Ramona ~ I'm so happy to hear that Dan is doing so well and that he will be home for Christmas! What a wonderful present for you all! I know there is a long road ahead of you all yet, but it sounds as if things are starting to look a little brighter. My prayers continue for Dan and the rest of your family.

Dee ~ I'm so sorry that you didn't get better results from the procedure that you had done. You must be so disappointed! Is there anything else that can be done that might help?

If you all get a chance, go and see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! It was a wonderful movie! It's rated PG and there are some pretty intense scenes that might frighten younger kids, but for the most part everyone in the family will enjoy this movie!

I finally finished my Christmas shopping and everything is wrapped. Now I just have to clean house and do some grocery shopping and I'll be ready for the holiday!

Our holiday traditions sound very similar to yours Dee! Christmas eve everyone comes to our house for dinner (lasagna) then we all go to church together. After church everyone comes back here for cookies and snacks and we open family presents from each other. Christmas morning we open presents from Santa (that will be odd this year...it's just Tim and I at home now) and then we have a big breakfast. Year's past we have gone to my parent's house for dinner, but I think I'm also going to end up cooking Christmas dinner this year. My Dad hasn't been in the best of health and it's enough on my mom to take care of him without having to fix a big meal for everyone too. It will be a busy couple of days, but Tim has to be out of town the 26th, 27th and 28th, so I'll have a lot of time to myself to be lazy and recover!

BOY DO I HAVE A TOILET TALE TO TELL.

Suzy it is our first Christmas alone too. It is weird. I think that Christmas Eve afternoon Larry and I will open our gifts together. We have to wait til 4o'clock til Dez is off work before we go to mom and dad's.
I will have to check out that movie.
Yesterday I phoned the surgeon's office and they gave me hope. They said that it could take up to two weeks before I see results. THat is the first that I have heard of that. My leg has been really bad the last couple of days. Every time I go up and down the stairs I get a charlie horse.

Shelley I got your card yesterday. How cute. I sure did need the stress reliever. After all the cleanning yesterday I went to flush the toilet and I seen the water rise and rise and rise over the bowl. Fortunately Dez was home, I shouted for her HELP ME! The water countinued to pour down on to my clean floors and down the hall. As I ran down the stairs to shut off the water valve I heard a water fall come down from my painted sky ceiling. Does this sound familiar or what. It happenned one other time when Larry was out of town. We got the water shut down after gallons of water poured through the ceiling filling buckets and soaking green grass carpets and my Gecko's Grill floor. Guess what we conveniently quickly grabbed to wipe up all the water? Yes, it was my freshly folded laundry! Back to square one! Desiree hit the nail on the head when she said that this would only happen to Dad once and he would buy a new toilet! I guess what happenned was the toilet was plugged and the valve broke so that the water wouldn't stop flowing! Larry was going to replace the valve inside the toilet and put a shut off one on the back of the toilet but I said no way. I want a new toilet with a shut off valve. I don't want a third reacurance. So I got a new toilet last night but I still don't have a toilet seat. So picture my sorry a** butt falling in the hole because I am to lazy to walk to the basement bathroom. Now that is my toilet tale of the day.

Dee, sounds like you had a heck of a mess!!! I hope everything is cleaned up and dried now. Congrats on the new toilet....nice to hear our little princess has a new throne to sit on!!! LOL!

Suzy, I want to go see the movie, do you think it would be appropriate for a seven year old? Your life right now sounds like mine. Because of parents age and illness, I will be helping with one meal and preparing the other.

Ramona, prayers really do work miracles! You had the best birthday ever knowing you still had Dan. Now you will have the best Christmas ever, FINALLY having him at home! He is doing remarkable by the sounds of it...he must be spirited like his mother.

Sher, how is Dad? Are you all done shopping?

Not going to post right now to everyone, I need to go. It has been so busy here!

