I haven’t written in a few days. I’ve been too busy doing everything and nothing. Thanksgiving was kind of a disappointment. I don’t know why exactly. It just wasn’t as much fun as it usually is. The food was really good, though. I put my tree and some Christmas decorations up the day after. It looks pretty good. The kids like all of the lights. I wanted to go shopping Friday, but couldn’t because I had no one to go with. I did go to a few stores in Oak Ridge, but it was hard with the kids by myself. It was almost disastrous. I basically only got the few things I really needed, and forgot the main thing I went after. I got two of Chris’ presents. The main one, and then another that was just something he needed. Thanksgiving depressed me really bad for some reason. I don’t know why. After all, I did have fun. Just not as much as usual. I guess it was a combination of Chris having to work when I thought he would be off, the baby fussing most of the time because of all the people and noise, and the disappointment of not getting to go shopping the next day. Plus, Chris has been kind of sick for the past several days, so he has been going to bed early and just not feeling well. He has three nights of work left after today, so it will be a few days before we can do anything. Anyway, I guess that’s the price you pay for looking forward to something so much. You’re bound to be disappointed.

Moving right along…

I am almost through with Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemmingway. It’s been a pretty good book. The first part was really great, but ended in tragedy. The second part is almost through, and I had no clue what had transpired. He has started to let you in on it, at the point I’m at now, though, so it’s pretty good. The book does make me want to be an alcoholic…or should I say “a rummy”…but it’s pretty interesting.

Well, I just looked down because I heard Elijah whimpering to see Kyra smothering him with a pillow. No joke. Two year olds just can’t be trusted. He’s okay, though. Don’t worry. He’s already forgot about it. Eight month olds are very forgiving of siblings who try to smother them.

Well, on we go.

I woke up feeling sickish and with a headache, so I didn’t go to church this morning. If Chris was here, I probably would have went anyway, but it’s really too hard to take the kids by myself when I feel bad. Church, right now, is kind of a sore spot with me. Not a sore spot in that I’m mad over something, but that it makes me sad to go. I don’t care to explain that one, so you can draw your own conclusions. I won’t be mad if you draw the wrong ones.

You know what I would love to do right now? I would love to go get my guitar and play my melancholy away. I would love to play till my fingers bleed, and feel completely better. The only thing that is stopping me is that I haven’t bothered to learn how to play yet. I can play Ode to Joy till the cows come home, but it fails to move me. I wish I could wake up with John Mayer’s ability in my fingers, and wouldn’t he be suprised when Ode to Joy came out of his? I heard his song “Daughters” yesterday, because it was on t.v. It was really cool. I liked it a lot. Chris hates when people sing like he does, but I like it even though I’m not supposed to.

Well, my children need their mother.

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.
~Unknown~

I am so into Christmas this year. I don’t know why, really, because, even though I always like Christmas, it’s not usually like this. I’ve already been listening to Christmas music for at least a week, and I’ve got half my Christmas shopping done. I’ve been thinking and planning family Christmas traditions that I can start for my kids. Traditions are being said to be, oh, so important by such esteemed professionals such as Dr. Phil and Parents Magazine. It makes sense to me, so I’ve been trying to think of some really special things. I want my kids’ childhoods to be absolutely perfect. Well, as perfect as a childhood can be. We have already watched one Christmas movie, and I just can’t wait to put the tree up. I’m even going to try my hand at a bit more Christmas decorating this year…for the kids. Kyra is so enamoured by the lights that some people have already put up. I can’t wait to see her and Elijah’s reactions to a Christmas tree. I’m saving Chris and the kid’s Christmas gifts for last. I want to get them all something that they will really love. I know what I’m going to get for Chris, but I’m still deciding on the kids. I just want it all to be perfect. Chris has to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I’m hoping that we will still get lots of family time in.

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving, too, and, the Lord knows, I’ve got so much to be thankful for this year. I have more than most, I think, for I have my beautiful little family that I love more than life. I truly am thankful, and I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I’m especially thankful that Chris will be off for Thanksgiving this year, and can have Thanksgiving dinner with the rest of us. There’s just something special in my mind for Christmas this year. I don’t know why, but I’m not complaining. I’m having fun thinking about it.

