Christmas/New Year Update

Christmas Eve found us at church. It was a wonderful service that focused on the birth of Jesus, but still reminded us that without his perfect life, sacrifice and ressurection, his birth would have just been a very strange event that did not have any impact on the world.

Christmas morning, the 4 kids that were home were up and ready almost an hour earlier than normal so they could go through their stockings and open the rest of the presents. After services, we headed to Denny's for lunch (this is the second year in a row Jason and I have been there on Christmas day), then came home for a casual afternoon and for MR to have a visit with her father and brothers. It was very warm outside and very unChristmas like weather all day. The girls and I played Disney Scene It for what seemed like hours! Later that evening, LF and I went next door and played poker with her brother, the relief houseparents that were on duty and a few of the other boys.

The week between Christmas and New Years saw the return of all of the kids. We went shopping, played games, did an extremely hard puzzle and just spent time with each other. It was a very L O N G week.

I managed to get sick on Friday, December 30 and I was not sure I was going to be able to continue to be a "mom" with the flu. We were supposed to have gone to a New Years Eve party with our life group, but I was too sick, so instead some of spent the late evening hours with the guys next door. We played Cranium, spoons and poker, watched the ball drop and went to bed. A few of the girls didn't want to go next door, so Jason took them to the gym for volleyball, went to the store for a soda and watched a movie, then watched the ball drop and went to bed. Church was very difficult to get up for the next morning, but we all managed okay.

My 17 year old MB found out eary that week that she would be returning home for good on the 4th. When we got to church, she started having to say good bye to people and this did not agree with her very well. She spent about 25 minutes in the bathroom throwing up and having an anxiety attack. This caused her an extreme amount of acid reflux, made her very weak, made her nose bleed and made her pass out. The youth minister's secratary and I ended up leaving before the sermon to take her to the ER because we didn't know what wrong her. By the time we left the ER, the waiting room that was very empty when we got there, had standing room only. I was very grateful we arrived when we did.

The kids went back to school on the 3rd and Jason and I were ready for a complete day off! Sinc MB was leaving the next day, she did not go to school, but spent the time packing. The 4th was a very bittersweet day. MB was a joy to have in the cottage because she was very self-sufficient and very helpful. The girls were happy for her, but very sad to see her go as well. After I dropped her off, MS and I headed to the hosiptal to see two of her classmates from church that are currently in there. Then we headed for church to watch the Longhorns play USC (in case you have been living in a vacuum of some sort, see my two previous posts to see who won that game).

Since then, things have been sort of calm. It is amazing how one person leaving, even an easy person to deal with, makes things so much calmer. KK has continued to have a very negative attitude about life in general and usually us specifically. SM is still on crutches and not following doctors oders to stay off her foot. SS has come to accept the fact that she will not be returning home this summer at all, but is not very happy about it and is still struggling to figure out what she is going to do when she turns 18 in August. MS has continued to stay positive and focus on making good grades. MB is still having fun being a 9 year old. KR is frustrated with her new braces because it causes her problems in band. MR is strugglig to find her place in the cottage without the MB that left (they were very close). LF joined the track team and will be running hurdles, both individually and on the relay.

We have been to two Lady Raiders Basketball games-Fresno and A&M. We are supposed to go to a WTA&MU game this Saturday and another Lady Raider on Sunday (they are playing Baylor on Sunday-it should be a really good game).

School is back in full swing and I, though I enjoyed the holidays, it is nice to be back into our normal routine. I think the kids are even happy that things are settling down now.

Have a great week!