Well . . .

 . . . here we are facing the end to 2013.  How crazy is that?!.  Happy Boxing Day, Telley!  There are certainly days when I wish that life would just be a little bit slower and I would be enjoying it a little bit more. 

So, four out of five of us spent this Christmas with a cold.  Bleh.  Only Gunnar, aka Mr. Iron Immune System, hasn't gotten it yet - and probably won't.  It's fabulous.  NOT!  I think Fischer is pretty well out of it.  My head still hurts often and my nose is still plugged for the most part.  Paden has coughed enough to make him self throw up a few times.  Sorry for that, TMI.  I guess it was a good deal that the server at work was going to be down all day today anyway, so I didn't go in.  Was going to, but didn't.  It was going to be some quiet time to get some stuff organized, but I guess there's always next week.  I had already planned to take Friday off.  The plant is down, so it's not a huge deal.  Good time to be sick, I guess.  The boys didn't miss school for it.

So, Christmas was pretty good, other than the coughing, headaches, etc.  Fischer was pretty excited at what Santa brought him.  He got three new WWE action figures, a basketball hoop, a comfy blanket and some stocking stuffers, including his own case of caffeine (aka caffeine free Pepsi).  Paden got him a WWE ring for his action figures that has ropes and everything.  I asked him how his Christmas was.  He said, "Good.  It was my best one."  Such a sweet boy.  Gunnar got a new monster truck and his stocking stuffers (his own caffeine, also).  That's all he got and he had to pay 1/2 of it.  It was pretty expensive and we, or uh, Santa, doesn't think gifts need to amount to a whole bunch of money.  Gunnar got some tools and a tool box for his monster truck from Fischer.  Fischer tricked Gunnar though and told him they were for Papa all along.  Gunnar played along really well and it was pretty cute how Fischer thought he was pretty clever for tricking Gunnar.  So, Fischer asked Gunnar if he could borrow a tool for something Neil was doing and of course Gunnar allowed it.  Fischer then said to Neil, "He let me borrow it because me and him are best friends."  So stinkin' cute.  Paden got some Skylanders, a foot warmer/massager, comfy blanket and his stocking stuffers.  He was kind of hard this year because he bought himself the game we thought we were going to be able to get him for Christmas.  He bought it on “black Friday sales” which was actually Thanksgiving morning at like 11am.  So, he paid for it himself and that was that.  He didn’t really want much else.  Gunnar got him an airhogs deal that doesn’t work, so we’ll have to return that.  All in all, it was a pretty good Christmas.  The mini basketball hoop has been the best!  They all three have been having some fun on it.  It hooks over the door and has a break away rim and all.  They have it on the coat closet door and jump off the landing/stairs to make baskets.  A little sketchy . . . but a good way for them to get out their energy.

So, my Uncle's friend that's a girl that lives with him (yeah, not exactly sure you call it a girl friend when you're 50, but whatever) passed away yesterday.  I had only met her a couple of times when we went to my Grandparents' house.  She seemed very nice and did help take care of my grandparents.  She had cancer that was dormant, I guess, unless earlier this year when it became active in her leg and got into her bone.  She had her leg amputated.  Apparently, the cancer spread, but no one knew that.  She got pneumonia or something and didn't realize the cancer was everyone and that was that.  Passed away on Christmas.  I talked to my uncle yesterday; he normally doesn't talk much, but he was yesterday.  It's pretty sad for him. 

It is hard to believe that one year ago, we were kind of in a whirlwind with my mother-in-law passing away on Christmas.  Days go by, weeks go by and then all of a sudden, a year.  I am thankful for the blessing of eternal families.  I am thankful for the blessing of families on earth.  I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that provides a solid path of righteous and honest living.  I am hopeful that I am a good enough example to my children to make good choices, to live life to the fullest, to be thankful for what they have and to realize others in the world, probably even in this town, have way worse conditions that we. 

So, this weekend it's off to wedding reception (Congrats to my nephew Tyson!), family party (always a good time) and a weekend of eating more food that I need.  Where's my fat jeans?  I am going to need them! Actually was just planning on wearing a nice loose dress all day today. It's going to be hard to go back to work next week and have to wear real clothes after wearing yoga pants for several consecutive days. 

Oh, where's the pictures you ask?  Good question. I have a couple on my phone and tablet.  Both of which need charging right now, so . . . well, that's going to have to wait.