not quite the same

decorating for christmas 2010 has been a struggle.  i love this time of year.  celebrating the birth and life and ministry of christ and making my home reflect my heart has always been a joy for me.  but this year my dad is facing his final journey.  much of my time has been spent pondering all he did and gave and sacrificed for his family.  my dad is a remarkable man.  he is tough and stern.  right is right and wrong is wrong.  principled and strong, he is passionate about many things.  he loves deeply.
his lessons have served me well and taught me much.

this year my dad probably won't be able to make the trip to my home to enjoy our traditional christmas festivities and to share in the love we have for each other...
a love and a legacy that has grown and flourished, in part, because of a man i call dad.
but daddy, i don't want you to miss anything.  you will always be a part of my life.

so here is a little bit of christmas 2010 at the ball home.

siblings

the first time in a very long time that my three siblings and i had a chance to get together...just the four of us.  no spouses.  no children.  not that their spouses and children aren't wonderful...they are. 
but it was so nice to just have us.
and while the occasion that brought us all together is a sad and painful one,
i am so grateful for the time we had together.
i love you bobby.
i love you charlie.
               i love you jo.      

headed out

in the morning.  to here.

chick trip 2010

just outside of palm springs.

to laugh, eat, shop, cry and laugh some more.

because that's what best friends do.

and these two girls are the best.

to quote donna, "i'd clean sewers with these two."

can't stop...

gathering ideas and planning my christmas decorating .  because while thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday (much less stressful) i A.D.O.R.E christmas decorating.  here are some pics of the ideas i would like to incorporate for my christmas tablescape.  can't wait to get started.

(from http://www.iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/)

(reindeer and birds from www.potterybarn.com)

i want to start right now.  but my kitchen is only half painted. 

and this weekend is palm springs with my besties.

curse you menopause.  it's all your fault that i can't stay focused.

update

i loathe painting.  it's still not right.

i should have gone to disneyland.

while the cats away

i L.O.V.E. it when my boys go off together.  trampling in the wilderness.  chasing the big one.  sitting around a campfire telling remember when stories.  patting each other on the back.  eating soup that i made just for them.  makes me feel all warm inside.

it's their own male bonding time.
and over the years their male bonding time has given me plenty of opportunities too.
girlfriend time, sleeping in time, chick flick time, shopping time, and best of all...
daughter time.
why one time when they went hunting carrie and i left them a note on the kitchen table.
'gone to disneyland', it said.  'see you when we get back'.
now their latest hunting trip hasn't taken me to disneyland.
but that doesn't mean i'm sitting around whining and crying in my diet coke.

no sireee.  let the fun begin.
painting the kitchen.
because while i love the kitchen cabinet redo from last year,

i hate the way the cabinets look with the current color of my kitchen walls.
a nice, soft swiss coffee background is just what they need.

so thank you, my boys, for giving me a free weekend.
i hope you are enjoying your male bonding time.
and that pot of  soup.  it's filled with love. 

my new strategy

wear skin tight jeans...no breathing room.

should equate to no eating room.

because in 2 weeks my 2 skinny besties and i will be heading out to our annual

palm springs weekend.

i can't help that i'm the oldest.

but dang, do i have to be the fattest.

i'll let you know if my new strategy works.

for now, i'm in pain.

tight jean pain.