November 28, 2007 by Kelly.

We’re back from vacation and I’m starting to focus on Christmas. I already have the Christmas Spirit, and I’m looking forward to the next four weeks of preparation and planning. We’ll have a houseful (19 people including us) for three days, plus two more people on Christmas Eve. Then it will taper off to about a dozen people for a week or so of relaxation, fun and fellowship… just like at Thanksgiving!

Today, I’m going to work on our Christmas newsletter. It’s a biography of sorts, reviewing the lives of my children, my husband and myself. We’ve had a busy year. I’ll need to find some photos to include as well since my babies are growing up!

I’ve missed writing our family newsletter. I used to publish it six times a year, and received some wonderful feedback about it from the two dozen people who received it. Maybe “biographies” isn’t the right word… it’s really more like a family history…

Today, I’m going to write HISTORY!

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November 15, 2007 by Kelly.

My youngest child said something quite humorous the other day. Unfortunately, I can’t think of what it was right now! This is why I try to write things down as often as possible–so I won’t miss sharing the moments that make me smile.

I just finished reading Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr., and  Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1948). What a delightful book! I’ve seen the recent movie rendition, starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, which I found hilarious (Hunt does a wonderful job, as does Martin), but this book is really good, if not better (the book’s always better).

Cheaper by the Dozen reads like a journal almost. It’s like someone sat with these two authors and jotted down their memories. Each chapter could be a Christmas letter for that year. It reminds me much of how I like to write. Perhaps someday…

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November 8, 2007 by Kelly.

Does anyone know how to speak “vacuum” language? I don’t. I was vacuuming today, trying to spruce up for company from out of town, and apparently my vacuum wanted a break. Since I don’t speak its language, I didn’t give it one. It took a half hour break on its own. :-\

I think this is a good example of where sign language could come in handy. All I had to do was use my hand to feel how hot it was, and I would have known to give it a break!

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November 6, 2007 by Kelly.

I’m a bit young to actually ‘remember’ that song, but I’m familiar with it because bits and pieces of it were often used in cartoons and movies when I was growing up. All that to say…

I’M GOING TO MOUNT HERMON!!

I won one of the Cecil Murphey Scholarships which will allow me to attend Mount Hermon in March, 2008. I’m so excited! Now I need to come up with plane fare. I also need to plan what to take and who to meet with. I’ve got four months to plan…

Did I mention how excited I am?!

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November 2, 2007 by Kelly.

Garbage bags from his hoodie pocket!

We spent the whole day raking leaves. It’s been dry, so all the bags are free of wet, heavy leaves. We did eight bags between 9 and 11 A.M. Between 12:30 and 3 P.M. we did twelve more bags! Not only that, but we got most of the root of the plant/tree growing under our gas meter removed.

Tomorrow we’ll work on the area around the pool. Next week we’ll work on the front yard. Yup, those twenty bags were all from the driveway (top and bottom) and behind the house (upper yard and lower boardwalk). I’m just glad the leaves were all dry.

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