Dear Grandma & Papa

As you know, it's Christmas. We've been making candy. Lots of it. Our fudge is great, mom even made a new kind this year...cookies and cream. She made all kinds of goodies: peppermint creams, orange creams, caramels, and even divinty. We can't really repeat some of the things she mumbled when the mixer got super hot and the candy wasn't done yet...something about too much moisture in the air and a few potty words :) We had some delish pumpkin craisin bread for breakfast today and tomorrow we are going to have crepes. Our mom must really love us.

We are crazy excited for Santa to come. I hope he doesn't bring us any coal...we've been trying to be good helpers for the last couple of days. Is Santa still watching?

At grandma Irene's house tonight we did the nativity. Lincoln played the baby Jesus. He was wrapped up in a silky pink blanket. Libby and Izzy sand some songs together and noone could stop laughing when Libby started to sneeze and couldn't sing anymore. My mom asked dad to record it so you could see it but it wouldn't work. She's been trying to think of something special to send to you but the best thing she could think of is to share us with you. Memories to put in your hearts, instead of something to dust on your shelf.

Please think about us watching Home Alone and hear us laughing.

Please think about us in the kitchen, rolling candy and licking chocolate-covered spoons and getting chocolate covered faces.

Please think of us, bundled in our winter clothes, delivering plates of treats to our neighbors.

Please think of us, cuddled on the couch watching Christmas movies and listening to music.

We had a blackout for a few hours last week. We lit all the candles in the house and sang songs about Jesus.

We've been having handstand contests so we practice alll day long.

We have everything we could ever need. We are happy and having fun.

We wish you were here. We love you.

Olivia, Lincoln, Isabel, Ty

me, izzy, and other assorted whatnots

Insert lots of smart and witty comments here...I can't think of any.

BAD DOG!

So, here's the thing. It's about 100 degrees below zero. It's so cold, I can't stand it.
I'd hate it with a fiery passion if I thought my anger would raise the temps but it won't, so, for now all I can do is allow Duke to be inside for a while.

I grew up on kind of a busy road. As a child, every pet we ever owned got ran over by some sort of motorized vehicle. Jaren once rescued a dog named pirate who had just had it's hind legs ran over by one car and was in danger of being smashed by a semi-truck. Our parakeet got eaten by a stray dog and Bandit even got shot by our crabby old neighbor, Bud. Lots of tears were shed. We had quite the pet cemetery out there on the archer/lyman highway. Full pet cemetery = Apathy/Indifference to pets.

Brittnay, my office manager at work, is an avid pet lover and is also very adept at making me feel guilty. I made the mistake of mentioning my lackluster feelings about pets to her and the sad puppy dog look she gave me induced me to start spending more time with Duke. I've been taking him running, going for walks, and letting him spend some time inside.



Duke can be annoyingly endearing and sometimes just plain annoying. He lays on Jimmy and the kids like he's a human and has inched his way into our laps and our hearts and leaves remnants of his love all over our clothes and carpet.

But today, takes the cake!

He was sleeping on his towel (Good Doggy!) when Olivia called for a ride home and being blinded by his serene appearance I left him there for 10 minutes while I drove down to pick her up. This is what I found when I got back.



Ummm, Sorry about your slippers, Linc.

RANDOM DELIGHTS

LIFE IS FULL!