Our family tradition: We spend 1 full day putting the tree up and decorating it, all the while with Christmas music playing. The tree takes at least 5 full hours to do and that is with no breaks in between. We then order pizza and sit around the rest of the evening admiring the tree. We started this the first year Steve & I were married, I think the pizza was Liz's idea. She dreads helping with the tree (Steve & I are very picky) but she never wants to miss out on the pizza!
At our home, the gifts from Santa are the things the kids want the very most. Santa leaves our stockings filled with small treasures and candy and the gifts are left open to see usually under the tree or very close by. Santa also leaves a small toy or treat for our animals. An inside source tells me this year the doggies are getting a pull toy each. LOL!
A tradition that carries over from my childhood is making a lamb cake representing a birthday cake for Jesus. It is a metal cakepan that fits together to make a lamb sitting up. My mother had the pan and made a cake every year every since I can remember. Last year she passed the pan on to me and this year I will be making the cake for the family dinner. She has mentioned it several times already, so I know I better not forget or she will have my butt! LOL!
It was funny when I married Steve, because the things we grow up with that we think are normal, may be totally different in another family. Growing up in his family Santa only left stocking stuffers, never any gifts.

Dee ~ First off, I'm so glad to hear that you may still see results! I'll be praying that you do!!!

As for the toilet tale...what a mess that must have been! I hope you were able to find a seat for the new throne today too...it's no fun sitting on the cold rim!

Gayle ~ There were kids in the theater that were probably 7 or 8 years old. There is a pretty intense battle scene (but no blood) and some scary/sad parts, but it does have a happy ending and a good message.

Thanks Suzy for the info. I'm sure Allison will be ok with most of it, just want to check first. I just read it is the best fantasy childrens movie since wizard of oz. Which by the way is her FAVORITE movie of all time. We even found her a collectors 18" porcelain Dorothy doll this year, she is going to be totally surprised! I wish we could of afforded all of the others!!!

I'm off work Thursday and cooking....what is everyone else doing?

Gayle your Christmas Tree must be beautiful. I am also particular on how and where everything goes on the tree. It will be memories cherished by the kids when they are all grown up. Our santa only leaves stocking stuffers which are openned before breakfast. Then after all the dishes and cleanning up is done we get the goods! I think that it is the Mother that brings in most of the traditons and decides how the day goes. Just like how important it is to your mom that you make the lamb cake. Larry's family really doesn't have as much of the Christmas spirit even though they are strong christians. We always have christmas tunes playing all month they don't. The only thing that you can count on is dinner and gifts for the little ones. Not even a tree if they don't feel like it. They don't put the kind of effort in that we do. I guess that really is the difference. Nothing is organized until the last minute. It happens boxing day and I have no clue yet what I am bring for dinner. By the time I find out the grocery stores will be busy and I will be scrambling to make it for that day. Enough said about my in laws.

Suzy as Gayle said I have new throne. Larry did bring me a white toilet seat home last night but it wasn't the right white. He couldn't beleive it..... he said it is white how can it be the wrong color? lol Back he goes for a match to the toilet he bought. Maybe tonight.
It was a huge mess to clean up! Bad timing is all I can say!

Shelley are you busy with getting ready for Hanukkah? All your gifts bought?

I sure can tell everyone is busy getting ready for the holidays. Today I am going to finish up cleannning the house and a couple more gifts to wrap. Larry keeps bring home gifts. He loves to shop.
Larry's last day of work is tomorrow so I will probably not post daily until after the New Year.

Hope you are all successful at getting everything done without to much stress.

Have a great day.

I'm sorry I'm not posting more girls...just a hectic time at work and home. I wanted to wish everyone a happy Christmas eve while I had a chance. Will check in tomorrow night!! Off to wrap presents, bake, cook etc!!! Holidays are so much fun!! LOL!

You're not kidding when you say it's a busy time of year! My grandkids were here all day today and will be back again first thing in the morning. Miss 2 1/2 has tonsillitis and wasn't the happiest today and Miss 5 1/2 is bouncing off the walls because Santa is finally coming tomorrow night...what fun trying to get anything done! The good thing is that I'm too darn busy to eat!

Merry Christmas!!


I hope everyone has a nice Christmas.I'm baking all day.Chris comes home tomorrow at 2:00.Christmas dinner will be here with a house full of family & friends. Love you all...

Ho Ho Ho...Hee Hee Hee...
Hope Santa leaves goodies under the Christmas Tree!!!

Wishing EVERYONE a safe & blessed holiday!!

Worked all day, now off to bake, cook, etc!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

It is good to see all the happy busy posts.

