11 posts tagged “christmas”

We picked out our tree and began decorating the house.  This year it only took three pictures to make our Christmas card. 

On December 1st we were greeted by our Annual visitors, "The Christmas Elves"  Toby, Tabby, Tina, Tim, Nanny Bell and our newest Elf Twinkle.  As some of you know Nanny Bell is in the retirement stage due to much love and a hip replacement.  She watches over the family from the shelf.  Twinkle is a sturdy little elf who offers the necessary cuddling to Little Miss M.  We've heard tales from our friends that Elves have a tendency to be mischievious, I'm happy to say our Elves are very well behaved. 

The tree is up...

 

                                                                                                                                                                           One for the Family Room, One for the Living Room, One real for J, One fake one for G,

Pictures with the flash on, and off. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The presents are wrapped...

The Traditions are hung, (The advent calendar, and my little hand tree that J made me when he was 3... Wow, um that was 10 years ago)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cookies are baked...and the Christmas Cards sent...

I'm ready for Christmas now... 

My Very, Talented Sister in Law is a professional Photographer and she was sooooo patient with us, she even pretended to talk on Baby M's Play Phone to try and capture the shot.  We attempted to get a good family pic of all of us at my cousins wedding and it was a no go.  So we took 2, then 3, then what felt like 300.... God Bless You Auntie Leigh...

These picture were Take 1, and Take 2.(no one knew which camera to look at.)   Then came....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

okay time for a break, switch backgrounds...

 

 

 

 

 

okay, let's try this again...

 

And finally we decided on this last one.  I wish Baby M had smiled, but was just happy to have a family picture.  Yay!

The elves arrived on December 1st.  Traditionally, letters are written to Santa asking for an elf to be sent from the North Pole to watch over each child and report good behavior back to Santa.  Poor 'Ole Nanny Bell had a ruptured appendix during her travels and her well...(Bean Bag fell out of her insides) so she is watching from the fireplace mantle to avoid throwing her back out any more...

My children do not understand nor comprehend that the world is in an economic crunch.  They do not understand that Mommy and Daddy are not made of money.  They do not understand that we have three children and they basically think that our entire monthly income should be divided amongst them and they don't understand that we pretty much live paycheck to paycheck.  Yes, both of my children do not comprehend at all.  When I tried to explain that they should take $100 and divide it three ways they both started creating a budget that involved not driving all the gas out of the car and raking leaves covered in snow every day until Christmas.  My kids think that the Daddy should get a better job so we can afford big EXPENSIVE presents for Christmas.  J wants a $349 Nikon Cool Pics Camera, you know the commercial with Ashton Kutcher?  ummmm Yeah.  and G wants a $349 Pottery Barn Kitchen, despite turning 9 years old and towering over the play kitchen.  Baby M who cannot really tell me what she wants... umm would probably be very, very satisfied with some Banana flavored Puffs Walmart brand, because she knows the Mommy cannot afford the Gerber brand.  What to do, what to do.  G just discovered that there is no Santa.  She was told by the ex-husband who exclaimed that he couldn't believe that G still believed in Santa at 9 years old.  (Grrrrr, whole different can of worms).  G said she doesn't believe him and that there has to be a Santa.  When I tell G we cannot afford the gifts she wants, she said, don't worry Mom, just have Santa get it.  (sigh)... 

When I first moved to this suburb about 4 years ago, I discovered that the school age children of this area begin writing letters in November to Santa asking for Christmas elves.  By December 1st, 90% of my children's school had received their elves from the North Pole.  My children frantically began writing their letters and praying every night that they too might receive a Christmas elf.  When we attended my daughter's Christmas pageant, I was ready to hunt down the PTO mother that dreamt up this crazy idea.  I felt like a member of some secret Christmas mafia, whispering out the side of my mouth, "Pssst, hey buddy where do ya get the elves from, eh?"  By the 10th of December our elves had not arrived.  I was told that some elves had been dropped off to a recent garden center and high tailed it there at 8:45pm to see if there were any elves planning to come home to our house.  When I arrived at the garden center I discovered that the only elf they had there was available for $45. and his face resembled Satan.  I thought he might scare the very life right out of my kids.  Plus he was only one elf and my children had asked for two.  

Finally on the 12th of December my children received a letter stating that their elves flight had been delayed and that their luggage had been lost and they were trying to arrive as soon as they could.  On December 15th, to our surprise, two adorable Christmas Elves had arrived, "Toby and Tabby".  They watch over the children and report back good behavior to Santa.  They stay with each child until Christmas morning.  On Christmas morning they each return to the North Pole.  Luckily for us when our elves left they wrote a letter to my kids asking them to watch over their Teddy Bears until they could arrive back next year. 

Each year Toby and Tabby return. 

The only exception is this year.  You see just between you and I, I think that Toby and Tabby left thier house key to the North Pole in our van that got stolen.  So this year they have to stay at the North Pole and help Santa with all the extra work while they wait for the locksmith.  However Toby and Tabby got married and had twins.  So this year we were blessed to receive three elves.  Our new baby received a larger elf named Nanny Bell and she brought the twin babies of Toby and Tabby.  "Tiny Tina and Tiny Tim" 

So all is happy in the Suburbs with our three little Happy elves.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. 