Things have been like a whirlwind, lately. Since Chris has been off of work for so long, our vacation trip, my brother being in on leave…things have just been busy. The past two days we spent mostly shopping. Yesterday, we went to Nashville to the mall there. I hoped to get some Christmas shopping done, but came away with almost nothing. I got Elijah’s vest for his Christmas outfit, and we got Kyra’s ears pierced. She looks like a little doll, in case you’re wondering. We were mainly looking for Christmas outfits for the kids to have their pictures made in, but I couldn’t find a dress that I really loved. So, today, we went to Knoxville, and I found the perfect dress at Burlington Coat Factory. It is gorgeous, and it was only twenty dollars. Kyra is going to look like a little princess in it. I also got Eli’s shirt to go under his vest. His outfit isn’t as dressy as Kyra’s, but I’m not really into the prissy little boy outfits with the shiny vests and bowties. So, I was highly satisfied with today’s shopping outing. And, as a bonus, I got a really pretty church dress for Kyra at a children’s used clothing shop for eight bucks, and Elijah’s Christmas ornament. Now, I just have to actually get them to have their pictures made. It’s too bad that Elijah looks like he’s been to war and back. He has scratches all over his face. He’s a little rough on himself, and Kyra doesn’t help.
Things look like they should settle down now, even with Thanksgiving coming up. Chris is going back to work tomorrow. He’s glad. He’s been bored at home. He still has to see a neurologist, but that is a couple of weeks away. The doctor’s he has seen don’t think that a bulging disc could be bad enough to be causing his numbness and pain in his arm, so they are sending him to the neurologist to see if they can’t make sure it’s not that or if it is something else. Anyway, he is glad to be going back, and should have lots of overtime coming. That’s really going to help out, after the skinny paychecks he’s got while off of work…especially with Christmas coming up.
I can’t remember if I already posted about it, but Kyra got her puppy a few days ago. Chris finally agreed to let her have it. It was about half starved when we brought it home. It was the runt, and the other puppies were greedy little puppies. They hogged all the food, and poor Baby Woof Woof, as Kyra has christened him, was starting to show all his bones. He’s already plumped up in the three or four days that we have had him. Kyra loves him, and Elijah likes him, too. He’s a cute little thing, and he doesn’t poop on the porch. The latter is a definite point in the pup’s favor. I think he’s going to fit just fine for our family.

He just called me from Camp Lejounne (sp?)…I really need to learn how that is properly spelled. Anyway, he was in great spirits. He told me that it’s “a given” that he is going to Iraq when he is finished with his training, either in February or in August. It’s odd how that knowledge both scares me almost to tears for my little brother, and yet fills me to the bursting point with pride, at the same time. I am so proud of my two brothers who are in the military.

Well, Jason is leaving this evening for Camp Lejoune (sp?). It was good to see him after all that time he was away at Boot Camp. He looked so nice in his uniform. I’m so proud of him. It’s kind of sad to send him off again. We are going to mom’s this evening to eat his farewell meal of Chicken and Dumplings with him. I’m ready to send a few more brothers off to the military if we get to share in all of these special meals. We had a full-out Thanksgiving Dinner there Saturday, so that Jason could share it with us, since he will be gone on Thanksgiving. Did I mention that I am proud of him? Between Jason and my older brother, Aaron, who is serving in the Air Force, I am a very proud sister.

I finally finished Cold Mountain. It was so good. I could have finished it well over a week ago, easily, if it weren’t for our vacation interrupting that time. I thought it was better than the movie. It was great.

I think I will read Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemmingway next.

We went to my parents house this evening. Jason had bought Seth a scaled down version of a motorcycle. It has a chainsaw motor, or something like that. I rode it for a while. It was really fun.

This post just keeps getting more and more boring, so I think I will end it now, and post again when I have something to say.

Well, my very first trip to the ocean left me in awe. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It made me want to cry when I first saw it. I went around grinning like a five year old on Christmas morning. It was just so beautiful. I could have spent the entire trip there. I already want to go back. Kyra loved it, too. She called it the “pool”. She and I had a ball picking up shells. She enjoyed chasing the seagulls, as well. Elijah didn’t like it too much. He was afraid of the noise that the waves made. He did eventually get to where he liked playing in the sand, though. We had so much fun. It was fun seeing Kyra’s excitement at seeing it for the first time, but, honestly, I think I was more in wonder of it than she was. She thought it was great, but she’s only two. She sees things for the first time on almost a daily basis, and, while she was properly impressed, I was in awe. I can’t describe how it made me feel. It was just so awesome. The weather was so beautiful, and we even got to get in the water…in November! The sunset that I saw…left me speechless. All in all, it was the most moving and enjoyable thing I think I’ve ever seen. I loved experiencing it for the first time with my little brothers and my kids. It was well worth a twenty-one year wait.