We are off to have gift openning at my parents right away. Just wanted to pop in and wish you all a

Very Merry Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS!


dee,thanks for all the encouragement on my weight loss!
i so want to get to 200 by may short season.
love your pic!your beautiful!
love your sisters post,the true ones are precious!
sorry to hear of the commode mess!
ramona,you and yours are in my prayers!
i cant believe they treated him so badly!
so glad he's coming home!
hope you can get everything assessible!
i cant believe how high the bill is!geez!
im thinking of you my friend!

shelly,great on becky get letters from collage!talk bout raging hormones!
great deal on ther bonus!
sorry your depressed over the school thing!
im thinking of you!
now you get a break you deserve

suzy,great pic!
anouther beautiful floozie!


gayle,thank you so much for the christmas card!thank you for thinking of me!
great job on the raises!
see your as important to them as you are to us girlfriend!

cheryl,wohoo on getting done with your final exam!
glad things are calming down for you!
relax!

janice,thanks for asking about me!
your a sweetie!
its poo,poo, you hafta work!
ok whats boxing day?
hows your hands doing?

vickster,hoping your feeling better now!always great to see you posting!

sherry,
im so sorry to hear of all the things you and your family are going thru!
prayers for your dad!
prayers for a speedy recovery!
hope waynes thumb is doing better!
your a wonderful moderator!
life gets in the way sometimes!
this i know!


thank you guys for all your prayers!
his christmas check came dec.23 talk bout scrambling!
got everything finished but i was wiped out!
im doing all the cooking today just us and im taking the food to my folks thats what i did for thanksgiving!
worked out better than leaving the mess for mom and dad!
cat had a great christmas,she realy loves the stars so we got her a telescope she was so excited she shook!lol!
we also got her this constellation theater thingy its a ball that lites up and projects all the stars and constellation on her walls and ceilings.hmm havent seen her since!lol!
locked up in her room playing with goodies!
i got 8 new bellydancing vids!yea me!
tan club package,little odds and ends!

omg i gotta tell you guys what happened to me last week!
ok,you guys remember the chic across the street?
the one brian kept ogling?
well she has this boyfriend ok theyve been together for 11 yrs.but she wont marry him cuz that would mean shed hafta get a job and get off welfare and well she rather let us pay for her to sit on her tush!
well for the last 3 yrs she has made him out to be a ogre,you know hes so abusive.
well he has twins from a previous gal,and he got behind in child support,sorta what happened to brian,her twins were 11 and she finaly decided to tell brent ,thats his name hey you got twin boys!
he had no idea for she told him they were anouthers,had to go on welfare so she had to fess up and now there 16,she got him for 28 thousand.
its one thing to know you got a kid and pay then but not to know and get shoved into court for back support **** he was reeling from the revelation but she wont let him even see his kids.
he was devestated,ok the gal cross the street her name is missy we got close over this summer cuz i lost weight and didnt feel threatened by her any more,(i look beter wink,wink!)well she has a bad habit of leaving and dumping her 2 kids with brent there his to so it was like he was always there and missy wasnt,cat plays with there oldest kyli.
i got to know this guy and he is so sweet!as i observed them together it was obious that she was abusising him,verbaly.
id wanna pop her to.
anyway he had to go to court oct 24th for the back support and was sentanced to 8 yrs!
so wrong!
\well missy started treating him like **** while he was in there not taking his calls not visiting him not sending him any money for commisary needs ect.
i felt so sorry for him.
he wrote to me from jail and was so depessed needed someone to talk to.
so i started writing him so hed have mail.i opened the block off my phone so he could call just to talk and get things off his chest!
well a few times i would send him 20.00 so he could buy extra food and get stamps and envelpes to write.
just being nice you know,well he was transferred to tell city indiana on the kentucky border 3.5 hours from us,and he wrote me to tell me his new addy and the ***** cross the street didnt know we were writing,so she was stalking my freaking mailbox!
and 1 week ago thurs. she got into my mailbox and stole his letter!
stoled my mail!
well,umm you just dont do that!
not to me!
so im prosicuting her from the post office.
see i know shes been fooling rouynd on him but id never tell a man in prison that his woman was doing that.
well she was screaming at me calling me a whore and all oh plz!
people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.
with the holidays and mail weider out he doesnt know she stole the letter yet!
i feel so bad for him cuz i know shell flame him!
im praying he wont do something stupid in there!
thank god shes moving!
i hope he writes me and tells me hes ok.
i worry bout him!
keep him in your prayers plz!
hes a good guy who got a bad rap and has a pissy girlfriend!
well im off to go cook,
be back op mon.
love you all!
hugs,