Just call me Susie.

I finally finished it! I only called my mom for help a couple of times, give or take. It's officially my Christmas 2010 dress, made for Christmas eve work, midnight service, and maybe Christmas day at the in-laws, depending on how it goes. It's the first thing I've sewn using my brand new, handy-dandy, sewing machine I got for my birthday! I cut corners here and there, literally and figuratively, so to the trained eye I say, "don't get too close!" To the rest of you, "Ta Da!"

Ms. Susie Homemaker

P.S. Tara, can you see the little crossword girl on the tree right under the angel? 

Christmas Time!

Christmas is here. It might not be official, but I'm declaring the next few days Christmas, not just Saturday. It's supposed to start snowing Friday. My first white Christmas, EVER. The turkey's thawing in the fridge, and tomorrow night is drive-around-and-look-at-Christmas-lights night.

I've always had a slight disdain for the Christmas season because I feel guilty getting a whole bunch of gifts I don't need and I don't usually see Jesus in the season at all. This year seems a little different. I'm witnessing, and experiencing a generosity from people at work, at church, and at Walmart, of all places. There's no doubt that this weekend we'll also experience generosity from family. Most people enjoy giving, but most people don't enjoy feeling obligated to give.

On that note, give! but not because you have to, but because you CAN! John and I are so blessed that we can give gifts. We may not make very much, but it's enough that we can share it with others.

It's snowing.

Nothing is sticking, but the flurries have become larger and fall more slowly today. I'm totally in the Christmas spirit, but before I go there I should mention last week. We visited John's family for Thanksgiving. It was fun, we ate, played games, visited with family, and continued eating for several days afterward. His mom gave us a turkey. We've decided to save it for Christmas time. Right now we're pretty turkey-ed out.

When we got home, the cats didn't seem too excited to see us, but after we're away a couple days they act out like children wanting attention. We said a lot of 'no's and cleaned up a lot of things.

Saturday we drove about 30 minutes to see Harry Potter, and while we were there we found a man selling Christmas trees. We couldn't get one then, but decided to go back. (Harry Potter, by the way, was GREAT!) Sunday after church John went to work and I drove the 30 minutes back to Linton, IN. I picked one out, paid the man, he cut the bottom off, and put it in my truck. That's when I realized... dun dun dun.... I had locked my keys in my car. Luckily, the man had a cell phone he let me use. Luckily John could come and get me, and luckily there was a park with a swing across the street. It was a beautiful day.

I got home and trimmed the bottom of the tree and put it in the stand, which is very difficult by yourself. That evening we listened to Christmas music and decorated the tree, John's first real tree! He kept wanting to stop "the tree looks good how it is," but I kept putting more and more ornaments on until we didn't have anymore. (He's happy I did.)

Notice the furry present under the tree, (bottom left). 

Lincoln didn't sleep with us that night, I wondered why until I woke up to a Lincoln-sized hole/nest in the middle of the tree. All the limbs were bent, and a few ornaments were knocked out of the way. We stuck the weights to John's weight set all around the tree stand under the skirt, though, so Lincoln won't be able to knock it down.

There are so many people in this town with Christmas lights on their houses. One house in particular had about 25 inflatables in the front yard. Might be overkill, but I love to look at them. John works most evenings, but I can't wait for a time when we can drive around town and look at all the lights.

I think we have all our gifts figured out, if not bought, and now we can enjoy the reason for the season. It's also John's first advent season. (I never knew churches didn't celebrate advent.) We've just decided to give each other stockings this year, and we're so excited to swap! It's a challenge trying to find gifts small enough for a stocking, but we're both pretty much done.

It's time to make cookies! I made hard candies for the first time, and I'll be attempting a turkey. This Christmas is full of first for us, and we're both excited.

Oh, and John's been sick a few days. Your prayers for him to feel normal would really help.

Have a fab Friday tomorrow!

I'm all caught up.

Dishes, laundry, work, reading, everything's done that needs to be at this point. Times like this I have two things to be doing.
1. reading
2. sewing

My mother bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. I've taught myself how to thread a bobbin, and the machine, but as far as sewing goes, I'm a little new to it all. I've always "helped" my mom cut out patterns, but she always took over the sewing. I bought myself a dress pattern, and have all the pieces cut out. Now, I'm at a loss as to what to do now. I wish my mom was here to help me.
This is what the finished product is supposed to look like:

I was smart enough to choose one from the "easy sew" section without any buttonholes, zippers, or elastic. I'll let you know how it turns out. My goal is to have it finished by Christmas time (it's supposed to be my Christmas dress). 

