a few more items of business

I'm 2 days behind on sticking paper ornaments on the paper tree. That's what happens. Danny's totally caught up on eating the chocolate out of our advent calendars though. He doesn't miss a day. Chocolate for breakfast every day for him.

Anyway, I think from here on out we'll just be sticking up circle ornaments. The Grinch stole my creativity. Look at this amazing tip my friend passed on to me (because she knows I don't love the mess of glitter). Stick on some double sided tape. Put glitter in a baggie. Insert the ornament with tape. Close the bag and shake it up until the glitter covers the tape. Take it out of the bag and done. No glue. No waiting for the glue to dry. No anxious little fingers smearing the glittery glue into a messy mess. I love it. It's nice to have friends looking out for me.

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Today is cousin Kristopher's 7th birthday. I don't know what Danny would do without him. He's been a great pseudo older brother and playmate. And he's taught my darling little boy everything he needs to know about burps, farts, boogers, poop, Legos and Star Wars. That's what pseudo big brothers are for.

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This is the first year since Danny was born that Grama Bama and Grandpa won't be spending time in Utah with us. Danny's never known a Christmas without them. Neither has Cate.

I've been trying to not think about this because it makes me sad.

Dan said to me last week, "It's going to be weird this year." My reply, "I don't want to talk about it." I think he was referring to the absence of Grama Bama and Grandpa but now I'm not sure.



I realize that I have 2 other sisters and they and their kids deserve time with the grandparents too. It just makes me sad that they're not here. I just don't like to share.



That's Cate on her first Christmas. It snowed so much that we didn't make it up to visit Dan's family. Grama Bama sat on that chair by the kitchen window holding Cate and watching the big boys play in the snow in the back yard for what seemed like hours. I'm sure Cate enjoyed it.

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Speaking of snow, I'm starting to wonder if we're going to have any for Christmas. That's Danny playing in the snow cave 3 years ago. Right now we've got practically nothing. I see flurries out the window but that's it.

I heard on the Frosty the Snowman movie that if the first snow comes on Christmas day then it's magical. Sounds good to me.

I like a little Christmas magic once in a while.