I've been wondering the past couple of weeks if I should continue doing a weekly blog - it doesn't seem like there is much to post. Or maybe I should blog occasionally. I may opt for occasionally, so if you aren't one of my 10 that automatically receives each blog update in an email - you may want to subscribe to receive a notice each time I blog. You can subscribe at the top of the right side column which says "Follow By Email". Enter your email and click on the Submit button.
We had a fun Christmas gathering for our church small group Wednesday night by eating, doing a White Elephant gift exchange and then playing "Four on a Couch". My lovely white elephant gift was a fluorescent orange farmer's ballcap (the kind with the stiff, foamy front panel) with get this - face netting that went down over your face to protect your face when you were detasseling corn. And the kicker was it was a used cap. Man I tried to get everyone after me to steal my cap but for some reason no one wanted it....hmmmmm don't know why :)
Then we played "Four on a Couch" where everyone's names went on a piece of paper and then we all drew a name. If we got our own name we had to put it back. We put two men and two women on the couch and the object was to get four men or four women (four on a couch) and then the game was over. We had an empty chair and the person to the left of the empty chair called someone's name. The person with that someone's name then sat on the empty chair - and switched names with the person that called that name. Then the person to the left of the newly vacated seat called a name. It took like an hour and a half for the WOMEN to finally win. I got to the point that I couldn't even remember the name I had in my hand - but it was a fun time.
I'm sure everyone is still thinking about the elementary shooting in Newtown, CT this past Friday. I know a couple of my friends that have children in kindergarten or first grade took it really hard thinking, "what if that happened at my child's school?" My heart goes out to that community for comfort during this tragedy. There would never be a "good time" for this to happen, but during the Christmas season makes it that much worse. The Christmas season is supposed to be a happy and joyful time gathering with family and friends - along with celebrating our Savior's birth.
We did have a prayer service at The Well on Saturday morning from 6-8 a.m. for anyone wanting to stop by and pray for the people in CT. We also invited the neighborhood - since we meet in an elementary school - to stop by if they wanted for prayer or to talk about how they were feeling about this tragedy. I asked my small group leader this morning how the prayer service went and he said it was pretty good - unfortunately no one from the community stopped by but that's ok.
This morning was our Christmas program at church where the 2 year olds through 5th grade (I think it's 5th grade) sang songs. I didn't think to get my phone out to take pix of the kidlets. It was amazing the number of kids we have in this age group - I think there were around 55 total.
I was invited to my friend's parent's house for lunch. I think I blogged about being invited to Thanksgiving lunch and Thanksgiving dinner by two different friends/familys at church. Where I went today was one of those homes.
Then we headed back to Heather's house to make cookies and candy for her cookie exchange tomorrow night. It's been forever since I've done that. I was telling how one time when Casey hadn't been in the Army very long he told Mike and me that if we ever sent food, candy, etc., to him it had to be enough for his whole squad or platoon - can't remember which. So one Christmas Mike and I got in the baking mood and had NO idea how much we were baking and making until we really looked at all the goodies laying on every available space in the kitchen and eating area. It was a ton of stuff. I think we filled a large copy paper box full...... I don't have a clue how much it cost to mail that package but Casey said everything was enjoyed by all :)
It looks like we're finally going to get some snow on Thursday - blick, blick. I'm just not looking forward to shoveling or blowing snow but if I must, I must.............
