Christmas Begins a few days early

I'm so excited I get today through Monday off.  I need to run to the store and get some stuff to work on my craft projects.  I will try to take pictures of the sock monkey as I go along.  I will also be sure to refer back to the site I got the idea from in the first place.  I'm excited and nervous about the projects.  Excited because I think it will be fun to get into crafts again  but nervous they will not turn out at all like I hope they would.

Michael has to work today so it will just be Blake, dad and I.  Maybe I can talk them into playing some games.  My dad has got to get bored out of his mind sitting in the same spot day in and day out staring at the TV.  I know there are many times I walk by and he will have the TV on and the sound off. He doesn't have the want to's very often.  It takes so much to breath now that it is hard to get the energy to do much else. 

I've always loved to make my dad laugh.  When we were younger my sister and I would know we got him good when he laughed so hard he lost his breath. I know that's mean but if you have ever heard my dad laugh you would understand. My mom said that she would laugh just hearing him laugh.  She could be in another room and he would start laughing and she said the harder he laughed the harder she laughed.  It's contagious.  Now making him laugh just seems mean.  Sadly he LOVES to laugh and joke around and have a good time.  I just have to figure out how to do it in small doses.

 Dad can be very silly at times.  This is one of my favorite pictures.

Dad always loved  to play around with the kids. 
Dad would play and mom would nurture.

I would love to spend some one on one time with Blake.  Since he has been home I haven't really gotten to spend quality time with him.  So far during the week I've been falling asleep early.  I'm sure he is wondering why I did start doing that until he moved out of the house. When he was growing up I didn't sleep very much.  Most nights I was lucky if I was asleep by 3 AM.  You can't even think about sneaking out with a parent that is a night owl like that.

I hope each of you have a very Merry Christmas this year.  Please remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

Jackie

How did this happen?

Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder how did this happen? Where did this grey hair come from?  When did that wrinkle get there? I never really did until this year when I hit the big 40.  Honestly being forty doesn't really bother me. It's the actual aging process that stinks!

Once when I was little, I was staying with my great grandma Richards.  (she was my mom's, mom) I don't recall what it was we were doing but, I do recall lifting her arm up. Kind of like she was showing me her muscle.  Except, well, when you are a great grandma things are not firm.  Grandma Richards was no exception.  So I take her arm and lift it up and tap the bottom and laugh because it starts swinging back and forth. I got the biggest kick out of it and would do it over and over. She would laugh and tell me, you just wait.  It will happen to you one day too. Sadly, that day has arrived.  No, I have not had any punk kid mess with my saggy arms but, I know it will happen when I have grand kids of my own.

When you are in your twenties you don't think anything of it.  Your skin is always nice and firm.  You don't have grey hair and you just don't get what all the fuss is about.  You hit thirty and start to wonder what the heck is happening to your body.  Why is there hairs growing out of places it never did before. About the time you finally get over that, grey hair starts to show up.  Honestly, all of that is nothing that a pair of tweezers and a bottle of loving care won't take care of.  As you start to get up in your thirties you notice that things aren't in the same spot when you lay down. You try to put your arm down and you find a breast in your arm pit and your nipples are starting to face down south. Gravity is NOT kind. When you hit forty you start to notice that your skin isn't quite as firm as it once was.  You can play ham bone on your under arm, you have more grey in your hair and you have so much hair on your upper lip and chin that if you aren't careful you will have a goatee thinker than your husbands. Okay, okay, some of that was a slight exaggeration for laughs but, it's not far from the truth.

My point, if you are under the age of forty enjoy it.  Don't take your firm skin for granted.  Don't start coloring your hair for fun because before you know it you will HAVE to do it.  Kind of like when you were little and were dieing to shave your legs. As soon as you did shave then you had to shave frequently.  Then you wish you never started to shave in the first place. You only live once and this is the only body you will ever get so take care of it. 

If you are forty and none of the things I mentioned are happening to you, well, I don't like you.  Just kidding.  Consider yourself blessed and let the rest of us know how you did it in the comments.

The best advice I could ever give you is forgive quickly, love unconditionally and be the kind of friend that you would like to have.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Jackie 

PS: Happy Birthday Whitney!

Ellen

What is it about Ellen Degeneres that is so appealing?  What is it that makes you want to get to know her?  Is it her gorgeous blues eyes? Her short blonde hair? Her quick witted mind? The huge smile that is perpetually there?

In my opinion, Ellen is outgoing and so full of charisma that she just draws people in like a moth to a flame.  Ellen  makes you relax and let your guard down.  She makes you want to sit and stay spell.  Like an old friend of the family or a favorite aunt, cousin or sister.

Ellen's show is one of the few I would like to go see in person.  It looks like it would be a ball with all of that dancing and crazy games she plays with her audience. You just know you will be laughing the entire time.  It would be even better if my family and I could catch one of her comedy tours.

I am not really a person that looks up to people in general because people will always let you down.  We are all human and flawed.  However,  if there is one person I admire it is Ellen Degeneras for the compassion she has for life, people and animals.  It is people like Elle that make me want to be a better person.

If you are ever down and need a good laugh you should check out The Ellen Show on Yutube or on TV.

Hope you have a blessed Sunday!

Jackie