Wonderful surprise

yesterday, i got a phone call in the morning from my friend Mary. The next time we planned on seeing each other was in April when she came to visit the baby. She was calling because she was in Muskegon. I was excited all day to know that i would be able to see her for a couple of hours that night. TJ built forts with Keller and played monster, horse, and tyrannosauruses rex, while Mary and i talked. It was wonderful.

Yesterday, TJ also started gluing the face of the window seat on. It looks beautiful. And he put the crib together. When i woke up during the night, i could see it in the nursery. It made me smile. We don't have the mattress yet, so i can't put the sheets and stuff on it, but it still looks adorable. I started painting the lamp for Gertie's room. It is my old lamp from when i was little. The lamp base has three little drawers that i am going to paint different colors and then i am going to put bumpy fleece on the shade and pom pom balls hanging from the rim.

Update

The tow truck is coming to pick up my car and take it to a body shop. A husband of one of my friends owns a body shop, so we are giving him lots of business with two cars, especially the red one. Who knows when i will see Big Red again. The good news is the white car was far from being considered totaled. We were worried about that because the car is so very valuable to us. . . it is a good car with no monthly payments. We are going to drive the white car for a few more days, since the adjuster can't come see it until Wednesday, but she wants to see it at the body shop. Then we will be down to one car. . . the s10 truck, which i cannot really drive and don't really want to. I don't have school next week, so it should all work out. . . hopefully.

Christmas was nice. It didn't quite feel the same. That could be because of many things. . . i miss my mom, i miss my grandma, jason wasn't there, we were carless, we didn't go to the Eve service, and we got into town late. It was great to see everyone and to hang out a little bit with them.

I have been living in a soft, brown maternity sweat suit i got from gail and steve. My dad made me the nicest candles and soaps. Our Christmas gifts are put away and i put all the Christmas stuff away yesterday. We played with our digital photo frame. Watched Transformers, Mean Girls, and Shrek the third. All my new maternity clothes are neatly hung in my closet. We moved the living room back to normal. We have been feasting on cookies. I have been sipping chai and reading a Mary Higgins Clark book. TJ used Trevor's chainsaw to cut up the tree into manageable pieces. We are on our way out the door to go shopping and spend some gift cards. Then we are headed back. TJ is going to work on the built-in and i am going to sew.

I have many plans for my next week off. I have to clear up the fiasco with a credit card that i haven't used since 2001, but has a charge from 2004 from St. Louis, a place i have never been. I have/want to sew for little Gertie. I want to organize all our electronic pictures into folders and hopefully in one spot, instead of several. There is always school work. I need to make loopies. I have already been paid for one that needs to be made. I want to get my haircut. I love having time off. I am going to make sure to relax as well. :)

Stranded

We are pretty ticked. When i called the insurance company yesterday to file a claim, the lady told me that we would most likely hear from a representative today. Well, we called the office, and they are close today. That lady really messed up our plans. If we knew sooner that a representative would not get in touch with us, we could have rented a car yesterday and left as planned. Instead, we learn after all the car rental places are closed for the day. Jered so kindly offered to pick us up after work today and drive us into town, but we were all a little worried about space with three bodies, luggage, and , of course, gifts. Steve is on his way over now to pick us up. I am sure he did not want to spend 6 hours on the road on Christmas Eve. We will miss the Christmas Eve service.

When TJ gets back into town, instead of working on the built in like he had hoped, he is going to be busy taking care of a tree, debris, and plans for getting two cars repaired. And, he goes back on the 2nd. This just kinda stinks. I am trying to stay positive and so far, it is actually working!

We have been enjoying our kitties and our new table. . .

Insurance proof. . .

Change of Plans

Well, we were supposed to head out of town today. But waking up to both cars crushed by a tree changed our plans. It is very windy here. The wind took down a tall pine tree, landing it right down on both of our cars. The red saturn got the brunt of it. It looks as if it was in a rollover accident. The roof is all pushed in, my door frame is completely bent, the windshield is broken, the driver window is broken, there is bark and sap in the inside of my car, and two doors won't open. The white car's hood is damaged and we are not yet sure of the damage under the hood. We don't want to open it up until the insurance company contacts us. The trunk landed on both. . .

