This One's For You, Kandice......

It has been brought to my attention that I am doing a poor job at keeping up with the blog. So, just in case you're one of those who is faithfully checking in, here's what we've been up to the last few weeks:

1. I gave my testimony at our church's Thanksgiving dinner. I totally get why Moses felt like he needed Aaron, as I am no public speaker myself. But my prayer has been that God would "enlarge my territory", so I had to take advantage of this opportunity. Perhaps I will post what I said on 3littlecowboys sometime soon.

2. Hubby went out of town and I came down with a delightful flu/strep throat combo Thanksgiving week. My mom and sister saved the day when they drove from Houston to Dallas and back in one day to collect my kids so I could rest. I spent 3 yucky (but quiet!) days in bed.

3. Hubby and I traveled to Houston for Thanksgiving. We ate a delicious meal, spent sweet time with our family--including my brother, who made the trip from Nashvegas--, and made a quick departure when all 3 boys came down with pink eye. In spite of incessant handwashing and sanitizing, Nana caught it from them. Sorry, Nana.

4. The moment we returned from Houston, we began decorating our home for Christmas. I was so happy to see our pre-lit tree we bought last year!!! The boys love decorating the tree. When it was all said and done, we had very few ornaments on the upper half of the tree, and several branches were sagging because they held more than one ornament. I wanted to "fix" it after the boys went to bed, but Hubs reminded me that it will only look this way for a few short years. We left it as it was, and they are so proud.

5. I had visits with both my ob-gyn and my oncologist. Hormones (or lack thereof) are taking a toll, but I have been assured that there's nothing wrong with me that is not wrong with many other women, though they may be 20+ years my senior. Supposedly the right combination of medications can make me cheerful and whole again. We're working on that. I will be scheduled for a CAT scan in January to begin the cycle of searching for returning cancer. My oncologist kissed me on the head.

6. We had visits from two of our favorite families in Abilene. It was a fun day of eating and catching up. Happy Birthday, Jared and Tyler!!!

7. Our family was asked to light an Advent candle during the Hanging of the Green service at church. If you've ever taken a 2-year-old to "big church" you know where this is headed.......

I let Baby read the hymnal, sit with assorted friends, and even fed him goldfish (although I have a rule that the kids can NEVER eat in church) to keep him quiet. It was finally our turn to light the candle, and when I picked him up to walk to the stage, his shoe fell off. I carried him down front with only one shoe on, and the whole time he was yelling, "SHOE! SHOE! SHOE, MAMA!!!!" Serene and holy we were NOT.

8. Baby moved to a big boy bed. He is SO proud, and when he woke up after the first night in it, he said to me, "I big, Mama." I cried. We loaned the crib--which has been used constantly for nearly 6 years--to some friends, and I cried. Babyhood is no more at my house!

9. We got a new oven. That's the good news. The bad news is that the new oven is bigger than the old oven. I spent 2 days this week at home listening to the sounds of new cabinetry being manufactured in my garage. Everything I own was covered in sawdust.

10. After a little holiday hiatus, the lady who cleans my house came back today. The sawdust is gone and I am happy.

And there you have it. Thanks for the gentle nudge, KC!