 

Sometimes I think it is better to hope and to dream for something than to actually get what you've always dreamed of having and then lose it.  It is much too painful to have had and lost than to wish forever. 

In 2001 I was at the height of my career working for a top notch collection agency and making bonus every month.  I was a single mother of two and had purchased my dream home.  2600 square feet of luxury.  I picked every tile, and design of the entire home.  I picked the lot and the landscape.  When they poured the basement, we etched our names in the wet cement.  This house was everything I ever worked hard for. 

I got remarried and life seemed better than ever.  However my husband seemed to have a split personality flying into fits of rage for no apparent reason.  We would be laughing and having a good time and then the next thing I knew his hands would be around my throat attempting to strangle me. My company began cutting jobs and our primary client moved it's business to India.  I personally had to lay off 574 people.  That was the hardest thing I ever had to do. As time passed it came to be my turn to be laid off.  I was devastated.  I took another job making 62% less than my prior job.  I desperately tried to keep it all together despite our money crunch. 

 On January 19, 2002 we woke up early, and had a wonderful breakfast.  I dressed my 2year old daughter and got my 6 year old son ready for his basketball game.  We attended my son's basketball game and afterwards went to McDonalds for lunch to celebrate his winning game.  When we arrived at McDonalds there was hardly anywhere to park.  It was very snowy outside.  I went to turn around and pulled into a handicapped spot.  My husband went into a rage screaming obscenities and pounding on the dashboard of the car.  My children and I went into McDonalds and he remained in the car.  I wasn't going to let his bad mood spoil our fun.  We played in the play area and had a good time.  My husband never came inside.  When it was time to leave I asked if he wanted anything to eat and he continued his rage.  I left McDonalds and pulled into traffic.  At that moment he began punching me and slapping me while I was driving.  I was so shocked, I could feel my heart beating in my right eye.  I pulled the car into the suicide lane and got out of the car and just stood beside the car and tried to gather my thoughts.  I got back in the car and told him to get out.  I kept trying to force him out of the car and he wouldn't get out.  Meanwhile my children are mortified, screaming and crying in the backseat of the car.  I kept telling myself that if I drove home, he would kill me.  I decided to drive to a relatives home nearby only to discover they were not home.  Thank God the next door neighbor who was a police officer was leaving for duty right as I pulled up.  I asked him for help and got my children into safety while the officer placed my husband under arrest, and called for back up. 

I immediately filed for divorce and a restraining order. 

Life was very difficult trying to pay the bills and mortgage with so little money coming in. 

 

I began dating again and met my current Husband.

That Spring I was laid off yet again due to company downsizing.  I went in for a routine checkup at the doctor and was diagnosed with possible Thyroid Cancer.  My daughter had been diagnosed with Kidney reflux. My world came crashing down.  I had to file bankruptcy and my home went into foreclosure.  On the day that I moved out of my home, my ex husband had me served with papers to take full custody of our children.  I can remember going back to the house to get the last of my clothing out and my son's toys and the locks being changed.  I broke down into tears.  My little girl who did not understand looked up at me crying and said, "It's okay Mommy, just use your key".  I had to explain that Mommy's key wouldn't work and I would have to figure something else out.  I called the mortgage company.  God bless the woman I spoke to that offered to overnight me a key to get the last of my belongings out of the home.  I was so grateful for her kindness.  There comes a point in our lives where we think we are gonna crack. 

I could not take any other curve balls that life would throw at me.  God he must think I'm some kind of warrior.  I could not take anything else.  Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  I am living proof of that.   

My children and I moved to an old farm house in the suburbs on 14 acres.  I was working for a medical collections company earning a salary comparible to what I made in 1991.  I enrolled my children in one of the best schools in the city.  Two months after we moved in we were told by the landlord that they would be tearing the house down to build single family homes and we were forced to move again.  We found a spacious 2 bedroom apartment and have been living there ever since.  I later found a job working for a Medical Supply company 7minutes from home making more money with fabulous benefits and banker's hours. 

I retained an attorney to counter sue and keep custody of my children.  Thousands of dollars of attorney fees later we maintained our original agreement of shared parenting, but my ex saw to it that I could never move out of the current city I live in or he would get full custody of our children.  The sad thing is, the city I live in has an increased cost of living in comparison with the surrounding cities.  A home in the city would run $150,000 to $200,000.  The same home in our suburb would run $300,000 to 400,000.  On my income it would take a grand miracle to find a home we could afford. 

I have been praying daily that God would help us find a suitable home that we could afford. 

Miracles do happen!  I am delighted to say we put in a bid on a home that is in my son's school district and we are officially in contract.  If all goes well we will be able to take possession of the the home December 22nd.  It is a 4bedroom 1972 sq foot home.  It was built in the late 70's but it is gorgeous.  Everyone will have their own room.  It has a spacious backyard, basement and bedrooms.  I am praying that this will all pan out.  Keep your fingers crossed.   

 

 Update:  We get the keys to our new home just in time for a very Merry Christmas at 5pm December 22nd, 2007