Santa!

Best.

Day.

Ever.

Photographs by Kristen Weigel Photography

A sweet moment....

Emma and her Daisy Troop
This past Sunday, Emma's Daisy Troop had their monthly meeting and a Christmas Party. Gifts were to be exchanged between the girls and they would get their Daisy vests as a gift, too.

All of the girls drew numbers.

Emma was number 3.

Of course, there is always someone who draws the last number.

Emma was thrilled with the little hot chocolate gift she picked.

The last little girl, who was a friend of Emma's, didn't exactly like the gift she picked.

To be fair, she really didn't get to "pick" as she was the last number drawn.

After decorating cookies, the little girl's mother who didn't like her gift, came up to me with tears in her eyes.

It seems that my little Emma went to her friend and her mother and asked the little girl if she would like to swap gifts. She said she could tell that she didn't "wreally like" her gift so if she wanted, they could trade gifts.

They traded gifts.

Hugs all around.

I am touched by my daughter's heart and sweetness....

Photo Mish-Mash....

....and this is what happens when one doesn't blog/write as one should.

Not sure why i've gotten so very far behind this year, but my New Years Resolution is to write (at the very least) once a week. I think that i am being overly optimistic, but maybe if i set a time, the same time, daily to write, i'll keep up. There are so many things i wanted to write about but held off of writing about--there were things in the adoption world that bothered me that i wanted to write about, some political stuff and just some news events. But i struggle with if any of those subjects even belong on this blog...those writings of mine belong somewhere but i'm just not sure where those writings belong.

Christmas is right around the corner.

In fact, Christmas is only 16 days away as i write this.

Yes, you read that right.

SIXTEEN DAYS.

It's the best time and the worst time of year for me.

It's the best time of year because of Emma....

It's the worst time of year because i miss my Mama even more than usual. My Mama's birthday falls on Christmas Day, so it's a bittersweet day. I think back to all of the gifts my sister and i bought for her (one year we bought her a parakeet!), all of the baking she and my Dad would do and how much i looked forward to going home for Christmas each year. And of course, i think about our last Christmas with her, how she was barely able to get out of bed to open presents, how my Dad rolled her out in her wheelchair so she could see the tree.

That was the last time she was out of her room....i miss her so very much. What i wouldn't do to have her with me again! To just hear her voice....

Our Christmas Cards are done and will go into the mail in the morning. I'm actually a little early this year! I love this year's Christmas Card....it really turned out pretty. I know that a lot of folks don't send Christmas Cards anymore, but it's something i love to do. It's a time to put on Christmas music, make hot chocolate and think about the folks that i am sending them to...and to be thankful for each one of them.

Our Christmas plans are all over the place this year and haven't been finalized. I am hoping that we will wake up at home for Christmas and save our traveling for after Christmas. There really isn't a better place to be than home for Christmas. I love our home even if it is a pain to clean and seems like a never-ending job. I love the arches in this house, i love how comfortable it is, i love just about every part of this home. The windows are so pretty and the sun and warmth those windows let in is amazing.

In the snow last year....
Of course, i am not done shopping yet. We have really made an effort the past few years not to over-due the whole gift giving thing. The gifts are not the reason for the season and heaven knows we have more than enough "stuff". Watching Emma open presents from Santa, though, is more fun than i ever would have imagined. To see her surprised face and hear her giggles is a gift in itself. It makes the stress of the season worth it.

More later....