Flying solo............................

So the hubby left town very early Sunday morning...................5:40 to be exact!! Where might he be off to, you might ask???? A week long vacation??????????? No, although he does get to sleep in a nice quiet hotel without ten tiny toes digging into his back and hopefully he isn't cutting his colleagues dinner while demonstrating his ability to catch flying milk and prevent meltdowns all the while carrying on a conversation.................NO, not vacation, but the long awaited MBA School GRADUATION!!! Although before he can officially be graduated, he must complete a week long final at Penn State...............Hence, we are flying solo!!!

GDaddy so kindly dropped him off at the airport while we stayed snug in our beds :) Thanks, GDaddy!!

So after a fantastic morning at Church and an interesting sermon on REPENTING, we headed to our Carnes Family Christmas gathering!!

Although the weather was cold and damp outside, we had a very nice day with the family........
and a little snowman that kept the kids quite entertained!!


Now, I'm not sure if your family does a "white elephant" exchange but ours does. And for many years now, the "elders" decided it had to be ornaments..........You still stole and yelled and fought, but it was over ornaments now, instead of fun gadgets like mini screw drivers and mag light flashlights..........And the rules are ever changing........Higher numbers are better one year and then lower numbers are better the next..........Anyway, I gave up after kids! BUT, my mom insists on making us play and she provides the ornaments. so we play. like it or not.

Well, I may have finished (saved us from) the game for future parties. As you know, STEALING is actually OK in this game. Unlike my daughter who "pocketed" the pink cell phone from the church nursery, explaining to me that her teacher TOLD her she could have it............likely story............anyway, STEALING is the name of the game and being number 16 out of 17 gave me a little advantage. So as the game progressed, I anxiously watched as ornaments were opened and I waited my turn. eyeing cautiously the good vs. the bad......................And then they appeared...................two of the prettiest snowmen.....from LIMETREE, no less..........Now, I hate to call my family out, but most of the time (and the reason I quit) the ornaments are very ECONOMICAL, let's just say.......SO, when I saw TWO Limetree ornaments show up, I knew they were mine..........
So, since STEALING is the name of the game, I stole them..............from my five year old nephew, who proceeded to melt, and really suck the fun right out of the whole game. Where are the ornaments? on my tree.......what? not nice? I did politely let him "reselect" which didn't go over well so I also politely asked him if he knew what was in the bag I was taking, and he didn't. Hence them sitting in my house!!
Aren't they adorable...............

Anyhoo....................Sunday night included a little impromptu dance party by the tree and movie night with Rudolph, popcorn and Emolade (lemonade)................Merry Christmas!!