More newsy stuff

We each opened a Christmas present yesterday. Well, Tony and the kids did. I don't have any yet (sniff). It was actually a selfish way for me to get some quiet time with the "snowed in" day yesterday and today....the kids each got some Christmas Fisher Price Little People and have been lovin' 'em! Tony got the Pilgrim's Progress movie that came out this year. It's very low-budget, but he is enjoying it, and the kids are, too! Yep, it is age appropriate for the kids even though it's aimed at adults. Luke especially has been talking quite a bit about it today, and he's back to wearing his armor to look like Christian!

Susanna has decided she does not like dreams and doesn't want to ever dream. She's my realistic, literal child. Other than being a princess or acting out a particular Bible story (usually the crucifixion or being Mary), it's hard for her to pretend and even sing songs like "Lord's Army" because "I'm not IN the army!" She does have a point.... But dreams seem to terrify her, maybe because she has no control of them and of where her mind takes her.

Luke, on the other hand, relishes in telling me his dreams each day. Some actually seem to be things he did the day before though.... I did hear him in the middle of the night last week say "Yes, teacher. Okay, teacher. I'll go sit down." Today he woke up and literally the first thing out of his mouth, loud and clear, were his lines for the Christmas program!

We got about 14-16 inches of snow yesterday...hard to tell how much exactly because of all the blowing snow. However, the snow has stopped...but the temps are REALLY falling! I'm extremely thankful for warm houses and electricity!

I've been working (finally!) on the farm finances and have to tackle ours next (probably next week). Who has time for a long winter's nap???

Tomorrow is my wonderful mother-in-law's birthday. She's older than me, but I won't give away her age! We're going to have the local Carter's (well, those related to her) over for spaghetti (already canned, just has to be opened and heated), home made bread (super easy and delicious recipe!), salad (provided by my equally wonderful SIL Beth), and cake (which will be questionably decorated by my children). Our house is a mess...it always is but seems to be even more so lately (hm, could it be because of surgery recovery, flu, and trying to catch up from the summer along with getting ready for end-of-year things?). I took pictures to show you all just HOW bad it is (and I promise they aren't staged!), but I thought I'd wait until after tomorrow to post them...just in case any of the local family peeks in on my blog and gets scared away.... I'm hoping to at least have time to clean the bathroom and the kitchen floor...and fold all the laundry that I've been working on today!

Wait, maybe I should be doing that right now....naw, I've been rushing around all morning. It's "rest" time for me now!