it was a wonderful day...

I got to meet a reindeer!

this doesn't happen every day, you know...

and it was my very first time to meet one!

her name is Hallelujah!

and she was born on Easter 3 years ago...

and she is so pretty...

I have no idea how many kids went through the fire station today, but they said the crowds were good...

this is our fire chief, sitting on santa's lap...

and santa is the assistant fire chief...

they used this outside to fly the flag!

after meeting Hallelujah, we decided to head for Paris...

again...

we had Craig's friend, Tia with us...

and we went shopping again and ate triple cheeseburgers and fries at McDonald's...

they were really good...

went through the park with all the lights and then drove around town a bit...

came home and talked while the guys watched football...

sugar is low, so fixing something to eat before I head for bed...

hope you had a good day!

the lights of Paris at Christmas time...

the lights of Paris at Christmas time...

and the sign at McDonald's there...

some of us ate supper here after shopping at the big, bad walmart...

the intelligent one went to Burger King...

of course we ate in the parking lot in the van...

I was froze to the bone and didn't want to get out again...

then we drove around a bit before heading home...

I loved this window!

that is a life sized vintage santa!

he was so awesome...

they did have some pretty lights over there...

I loved the angels...

they were big ones, too...

got plans today to get some things done...

all of us are home for today...

so need to get the laundry put up that I did yesterday and do some major cleaning...

so I can take next week off...

time to get moving!

have a fun day!

I think I have found something...

to keep me busy next year...

with an idea from a dear friend...

I have this idea of making stockings...

throughout the year...

starting out with the basic shape like this...

but putting my touch on them with something like this...

they would be small, one of a kind projects...

ones that I can handle...

using up the tubs of scraps that I have seemed to collect...

and I won't have to worry about selling them or having them pile up around here...

I will make them for the toy drive for next year...

I will start out with girly ones...

for the high school girls and then go down to the babies...

then the rest will follow...

its a project that I can pick up and put down, pick up again...

as the year plays out...

they are small enough to create one in an afternoon or evening...

I can shop at thrift stores for fabrics...

and trimmings...

and it might be something they keep and use year after year...

;0)

I may never have any grandchildren of my own...

but God has given me a town full of them...

to help their families pull CHRISTmas off without them knowing...

of the struggles in their lives right now...

so children can remain children just a bit longer...

and they can dream of things we have forgotten about...

;0)

 so that's the plan...

even on bad days, I can work on stockings...

got some plans tonight of shopping and cruising the streets of Paris in search of the most awesome CHRISTmas lights over there...

if DH is up to it when he gets home...

DO NOT want to shop this weekend or next week...

I am thinking tonight will be the slowest time of all the remaining days...

we have a very short list to finish up...

and then we can just sit back and wait for it to come...

so, are you done shopping????

got your tree up?

some don't have it up yet, can you believe that?

we have been working on CHRISTmas since the first of October...

you would think I would be sick of it by now...

but I'm not...

its a good year...

;0)

look at her now...

this is our very own little Miss A...

aka princess boom boom...

she got to meet Santa and his Mrs last night...

this is her big brother, who had his Christmas program last night, too...

he is in the pre school class...

she's the one I baby sat the summer before last when she was first born...

my, has she grown...

they both have...

and isn't this the best Santa ever?

real whiskers and all!

and to think I used to baby sit their mama when she was that little...

time sure passes faster than we want it to...

we went shopping last night for that 10 year old girly, girl...

and we found some wonderful things...

then we grabbed supper and ate it in the park...

drove around and looked at Christmas lights before heading home...

watched A Christmas Carol...

got to make that toy delivery this morning...

like to keep on top of those this time of the year...

you just never know how many calls you will get, so like to get them done as soon as possible in case another one comes in...

hope you have a great day!

the magic of Christmas in our little town...

been taking short drives to look at the lights in the evenings...

taking calls, making deliveries and have another shopping trip to do...

buying for a 10 year old little girl who like girly things...

got caught up on the book work for the toy drive...

dropped off items at the school and picked up an envelope with $80 in it...

the kids at the grade school raised money for our kids...

now that's sweet!

got another donation in the mail, too...

so we are not done yet...

we be making a trip to town tonight, not sure yet...

I know we need to go Thursday...

or so...

spent Sunday with the old man cleaning house...

yesterday was book work and phone calls...

and a nap...

today is delivery, sorting through toy totes and bagging for a couple of other kids...

pick up here and there and grabbed the mail...

store run and have to go back...

Charlie is out of dog food...

and I am not letting him have people food again!

gave him the poopies...

not a good thing...

we are on our umpteenth day of clouds, clouds and more clouds...

BUT!

the forecast is calling for sunshine tomorrow!

I need my batteries recharged so bad...

I might even be laying out...

(those of you who know me, know how likely that is to happen)

not many more days left until Christmas...

I think we are ready, or soon will be...

need to visit a neighbor...

it will be a year on the 18th since his dad passes away...

so want to check in on him and make sure he is ok...

those first things are the hardest ones...

not that any are easy, but they do get easier...

so off with you...

you have cookies to bake and gifts to wrap...

tinsel to hang and don't forget the mistletoe!

so get that jingle music blasting and get to it!

;0)