[Marti]

Hello...

Have a minute again. I was talking to a guy at work who is planning his wedding w/his fiance and he showed me this site for people who are wanting it easier to plan....
I thought of you Jane and your son & future DIL...
http://landing.domainsponsor.com/?a_...nname=knot.com

Found it to be interesting and looks to be of some big help.

I promise to do individuals soon!!

Night

[Jane]

Good morning, ladies,

Ellen - it's 6 days til Christmas here in Indiana, lol. Not sure how you count 'em in Canada, lol. And only 5 until my family starts the celebration, since we begin on Friday, Christmas Eve. Maintenance is a lot hard work, like losing. But I do get a few more points everyday. I still have to eat healthy stuff, write down what I eat, drink my water, and exercise. I will be splurging somewhat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Not pigging out, but having a little extra. This will be the first time since Jan. 24th that I've done that, so I have to be very, very careful. I would gladly give up some wall space for a fireplace, Ellen! I miss a nice fire...

Katy - oic about the names. YAY for you getting smaller pants!! Don't you just love it? Now that I'm in maintenance, I've been buying more clothes. And the good news is, everything's 50% or more off!! I do love a sale!

Mindee - how was the Christmas party?

Angie - how is Jack the 2nd lead?? Sounds like the lead to me... So glad to hear that Brandon is doing great. When will he go in for the other foot?

Marti - thanks for the card! I had to laugh when I saw what you put for my last name. The witch at the post office probably would have sent it back if you'd put your return address on there. She gets mad because my friend (who's also a grandma) and I put Grandma _______ (fill in last name) on our mail to each other! What a crab! I went to the wedding planner site, and love it! I bookmarked it. Did I tell you that I bought 3 bride's magazines/reception magazines to give to Gina on Christmas Day? Not as a C'mas gift, but just because. Hope she'll like that. So what craft project did you and DD do?

Cristi - awww, hope you're out of your bad mood. ((((HUGS)))) About the move.... well, Neal and I are thinking about letting the kids (Mary and Dale) buy the house we live in, and moving back to the old homestead, where Mary and her family are living now. The thing is, it needs some serious work! To start with, it is sagging in the middle, and we'd have to get a company to jack it up and level the foundation. Then we'd have to do the window, walls, etc. The good thing about it is, we always planned to fix up the old place. Neal was born there, and we have lots of memories there. It's a big two story place, with lots of room, and lots of charm, and a fireplace. It could be just gorgeous when we're done. And we have lots of time to work on it. Another plus is, the kids would be able to stay out here in the country, and we wouldn't have the monthly payment on this house anymore. The down side is, it would be expensive to renovate and a huge mess while the work is being done. We go back and forth in our decisions, lol. Too bad we can't afford to live somewhere else while the work is being done. Do you have a spare bedroom, lol?

Katiecat - thank you for the card! Hope you're doing well.

Susan - got the newsletter. Thanks for that! You do such a great job on it!!

Hi to anyone else reading this novel!

Neal and went went to visit some friends last night. They had just moved and we hadn't seen their place yet. She loves my WW lemonade cake, so I took some of that.

Today we're going to DS's to visit this afternoon. Mackenzie has an ornament and a letter from Santa that she wants us to see. The letter says she's on his "Good" list, lol, and boy is she excited about that! She had been very worried that she might get coal for Christmas, but I told her (in confidence) that at age 51, I never, ever heard of a kid who got coal, and that I knew some really bad kids in my day, and for her to not worry. So I'm glad she got the letter to back me up, lol.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

[FrouFrou]

Afternoon ladies~

Ellen-yeppers 7 more days to the big day. The other day I said nine and DS looked at me like WHAT? You don't know how to count! (I really do tho) But I am counting today thru the week with the big day being the 7th day. Can't say I am very excited tho. It has been this way since '91. I get all into the decorating, the music and then the closer it gets I don't even care. It is just a work day for me and just want it to be over. Well, Christmas Eve is-we have our big dinner then. Let's just say I am glad when it is all over. Know what ya mean about rearranging. The fireplace limits my rearranging also and I thought I would like having one again but so far I have used it once. We get the sun thru that part of the house most of the day so it heats up the kitchen, dining area and living room pretty good without having the heater or fireplace going.

Katy~WTG on the smaller pants! WOOHOO!! Guess I missed that yesterday, sorry-probably missed a lot of what was said. Did you get your tree done yesterday?

Jane~so when are we going to see a recent pic lady of the new you? You haven't shared in a while. I see about the house, it would be a lot of work but would be well worth it in the end right? Maybe you could impose on Mary & Dale while the renovations are being done??? That is so sweet, about Mackenzie. I remember when the kids were little and they believed. I think we all quit believing in '91 which is sad.

Marti~glad to hear about the old car being taken care of. I agree with James also, they owned up to it so I think it would be fine taking your car back there for future service.

Angie~funny you should mention a female Scrooge, I have been feeling a bit like Ms Scrooge that past few days. BAH HUMBUG! Glad Tanner and Brandon are fine.

