Holiday Preparations

It has been a long time since I've posted here on my blog.  So many changes and things going on in my life!  But....I'm back a little at a time.  Am I ready for Christmas?...."NO!"....but slowly getting there.  I have suffered a creative lull for the past 3 months, and hope that the first of 2012 finds me working away on new designs.

My oldest son Travis, did make Chief this year, in the Navy.  We are very proud of him.  He is currently deployed and will not be back in the States until April of 2012.  He received his orders recently to report to San Diego, CA once he returns, and that transistion will begin.  It is bittersweet news to me, as we have had him on the East Coast for 10 years, and have been so blessed to be near him.  We will just have to make it a plan to travel to the West Coast at least twice a year if possible.  My youngest son Ben and his family are still in Oregon, so we will at least get to see both.  Very hard to have your children 3000 miles away and not be able to hug them, but we still can love them wholeheartedly and stay in touch by phone, email, text, etc.

This Christmas, we will not get to spend it with them.  But we are very thankful for their health and pray for their safety and prosperity for the upcoming new year.  So I guess that explains me having my "tinsel in a tangle" for sure.  They are so loved and missed.

We have tried our best to downsize our "things" since my arrival here in Green Cove Springs, Fl.  I have had 2 yard sales with my Mom, and 1 with my daughter-in-law.  I had 2 before I left Tennessee.  I still have a shed full of "stuff"....and plan on getting rid of what I can emotionally part with early in 2012.

On Christmas Eve, our 14 year old grandson Tristan, will be flying into Jacksonville, FL.  We will pick him up that night, and then travel to Tallahassee, Fl on Christmas Day, to spend it with my Mom and Paul. I think if I had to speculate on what I've learned through this move to Florida, and the transistions, mistakes and problems that resulted, I would give everyone of you this advice that you have heard before.  "Don't Sweat the small stuff, and don't stress over the big stuff!".....It will all work out!  So MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Oh, and by the way!  My brother's barn/apartment combo burned down over Thanksgiving.  We lost our tractor that was in it, and goodness knows he lost so much more property and contents than us....BUT WE ARE VERY THANKFUL no one was hurt, no pets, no lives lost, and grass will grow and be greener underneath the pile of rubble where the barn once sat. 

I have some photos to share in my next post, but trying to resize them and arrange them for you.