christmas. I love the old movies about Christmas and the older songs too.

The big plastic decorations were something as a child that we never had. So when I saw them I grabbed them. Every year since then I have put them out front. When Anna came along I did not realize just how much she would enjoy them too. Each year she gets more excited then the previous year when it is time to put them out. Occasionally, she will stand at the attic door and ask for her baby Jesus throughout the year. I love how she loves doing this with us.

So about a week ago we took them down and had them in the garage . I was waiting for a night when we would all be home to put them out. Gerard picked up Anna from Hans' house on a night I was getting ready for work. She came running in to tell me "Daddy said it is baby Jesus time." I frowned at him and he realized his error. It was 10 minutes before I had to walk out the door.

I threw on my uniform, grabbed my camera and still got to watch the excitement in her face as she dragged the big plastic figures out of the garage to be set up. I was able to snap a few pictures and still make it to work on time. I did make Anna promise that she will still want to do this when she is 16, including sit on the cow. She promised so I feel better about her getting a little bit bigger.

 

Once everyone was in there proper places she told us that they were cold and needed to be covered up. So with the help of a few rags from the garage baby Jesus, the cow, Mary and Joseph were warm.

 

She is quite the climber.

 

 

Christmas 2009

 

Christmas 2010

 

 

Christmas 2011

 

Christmas 2011

On my soapbox

My class is done! I am elated to say that I recieved an A. I am now off from school until January 7th. I sat down last night to finish my last essay for the class that I was taking. I turned on the computer, connected to the internet and saw a head line that caught my eye. I will be honest I do not watch the news. My T.V. time is down to about 2 hours a week if that. I stopped reading trash magazines after Princess Diana was killed. I refuse to even pick them up while waiting at the store. I feel very strongly about this so I was surprised when I clicked the link about the nurse who killed herself over a prank in England.

I am sure so many know way more about the prank then I do but apparently a few radio hosts tricked the nurse into giving out information about Princess Kate and her pregnancy. Because of this prank the nurse decided to take her own life. I guess I am so sad for her and her family because someone thought it would be funny to invade the Princess' personal life at a very emotional time with no regard to how others could be affected. I know that the nurse was wrong to give out any information but what a horrible joke to play on an innocent nurse who was probably nervous as heck to be caring for Princess Kate.

The week has flown by

Yesterday I opened my eyes and thought "Where did the week go?" I have been off for the past 8 days and I did not get nearly half of what I wanted to get done completed. I am sure that I packed on way more than I should have for the week. What I did get done is amazing in my eyes anyway. The tree is up! Seriously, I am going back to putting the tree up after Thanksgiving. I love having the house decorated. It take so long to get everything up that I feel like I do not get a chance to really enjoy it.

Anna declared that she was "In Charge of the Tree" this year so I let her be. I ton of years ago way before Anna a little girl lived next door. I knew her parents well just from chatting and seeing them outside. We were talking about putting up our trees one year and the little girl overheard me. She had been playing with her friend who also lived in the neighborhood. They were about 10 I think. So I offered to let them put on all the decorations. Their parents agreed to let them come over and help. For me it was wonderful they helped me drag down the boxes from the third floor which in itself was a big help. I made hot chocolate and cookies. I told them to decorate it any way they liked as long as the angels were at the top of the tree.

Now let me tell you I have WAY TOO MANY ornaments! I think I have 3 or 4 totes full still up stairs that I have not opened in a couple of years. Last year I gave a number away to my nephews. I know that sounds silly but Gerard was unknowingly collecting Hallmark ornaments...Okay I was buying them for him that is the truth. So we had about 30 football and baseball ornaments. My sister also had one of each of these football ornaments so you know the fights that can happen when you have two boys who love football. I settled that for her, now they each have a set.

So back to the little girls, they laughed and giggled. I loved watching them place the ornaments on the tree so carefully. I wondered what they were thinking. Just then they told me "My mother never lets us touch these kinds of ornaments. I often think about that day with those girls. We live in a small town and I ran into the not so little girl who now has a house of her own. She remembered that day too which I guess surprised me. It made me smile. I did not realize it then but the most precious thing about this time of years is how it makes you feel. It is so not about the gifts but the feeling kindness and peace that is so important.

Someone is excited!

Anna is in charge of putting the star on the tree today.
By far the favorite thing that she has unpacked is her nativity.





Sorry for the poor photo quality but I wanted to put them up while we were doing the tree.

A busy day

This morning we will be heading to Anthony's birthday party. In case you have forgotten these two got married last year in preschool. They both still love each other to the point where the teacher is making them play with others in the class. I really do not think it is a big deal. Anthony is a cute little guy, full of energy. Anna went to sleep last night knowing that tomorrow was the party. Rather than trying her best to stay up she told me she has to sleep because of the party.

My hope had been to spend the rest of the day decorating but alas Gerard is working extra again. Since the hurricane he has pretty much worked every day and night. He may not know it now but he is not working tomorrow.