Mindee~how did you Christmas party go last night? Hope Brandon is feeling better.

Ended up walking out of Mass this morning. I was just going to sit thru it but DS is the one who said let's go. They had this guy do the service and I couldn't understand half of what he was saying. He just went on and on about some tradition in Mexico that he grew up with and kept repeating hisself. He really had no sermon and what he kept saying didn't make sense at all. Apparently he stands in quite a bit there. I guess before we started going as I have only seen him twice before and it was only to say a thing or two and he always wants everyone to include his tradition from Mexico. Don't think I have ever walked out on a service before except when I started sneezing one time and couldn't stop. I told DS I refuse to go to service there on Christmas Eve-it's the old church or nothing. Anyway, wah, wah, wah, sorry for the little rant. Nothing on the agenda today. Going to catch up on some much needed reading.

Hi to everyone else

[Marti]

Good afternoon ladies.....

Still no time to sit long at the computer, but wanted to see what's up.

Jane.....you have me curious....what in the world did I put for your last name?? PM me and let me know! I'm glad you got it!

Today Jhanai & I are going to walmart to buy some stuff to make fudge for her dad and to get some last minute stocking stuffers. I have the car today, James is visiting his friend and I told him that I don't want to be stuck at home w/out a vehicle!
So reluctantly he took his truck.

I better get going.

I'm hoping to do individuals tonight.

Hugs to you all!

[Jane]

Jingle on over to chit chat # 98!

[tommysgirl18]

hey ladies....quick post because I am getting ready to head to bed. I finally got Brandon to fall asleep early tonight.

the Christmas party went great. things outside the party, well that is another story. a friend of ours, who happens to be one of Brandon's godmothers, has been avoiding us at all costs. well Friday, she called and asked what we were doing. We told her that we were getting ready to go do our Christmas shopping, she then asked if we minded if she came along. We both said no, so we went. Well, the whole time we were out, all we kept hearing about is this new guy she met, that she basically had a one night stand with and now he won't return her calls or anything.

fast forward to our party, and here she is sitting in our kitchen saying that she has forgotten to take her birth control pills twice this past week, had two oopsies (sex encounters) without any protection, and now she feels sick to her stomach. she has since caught up on her birth control pills, but is still not feeling well. to me it all sounds like she over loaded her system on estrogen since she is on the pill, and she thinks that she is pregnant now all of a sudden. (granted it is a possibility) but we have already gone down this road with her, and has spent many a nights over here telling us that she is not sure how she would be able to handle having a baby of her own. a friend of ours asked her "if you think you are pregnant, are you going to call (the guy) and tell him that you think you might be pregnant?" and immediately she said "nope" I mentioned to her that just because her boobs are sore, doesn't mean that she is pregnant, and that some women get sore boobs when they are about to ovulate.

ok....I believe I am done with my rant. I just had to get that all out of my system. Oh yeah....she called here at 11:45pm (Sunday night) and asked what we were doing. Tommy goes "well, we are about to go to bed. why?" she goes "well, I am bored. so I figured I would call and see what you guys are doing." the only time she wants to come over and hang out is when this guy is working or when she is bored.

anyways....back to our christmas party. it went great! everybody that we invited except 5 to 10 people didn't show up. but it was all a great time! we pulled out our kitchen table and got some games of Texas Hold 'em Poker going. we must of played five or six games by the time everyone had left.

sunday we went out to my in-law's house to exchange presents. I have to admit it was a good time until Tommy's sister's boyfriend opened his mouth. For a little background, my parents have adopted 10 or 11 kids, with all different backgrounds and ethnicities. Well, somehow we got on the topic of the schools in our neighborhood (Tommy's sister's boyfriend lives about a half a mile from us, if that) and how there were more ethnicities moving into the area. Well, he said the one word that I absolutely HATE with a passion. (he used the n word) and I figured that since it had been a nice uneventful day that I would let it pass. but I kept my distance from him the rest of the time we were there. we brought our poker chips with us to play, but after he said that I told Tommy I wanted to leave right away. Tommy's sister's boyfriend said the word very loudly and repeatedly, in front of me, Tommy, Brandon, Tommy's brother Tim, Tommy's other brother Al, Al's wife Wendy, Al and Wendy's two sons Michael and Jason, and his own daughter. Anybody who knows my family knows that I don't like that word, and he just was very rude and very ignorant.

so needless to say, he will be one person that I will be avoiding on Christmas Eve at my hubby's Uncle's house. And actually, I will make sure that Brandon doesn't go anywhere near him again. I don't need someone like that saying and using that word in front of my son.

ok....I believe that is everything for now. oh yeah....I forgot my digital camera at my in-law's house because we were in a hurry to leave. Tommy locked the keys in the truck while it was running so we had to get that taken care of and then in all honesty, I had forgotten that I had taken it with me. but Brandon did get a LOT of cute things! he wore one of his christmas presents from his Uncle Joe over to my in-law's house.