how many days?

I can't. I really can't. It cannot be so close. So I'm just going through the days, pretending like I have lots of time. I can't even say what I've been up to, as it will ruin surprises.

Today, Samuel and I took a quick trip to the small city. He and I both know how to dawdle, and I can't remember the last time I've been to Walmart with one of my kids without being sighed at for simply looking at things! But no eye-rolling from Sam! He just looked at stuff right along with me, as we agreed we should really hurry up.

We didn't hurry up though, and it was fun.

Home....ah home. Sam and Grace and baby Grant have been here since Saturday. They were supposed to leave last night, but their car broke down. It's fixed now, so tomorrow I'll drive them to the place where it was fixed, and they'll leave from there.

Last evening, Benjamin and Ashley and their two little girls came for dinner. Their little Anya is BESTIES with little Lydia, so of course Lydia was NOT ready to go home when her mama came to pick her up. We had pulled pork nachos.

Tonight we had some really nice chuck roast which had been in the crockpot all day. I cut up some sweet potatoes and red skinned potatoes and roasted them in olive oil, mmm.

Dessert: the kids opened a box of chocolates from our friend from church, and I smelled it, but didn't have any. I'm really trying to not eat sugar, and it's helping! I've lost about seven pounds in the last few months. I know, it's not a lot, but it's better than GAINING seven pounds. Right? I'm still exactly 20 pounds over the lowest I went, back a few years ago...like seven years ago, I guess. It's coming back off slowly! I do intermittent fasting, and low carb, very little sugar, avoid eating in the evening, which is so hard around here! I can't drink diet soda anymore, I had some bad reactions from it. (shaky, jittery, feeling like my very brain was buzzing!) I stayed away from it because I thought it was the culprit, tried it again, and sure enough! I cannot tolerate it. I think going lower carb makes me more sensitive to it.

Anyway...seltzer water, or tea in the evening, or even a piece of gum makes me happy enough.

My shopping isn't done. My wrapping isn't done.

But I still have time, ha.

Today when I went out and about with Samuel, I forgot my phone and my glasses. I was as good as blind, as far as reading my Christmas list. Sam offered to read it for me, but first of all, his name IS on there, as well as what I've gotten for him, AND, I write things in codes that even I have trouble deciphering!

One of the girls still has a giant white blank next to her name.

So I am not quite done yet.

We had an amazing Christmas celebration at church. I bought the food on Friday with Camille.



40 pounds of potatoes, carrots, sqash (all roasted up, yummers!)..brown sugar cured spiral sliced ham, apple sauce with apples cut up in it, green beans with almonds... rolls with butter, baked potatoes and sour cream and butter...punch, coffee, hot cocoa with mini marshmallows and M&M's. And all those cookies from the cookie bake for dessert!


Kathryn at the candy and dessert table. I had only one cookie for the day, one of the mocha/peppermint twists I made.




Camille and me...:)


Benjamin with his baby, Elise...


Suzanne and Miss Char...


We watched baby Grant on Saturday night so his parents could go to the military ball...



And today is this beautiful little boy's first birthday!!! Happy 1st, Grant!!!

So it's been busy...shopping on Friday, having people over for dinner, babysitting on Saturday, Christmas celebration on Sunday...Emily, Evelyn, Kathryn, Char, and Cam, and some of the other girls helped with the meal...but oh how sweet it is when it all comes out nicely!

Monday...dentist appointments for Sonja and I...I have a cavity, dang it. Back to the dentist for a filling in March, which will be here before we know it.

Anyway, life is busy, but I'll keep on working on being thankful.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get my shopping done, and my gifts wrapped, and things out to the post office.

Maybe I'll get the house cleaned too.

You never know!