Ode to a GREEEAAAAATTTT weekend!

Don't you love those weekends when nothing urgent has to be done and you are on a very minimal schedule? I DO!!!! I wish every weekend were like this past one.

To start off, school was canceled on Friday for my oldest two, Emma and Julianna, so we got an extra day together. Although, I did have to work Friday morning, they came with me and helped out some. Then, we came home and watched Frosty the Snowman and had a very relaxing afternoon-NICE! We did do a little shopping that evening, to get supplies to make our teacher gifts...Molly was cranky and was made to stay behind with Mike--it was for the best! Mike made us dinner, it was interesting...he is a great musician, artist, fun and hardworking kind-of guy, but, not the worlds best cook. We stayed up and watched Christmas movies Frosty Returns and White Christmas, well, they did Mike and I fell asleep at about 9 o'clock with the girls heaped around us.

Saturday morning I got 3 hours to myself to finish up my Christmas shopping...I hadn't bought a thing for Emma, but, luckily hit Target and the Family Bookstore. I successfully found everything but a porcelain doll at those two locations, yay. She asked for a bible, rollerblades, MP3 player and a porcelain doll. I, have been collecting things to fill their stockings like a movie, Adventures in Odyssey, and a few pieces of candy for everyone.


After tallying up all my holiday spending, I have only spent $217.58! (This includes my family's name swap 5 gifts, 11 teachers gifts, Mike's family-which is 17 people, and our girls) I am amazed. I shopped sales, ebay and we cut way back this year. We are choosing to die to our flesh and not buy into the commercialism. We want to bless our children and for them to be content, so we are sticking to getting them some of the things that they have asked for. We are spending money on blessing others, being sneaky secret saints (I asked each of the girls to pick someone in their class to bless, the kid who has a hard time or is 'different', we went and bought simple, fun treats and knocked and ran...watching them open the door was so rewarding), and just gueniunely putting others above ourselves.


Sorry, back on track...Saturday afternoon, Emma and I went to her Little Sister's Christmas party (think Brownie Girl Scouts, but it is through the ecumenical community we live in). There the girls made reindeer T-shirts with their handprint, played games, had yummy snacks, did the 'Wright's family gift exchange' with our Bingo winnings and read a beautiful story about a young polish girl who give away her blessings to receive treasure beyond measure. It was quite a memory making time for Emma and all the girls in her group...and me.


Then the rain came!!!! Thank you, Jesus!


We had a meal to deliver to our friends, who lost their 23-year-old son earlier this month. It was good to see them and their eldest son, Eric, who was in our wedding almost 9 years ago, but very sad knowing that Michael wouldn't be answering the door or there to hug my neck...he is in heaven in the full presence of the Father...I am jealous, but sad.


Sunday was a full, but lazy day we went to church and had friends over that we hadn't seen in a long time. It was good, short lived but good! We have an awesome church! Our pastor seeks the Lord with all his might and never wavers from speaking the truth, even when it's hard. It is home and we are fed and grow spiritually.
By evening, it was time to pack lunches and lay out uniforms for another busy week...lots of parties, caroling, baking and anticipating the coming of our KING!

Hope your weekend was a great and relaxing as ours!