Christmasy time!!!

Hi, Everybody!

I have been having such a nice, Christmasy week!! This is such a relief, especially after the hustle and bustle of last week.

Last week (so we are talking a little over a week ago), Dustin came down with the stomach flu; he had a rather strange case of it and was out of commission for a few days. Of course, we know how our men like to milk it! Ok, just kidding, honey, I know you really were quite sick! :D While Dustin suffered horribly under the flu curse, I had the chance to go to Fisher and watch my nieces perform in their school Christmas program. I am the kind of aunt who wants to be involved and see these things, but I think I am also living vicariously through my sister, since I will not get to experience these funner aspects of public school.

Also, Dustin and I were able to go on a date last week, despite that Dustin was not 100%. Our neighbors watched the girls for us, and apparently are helping rid Lara of her fear of dogs-go for it, guys! We caught a movie and a quick bite to eat. That day was really hectic though-oh, yes, Lara had her 4 year check up that morning. She got an excellent report, and did very well talking to the doctor. There is nothing to report there, and we did not do shots, as we managed to squeeze in a 1 1/2 hr therapy session between the doctor and the date, and I didn't want her to be suffering from sore thighs. I do not remember the measurements, but I remember that Lara is 87th % for height and 66% for weight; which I am sure is rather inaccurate as she was wearing her heavy shoes, braces, and winter clothes.

The following day, the girls and I headed to the Homer/Fairmount area-Claire stayed at Grandma's, while Lara and I went to Nana's for a candy-making afternoon. That night, we raced back to Bloomington for a dinner at our church.

When the snow storm hit last Sunday, I was glad for a chance to stay nice and warm in my house!!

This week, we've stayed around home and gotten ready for Christmas. We finally have a few gifts under the tree (I think I've just about finished my shopping), and the girls have made some Christmas crafts with which to decorate the house.

Christmas is in just 10 days!! It really is just flying by, and I sort of feel that I am missing out on something....I've had Christmas music playing almost non-stop lately (thanks to Pandora), and have spent a lot of time telling Lara the true reason of why we celebrate Christmas. I've also developed a "Beat the Greedies" calendar (a little idea I picked up on the internet). Here is the link to the calendar; it starts tomorrow-feel free to do this with us! Yesterday, during the girls' nap, I took the opportunity to read my Bible a little and review the story of Jesus' birth.

But there is still a lot to do, and only a week to do it! Tonight, Dustin and I went to a Christmas party, and my friend watched the girls for us. We were out to coffee not long ago, and she bluntly asked, "So are you going to ask me to come over and watch the girls for you sometime?" We had a big discussion, then, about the nature of guilt, and she insisted upon giving us a night off some time. So I took this opportunity to learn to be guilt-free!! And, also, to rejoice in being blessed with such caring friends! My friend even brought a toy for the girls to play with and told us to keep it after seeing how much the girls loved it. Very sweet!


Lara asked me this morning if today is next Saturday yet! Hope you are all enjoying the season and remembering what matters most.

I'll try to post really soon with pictures and cute stories of the girls.