You know how much I hate the commercial aspect of Christmas. I really hate it. I would much rather DO things than get things. Of course, it’s hard to get away from it entirely but this year I am trying to focus a little more on the doing,  and less on the buying/getting.

Right Now:

My son quit one of this jobs to spend more time with the family before he heads to Orlando in January so I am spending a little time with  my calendar today trying to fit some fun things in. We have some things scheduled but he still has the one job to consider and that schedule is not posted far enough ahead, in my opinion, for us to really plan things out the right way but we will try.

Tonight is the high school ministry party. Should be fun!

Later this month we are going to a special holiday lighting event called The Enchanted Forest of Light. Click that link for a video. We go on 12/23 and we are all looking forward to it.

This year, we are also picking up where we left off by taking our two special friends to look at Christmas lights. Due to crazy schedules, we could not do it last year so we are happy to be able to do it again this year.

This Week:

My last day of work before the break is Thursday the 14th so I am beginning my countdown today!

My daughter has practices and rehearsals and her choir party this week. We also have a Christmas party to attend on Saturday.

We all got new phones on Cyber Monday since ours were falling apart. My poor daughter couldn’t even make or receive calls or texts. We all went with Google Pixels. I got the XL. It’s been fun listening to audio books right from my phone and not having to download them first to my iPod. I  know, right? I was really roughing it. I expect to up my game this week with audio books so I can possibly make my reading goal this year.

Reading:

I am still reading The Visitors by Catherine Burns. It’s a little odd.

I finished The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin for book club and it was lovely. I plan to post my review sometime this week.

Next up, Manhattan Beach.

Watching:

The Walking Dead finale is tonight. It better be good. The teaser I saw looked pretty tense but it could also be a big hot mess depending on how they handle it.

As for Christmas movies we’ve seen Christmas with the Kranks and Christmas Vacation will probably be the next one up. I like to watch that one more than once during the holidays.

Making:

I will be making an apricot glazed ham with baked beans for the party I am going to.  We haven’t had tacos in a while so maybe I’ll make those one night.

Grateful for:

Great books, happy people, people who have a knack for just listening and being there for you, great food lovingly prepared, candlelit dinners, all the people who make me laugh.  Thank you.

I don’t know what it is with my family and vacations but for the past two years we’ve had some unfortunate things happen while on vacation (FIL passing away, mother passing away) and this past Thanksgiving weekend we almost lost my Brother in Law. It was not looking good but he is doing better now. He is still at the hospital but it’s amazing just how many people he knows. So many people coming to visit, pray, etc.

Honestly though, I am tired and it’s making me reassess how I live right now. I make sacrifices for many and then stress myself out trying to be all things to all people. I’m going to be making some adjustments over 2018 to correct this.

Right Now:

What day is it again? Hoping to get back into my regular routine today. I am going to take a few moments to look at my calendar because I feel as if I’ve forgotten something important.

This Week:

Club volleyball has started so there will be practices and rehearsals this week on top of hospital visits. My last day of work is December 14 and then I am off until January 8. Hoping for a quiet break.

Reading:

I finished and reviewed Keep Her Safe. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me at all. I am now reading The Visitors by Catherine Burns which is proving to be a bit more interesting.

I am way behind on my reading goal for this year so I am pushing to read at least ten books this month. Gah! Will it happen?

Watching:

I’ve been trying to catch all the beloved holiday shows on TV but so many of them aired right after Thanksgiving. I missed The Grinch and Frosty but did manage to record Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

The Walking Dead only has a couple more episodes left and it’s still a yawn fest. However, it was revealed that Morgan will be crossing over to Fear the Walking Dead. What???

I seriously just want to sit in flannels PJs, next to a beautifully scented candle, watch all the old classic holiday movies I can and then just stare at the Christmas tree.

Making:

I’ve somehow managed not to cook at all this week. We’ve been eating out a lot because it’s easy to go from the hospital to a restaurant and vice versa.

Grateful for:

Life. So grateful that it looks like my BIL will pull through. I don’t want to be overly optimistic but it’s been almost a week and a half and there is a lot of improvement. Thankful to all the friends and family who showed their support.