This week we're going to visit his family. I can't wait to play games and eat food. One day I hope I can cook half as well as his mom.

Woodstock

John and I drove to Woodstock this weekend to visit my family. We probably won't see them again until Christmas time when they come to visit us. I forgot how great it is to see family, especially when they load you down with goodies of all sorts. We shouldn't go hungry or thirsty for at least a week or so. 

While we were there we got to see my brother, his wife, and they're kittens. A few months ago two tiny kittens showed up on our porch here and Sullivan and wouldn't leave. After a few days of them sleeping on our porch we knew they didn't have anywhere else to go so we brought them in. A few days later they slept on my lap in the car for almost 6 hours while I drove to Woodstock. They've been as happy as can be with my brother and his wife ever since, and they've definitely been eating! 

My mom's birthday was also celebrated this weekend. She's 36 (at least she looks it). She got an Xbox Kinect and a game. Now John and I want one too. Then something besides Call of Duty would be played in our house. 

All in all, it was a great trip, but too short. I wish I could stay a week or so, and bring the cats. We missed them, and I think they were kind of angry we left them here alone. When we got home the kitchen was almost as we left it, and the dining room wasn't even close. Tablecloth, placemats, napkins, salt, pepper, etc were everywhere, and we know who to blame. 

It was so good to see family. In a couple weekends for Thanksgiving we're going to go see John's family. I'm excited for that too. It's so nice to see his siblings and mom and play games and eat food. Maybe then we'll cat-proof the house a little better. 

Love

I realized this weekend, how amazing friends are. Sounds silly, but I haven't really seen any in months, and making new ones is so difficult. I realized, too, that even though I haven't seen them, or really talked to them in months, they still care about me as much as I still care about them. Funny how that works.

I'm also realizing how lucky I am. The women at the church we've been going to for less than two months would do anything to feed us, I'm pretty sure. And it seems like half the people in this town were looking for and talking to everyone they knew to find me a job when I didn't have one.

This weekend we got two homemade pies and a bag of enchiladas from John's parents, just because, and next weekend we're going to see my parents, and they couldn't hide their excitement if they tried.

The women I work with did everything they could to help me get Friday off so I could go home, and they've gone out of their way to help me out and make me feel comfortable. Sullivan has its flaws, that's for sure, but it's not in its people.

I wish I had a Hallmark in my backyard so I could get cards for everyone I appreciate, but I don't think I could afford it anyway. It seems like the Christmas spirit is already upon me, but maybe it's just the Holy Spirit, or the Thanksgiving spirit, because I feel so thankful.

I've been reading.

I love reading, and I've finally had the time to do it again. My goal is to read every book I own, maybe not every book John owns, but I at least want to finish the ones that have bookmarks stuck in the middle. For my birthday John's mom got me three:

I could tell you about them in great detail, but I'll limit it to one sentence each. 

1. While Christian fiction isn't always something I can easily stomach, there is something to be said for the hope and encouragement I get from reading about someone else's faith. 

2. This may be the first non-fiction book I've ever read for fun, and it was kind of extreme, but offered me reasons, examples, and insight to the political perspectives I already have.

3. In four years of German I have learned more about Hitler than the average person. This book, however, offers the first Christian-perspective of a Holocaust survivor I've ever come across. 

I won't offer any synopsis, opinion, or review of these, but I will offer the suggestion that you read them.

This last book was a wedding gift to me from Babette Stevens, a woman from my church in Woodstock. This is in the running, along with the kitchen trash can, for the most-used wedding gift. This book offers a prayer a day for my husband. The first of each month being for myself. I just started my 5th or 6th time through. It covers topics from health and finances to sexuality and emotions. We don't seem to be in desperate need of any of these prayers yet, but preventative prayer is the best kind, right? 

I've also started writing, just reflections on the books I read, but ever-so-slightly I'm writing more and more. Reading and writing on my days off give me much more satisfaction, reflection, and quiet time than sitting in front of the television or shopping, and there's not a cheaper form of entertainment out there. Come December 31, I will have read through the Bible in a year, first time! Come January 1, John and I are going to start reading the Bible together in a year! I've grown up in Sunday school and church, but I still feel like my grasp on the Bible is soooo small. John's understanding seems so much deeper than mine. I can't wait!