I love lazy Sunday afternoons watching the Vikings with the tree lights twinkling and the warm glow of the "electric" fireplace. I know that you are working today and then you will be focused on your writing which has to be resubmitted tomorrow so I am trying to leave you alone. I know that you are probably in your recliner, wearing comfy clothes, wrapped in a blanket, with your computer plopped on your lap. There is probably a kitty or three that will be bothering you in your pursuit of trying to find the perfect words to interject into your "scholarly review of articles!" Thus, I am not going to call you or text, but I am going to write you an old fashioned letter sharing my day.
I did a little Christmas shopping today. I am all done with Bunky and Sam which is a cool thing! I found a couple of shirts that I thought were funny for you. The first one said, "All I care about is cats , , , and maybe a couple people!" I totally laughed and thought of you. The other one said, "I just wanna drink wine, save animals, and take naps." Again, totally laughed out loud . . . and thought of you. As I was shopping, I found a bunch of things that reminded me of you. Fun little things that I just put in a cart but did not hit send. Auntie Dawn and I do this little thing that she does with Uncle Paul sometimes. When we are together, we hand each other things we cannot afford, and say Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas, after all, if it is the thought that counts, so many in my life would be rich with things that make me think of them . . . if only I had the $$$ to purchase them!!!! It is fun to dream though.
GUESS WHAT???? Seri asked me to do her wedding in October of next year. I am super excited as I have gotten to do a number of your friend's weddings. We are going to get together after the holiday season so I can get to know the two of them as a couple. I always LOVE this part! I love spending time seeing what makes a couple tick, hearing their love story, and waiting for a message to be woven on my heart. I remember how much time you and Seri used to spend together. For the longest time, you were inseparable. It is crazy how fast time has gone!!! Seems like yesterday you played volleyball together while Joyce and I watched and now you both have totally different lives, paths, and new love ones to share your lives.
GUESS WHAT???? I ordered something for you today. You know what it is???? A little hint, you get them each and every year before Christmas so that you can enjoy them throughout the holiday season. YES!!!! CHRISTMAS PANTIES! I know that that is not particularly inspirational, and perhaps you do not want everyone to know THAT particular holiday tradition, BUT I am the mom and sometimes we all just need to lighten up and find the FUN in the holiday season. I think traditions are important, even the seemingly SILLY ones! I have done this for you each and every Christmas FOREVER! I remember the first year we did the blog, I almost forgot. My life was such a mess that I lost all focus, and by the time I remembered, nearly every Christmas panty on the planet was on someone else's bottom! UFF-DA, that could have been BAD!
I also discovered today that your brother is a COFFEE SNOB! A COFFEE NERD! And frankly, kind of odd! I actually found myself researching coffee stuff for the items that he had on his list. It was eye opening, and amazing how something as simple as making coffee can be made into a major production. Dang I do love that pressed coffee he makes . . . especially with cupcakes! Your father and I raised ODD children!!! Incredibly ODD children. And sarcastic ones! I cannot imagine where the pair of you got THAT from!!! Seriously!!!
Now I am going to search for some airline tickets for Grams. She wants to go see Uncle Marty sometime after the New Year. She has been doing some baking for the cookie walk . . . I think retirement agrees with her! All in all, it hasn't been a particularly productive day, but it is certainly been filled with a ton of peace, some joyful spaces, and many blessings. I love you baby girl,
Mom
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Dear M,
I miss having Sunday's to be lazy. Every Sunday morning when I get to work, I tell my people that no one should ever have to work on a Sunday. It's just not right. Sunday's are for God, football and naps. And that's it. Unfortunately, we all know that can happen, so I made my $60 in tips and booked it home.
You are totally right. I am plopped in my recliner and wrapped in a blanket, with my computer on my lap. I have Christmas movies on the TV right now too but the volume is on mute . . . I can't think when there's noise. Hence the reason Grayboy is in the spare bedroom on timeout right now. I was working on my paper and all of the sudden he pounced on Booboo and she was screaming bloody murder, so I ran after him and he scurried into the empty wine box (from the penny wine sale of course) then I grabbed him (box and all) and put him in timeout. He can be such a bully.
Speaking of Grayboy being a bully, after I put him in timeout I remembered reading about holistic remedies that Jackson Galaxy (the guy from My Cat From Hell) created and they have such awesome reviews! They're similar to essential oils but for animals, and guess what? There is one for bully cats! I'm going to buy it when I have some extra moolah. There's actually a set of 3 oils called "Ultimate Peacemaker." It has a peacemaker, bully remedy, and self-esteem oil. Grayboy would get the bully remedy, Booboo would get self-esteem, and all 3 cats would get peacemaker. Fascinating, eh?? I'll let you know how that goes.
Jordan is a coffee snob! Maybe Santa wants some coffee type beer ideas for his stocking? I could give you some good suggestions that he would love! JL Beers turned me into a beer snob. =) Sam is always easy to shop for! You'll have to tell me what you got her over the phone cause I'm pretty sure she reads this. I love all those funny cat shirts. I still like that one that says, "I never dreamed I'd grow up to be a sexy cat lady, but here I am killing it." Ha! My favorite. Oh, and I have the drink wine, save animals and take naps sweater. Here, let me find my Instagram pic.
I knew you wouldn't forget my Christmas panties!! I look forward to them every year, and I don't care if the whole world knows it! They make me so happy. And honestly, I think it's the only Christmas tradition we really have left, that's been going on for a super long time anyway. I feel like you'll be buying me Christmas panties FOREVER! Even when they turn into Christmas grandma panties. =)
How exciting that Seri asked you to perform her wedding!! You will do such a good job, as always. Wedding's are kind of your specialty. You spend so much time getting to know the couple and that makes the whole ceremony really personal. Most pastors don't do that, they stick to their routine and that's it. Pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye at our ceremony. Remember when you sent me our message that you wrote for our wedding ? It's saved in my documents and I have to refrain from reading it because it makes me cry. Ahhhh the good old days. Time for a vow renewal! After all, it has been almost a year.
Jesse just plopped his butt down next to me with a glass of milk and your WHOLE bag of chocolate chip cookies. I forgot to tell him that you made them for him so when he walked in the door he goes, "COOKIES!" Ha. Good thing he can eat a whole bag of cookies and not worry about it. Oh, now he's saying he should go work out. Followed by, "or I could just go to sleep." He's something else.
I think traveling is super important. I always loved that so much about you and Dad. You worked really hard so we could all go on family vacations. I vaguely remember our two cruises when Jordan and I were younger, and the trip to Florida, and the 4 times we went to Mexico, and how could I forget you breaking your leg in Hawaii? Oof, that was a rough trip. Hawaii was beautiful but we pretty much all had something health-wise go wrong. I had those 3 cold sores at one time. Omg. My lips hurt just thinking about it. And when I think about rough trips, I would never forgot the road trip from hell to SD. Haha, I have to laugh a little at that one. As much as I love traveling, with all of the crime and terrorism happening nowadays, it does freak me out. I can't think about it too much or I'll talk myself out of ever going anywhere. But maybe that would be a good thing, cause then I wouldn't have to pay for it. Ha. I call that the silver lining.
Most!
Rah
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