Yesterday I was cleaning out our closet, Anna was trying on my clothes which was very cute. She said the sweetest thing to me. "Mommy I like being you." What I did not realize is that she was also playing in my jewelry box. Yikes! I realized that my engagement ring was missing and another diamond band that I usually wear was also missing. My first thought was "Why did I not lock them up?" If they are lost it is totally my fault. Yes, Anna should not have been in my jewelry box but she is 5 and I am not. I will not lie a drop of panic set in, did she put the rings in one of the bags I had already taken to donate?

I searched and searched, when I found my engagement ring a wave of relief came over me. I am still looking for my diamond band but I have come to the conclusion that if it is lost it is lost. I had plans on having the diamonds reset in both rings but I guess I have to scratch that plan for now.

This was the year that I was going to have planned ahead and made an advent calendar for Anna. Due to Gerard's work schedule I have had very little free time. What free time I have had I needed to dedicate to school work. I still am planning on making one hopefully today or tomorrow. I do not like how this season is already feeling rushed to me.

So that is life in our little world today.

Ahhhhhh

Did you all just hear me exhale? Well if you missed it I did. I just submitted my final project for the class that I am taking. Over the next two weeks I have 5 short...very short essays to write and 2 quizzes then I am DONE! I will have successfully completed my 6th class towards becoming a nurse practitioner.

I hate to say it but I have already started to look ahead. I will not lie I am a bit nervous about the spring trimester because I will be required to take 4 classes...YIKES! That is three more than I usually take. I will also have to travel to Missouri again for a week. Here is the exciting part after next trimester I will be more than half way done! My hope is to get all of my remaining projects done this week. Monday the latest!

I had hoped to post on Turkey day but on such little sleep there would be so many more misspelled words that I am sure you all would not be able to read it. This year turned out to be a quiet year. In attendance was Gerard's parents, my Mother, My sister Joan minus her husband (because he was feeling too ill), My sister Jenny (with a belly full of babies), her friends Bernie, Jessica, Jack and their baby Ryan.

Anna was so excited for Turkey day. Believe it or not turkey is one food that she will eat. When she realized a baby was coming her excitement only grew. I got about 4 hours of sleep because I had worked the night before but the meal was prepped and the cooking was no problem for such a small group.

The house was cleaned up by 8 pm and everyone except Gerard's parents were on their way home. Anna cried "They can't leave. It is turkey day!" I held my baby and just rocked her until she fell asleep. I took a power nap, looked at the advertisements, grabbed my keys and hit Toys R Us! I can not say but I think a certain person will be quite happy on Christmas morning. Now that I got the shopping out of the way I feel like I can really get the Christmas spirit going in our house. Me-Me and I sat down today to look at our calendars to coordinate fancy projects and baking.

I hope everyone had a wonderful turkey day like we did.

Debt and Dave Ramsey

I mentioned a couple of posts back that we have made paying down our debt a priority. Are you curious how we have done it? Well it is no secret sacrifice. the debt did not appear overnight and certainly it will not disappear overnight. Since the arrival of Anna my needs are far less than they were before. Let me explain. What I need it to spend time with Anna. That has by far out weighted anything else that I have ever loved to do in the past.

She is so neat. Just listening to her play with her horses is such a pleasure. I know people think I am crazy when I say that but it is by far my favorite thing to do. She has whole conversations with her little horses or other "guys" as she calls them. Watching her put together a puzzle is amazing.  I guess or at least hope that every mother loves to just watch their children play.

In order to realize my goal of being home more the debt had to go and I mean fast. What I did not understand is how the heck did I get in this situation. Prior to Anna many moons ago I had debt, I worked like crazy to pay it off. When Anna got home it reappeared like a blur. I know some of it was the final travel expenses to Russia so I am completely okay with that  but I often wonder how the heck did I manage all of this?

Today we are on a good track to being completely debt free. Shortly I will completely own my car so that makes me VERY happy. My hope is that I can keep it forever but that may not be the case but at least another 3 years. I really dislike buying a car.

The real truth is I read a book by Dave Ramsey entitled Financial Peace. For us the first couple of steps were easy. We are in the home stretch of being completely free of credit card debt. My goal is to pay for Christmas the old fashion way...with cash! Sounds easy and hard all at the same time. Since September I have been on a budget. I withdraw a set amount of cash from my paycheck and place it into 7 different envelopes. One of those envelopes is for Christmas and the other for my vacation in July. At first it seems silly to put a twenty dollar bill in an envelope and stash it away. Can I tell you that I have nearly 400 dollars saved for Christmas?

My friends are laughing at me because of the ridiculously small amount of money I am giving myself to fun stuff but according to Dave I must be on the right track then. I highly recommend this book to...well everyone. This system works. At first I think Gerard was a little like "She is crazy so I will just nod my head in agreement." Now I have him on board as well.