This in combination with my 12 hour fasting four hour glucose test yesterday is not a great way to start vacation.

almost free

A half day away from Freedom for two weeks. I can hardly contain myself. The kids are wild and filled with excitement about Santa's visit. A half day away. . .

Oh, and our new table, chairs and bench come today!

Restlessly Tired

I am so restless. I am pacing around the house, yet i am so exhausted. I am waiting for my hubby to get home from Traverse City. The house has been too quiet that last three days and my classroom has been too boisterous. I don't feel like reading. I don't feel like eating. I don't feel like doing school work or cleaning up. I am restless.

I still have so many Christmas presents to buy. I don't think i have ever been this behind. The ones i do have are at least wrapped and ready to go, but i still have so many people who are presentless. Yikes!

All is quiet

The dishwasher is humming. TJ is napping. The tree and village lights are glowing. Wrapped presents sit under the tree sparkling. It is so peaceful. Jered, Daddy-o, Aunt Carol and Uncle Mike just left. We were celebrating jered's birthday. Dad brought a beautiful poinsettia plant for us and TJ's favorite homemade cookies. I have the warm inside feeling that only family brings. I love the conversation, the laughter, the food, the company. I love that everyone is so different, yet there we are sitting in the same room. . . loving each other. I am so thankful God put all these wonderful people in my life because i might not have surrounded myself or had the opportunity to surround myself with them. I am glad i get to see them all in a few weeks. Jason was missed, though and he will be at Christmas time too. It was so nice to have everyone over. Next weekend gail and steve are coming over. I love having visitors.

Now i really don't want to do school work. I have to. It seems to make the house so much less peaceful as soon as i drag my bag of school stuff out. I worked a little before family came, but didn't finish. It is hanging over my head. I really just want to curl up with a good book and drift off to sleep. As i write this, i immediately try to think of the ramifications of doing just that. . . too many to count.

Any time now

Any time now i should see my hubby's face and know that he is safe and sound. He left at 6 this morning and has basically been lifting stuff or driving all day. Everyone got really nice furniture out of it. He has so much to do when he gets home. It is after 8 now. He is not planned at all for tomorrow. Yesterday, instead of doing school work, we were moving furniture around to make room for the new additions. Moving things downstairs wasn't all that easy because it required cleaning up and organizing the basement. It looks really good down there, now. I have a whole craft area for my scrapbooking and sewing. We also moved the tank desk down there with the computer. In the red room going in its place is a day bed for visitors (finally we have a place to offer people to stay) and book shelves with glass doors.

Anyway, the house looks so festive. The tree is up (complete with its tinfoil hand-made star from our first Christmas together), Norvin the Reindeer is illuminated and moving outside (although, this year he is close to the house because i didn't want to take tj's shop extension cord), the evergreen lighted swoops adorn the front porch, villages look alive and bustling, snowflakes are scattered throughout the house, the beautiful wreath hangs on the door welcoming all who come, mostly empty Christmas boxes are restacked downstairs, Christmas Boyds are sitting and waiting for the holiday to come, and the mistletoe is hanging awaiting a couple of lovebirds to stand under it. I am tired, too. We both had long days. I think mine was more fun, though! I love all the lights at night. AND mixed with my baby kicking me. . . i feel so content, happy, and peaceful. I cannot wait to see my husband.

I did make TJ brownies to greet him when he gets home.

Bad timing

This morning at 6, TJ set out to grand rapids to pick up jered and then to the detriot area to meet my dad, aunt and uncle to move the rest of my granna's furniture out of her apartment. There was a sheet of ice over everything. . . my dad also had to travel in not-so -nice conditions. What a bad day to move. I am very thankful for cell phones today. I know a phone won't protect TJ, but it sure gives me peace of mind to know that he has one, especially on a long day full of driving.

Yesterday was such a busy day. We had to make room for the furniture and that included moving my craft table and our desktop computer downstairs. I also had to clear things out that Jered is going to help tj move today, that is way too heavy for me to help move. Today, i am doing school work, putting up the tree, finishing the rest of the christmas items, and doing laundry.