Teacher Appreciation Gift and a little Foo Foo for the Holidays

Okay, I know it's a little weird to be giving your teacher a gift card to Starbucks seeing as how we don't drink coffee, ha, but you can get hot chocolate there too! This was just too darn cute so I made it. Go here for the printable.....http://www.box.com/shared/1bry1y4q0o

Lydia looks absolutely adorable today in her Christmas socks thanks to Ma and Pa Wetzel!

Twinkle Toes ready for church in her sweet dress....thanks Nana!

My kids are absolutely crazy with Christmas giddiness. It is driving Ma and Pa Morrison crazy. There will be NO presents under the tree until December 24th. It would only ADD to the naughtiness in our house, so our tree will be bare underneath this year. I admit, once or twice I have thought that maybe we should just donate all their gifts to someone else and leave a letter from Santa telling them they were too naughty. Hmm.. We are doing the 12 Days of Christmas this year to our deaf neighbor. It won't be QUITE the same as we won't really have to be quiet and we can't ring the doorbell, but oh well. I think he will appreciate it since he seems to have no family or friends around to celebrate with.

Recently I read this gal's blog, I won't mention names, but she is living in Africa now. She blogged about how she wishes she could be back in the "bubble", the bubble of America I guess where she could just pop in Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Clause" "without feeling guilty. She says, "I just spent the equivalent of my maid’s monthly salary on a Christmas gift for one person. A gift to replace something that person already has, that works and is fine, with something nicer and newer. I go back to listening to Gene Autry to look up at my Gardener hauling a bucket of weeds. I will spend the amount he makes in a month on excess baggage charges so I can bring more “stuff” I “need” back to Zambia from home. This is what is hardest for me living in Africa." Anyways, these were her words and her post really touched my heart as I struggle with this as well, the commercialism of Christmas versus the real meaning. We don't often think about how blessed we really are as the abundance surrounds us and is so commonplace that it isn't uncommon at all, with a few exceptions that we rationalize to personal "choices" or "decisions" in the lives of others. Anyways, I came away from reading this feeling a little guilty myself and then determined the only thing I could do was to understand and truly appreciate how blessed we are to live in this nation of abundance. I'm sure my children would not have survived had they not been born at this day and age and in this country. How grateful I am. I thought her words were really poignant and hopefully she won't mind me sharing them. Now I guess I'll go back to wrapping presents. Just kidding! It gives us all something to think about.

Lydia seems to be sleeping through the night now. We'll see if it lasts. She has been sleeping 6-8 hours now at night. We just have to keep her awake until about 9 p.m. Whoo Hoo! We are all starting to feel a little more human now.