Full of Joy

As soon as I finished the last post, Chuck hollered down, "I'm reeeeeeeeeeady!"  I jumped up and hurried towards the stairs to find this:  My Advents!  These little stockings are so cute I had to keep myself from crying.  I was completely surprised.  He wanted me to open Day 1 immediately since tomorrow we will open his Mom's package.  The note seen in the picture for Day 1 told a cute little story about how the military uses a tiny object for making food.  Included in the stocking was a mini blade looking thing.  I was then instructed to find my first gift under the tree.  How had I missed it?  I raced down the stairs to see this... He has always wrapped gifts so beautifully!  Tada! My VERY OWN electric can opener!  Lest you feel disappointed for me that I got an appliance, I have been dying for my own electric can opener.  There is one out at the Dubbe family house, and every time we go, I think I say...

I feel something brewing.  It's December 1st Eve, and I found this hanging up in our hallway earlier tonight.  As I write, Chuck is working like a Mad Scientist in our office, and I am forbidden to enter.  He has hinted that the next 25 days are going to be pretty special.  On top of that, we also have a package from Chuck's Mama all the way from Germany with instructions to be opened tomorrow.  It's the most wonderful time of year!

Last year we found a local farm store that sold 6 foot Frasier Furs for $30.  In the past we had spent $10-$20 on a tiny tree so this new find was fantastic!  We spent our Thursday-Night-Date-Night tree hunting.  This means we drove 10 minutes to Meadows Farms .  At the front of the big lot of trees there were tons of $60 trees, $70 trees and a bunch of plants we were not interested in.  I told Chuck we should just keep walking towards the back of the lot.  After several rows of the expensive trees we found a row of $40 and $50 trees.  We began to think the tree prices had gone up.  But we pressed on.  As we continued to walk, and freeze, we saw a cluster of trees sitting in the dark, all the way at the back of the lot.  To our delight, even though it was very hard to read in the dark, we finally saw a sign for $30 Frasier Furs!   It was pretty tough to actually pick out a tree in the complete dark, but we used the flashlig...

Though my heart is plummeting face first into the holly, jolly Christmas season I am still reminding myself of all that I have to be thankful for.  On Thanksgiving night, Chuck and I opened up the jar we made during the FFA's and read our little snippets of thankfulness we had written about for the past month.  We had much to thank God for.  I am so.very.thankful. for my husband.  I know that sounds totally cliche to be thankful for my husband, but I just feel like I have been extra-specially-blessed by my man.  He's my best friend, and I love to spend any waking minute with him that I can.  Even going to the grocery store is suddenly fun when my man is by my side.  He gets me, and that gives me a crazy amount of appreciation for him.  He really gets me.   We women are not easy creatures to understand, and to have Chuck's total support of who I am is wonderful. He gets that I love to get my hair done by Sharon alone.  He gets that I ...

My dear, sweet childhood friend, Tricia has been struggling with Cystic Fibrosis for the last 30 years (her entire life).  God has done miracles in her life, including giving her and her husband Nathan a biological baby right before having a double lung transplant.  It's been almost 4 years, and Tricia needs new lungs again.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning Tricia's doctors will be deciding if she will be approved for a second transplant she desperately needs.  PLEASE PRAY! You can read about her story here: http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/

It's late here for my two babies.  Their necks must be killing them!  But  I'm wide awake, as usual.  Since Chuck objects to "19 Kids and Counting", I'm getting caught up on all my episodes while he dreams. (Don't hate. I've been known to cry during this show.)  I've also been working on some Christmas projects for the past couple of hours.  The Christmas season is upon us, and it just makes me giddy.  There are big wreaths and lights up around all the plazas nearby.  One of our radio stations starts playing ALL Christmas music ALL the time tomorrow!  I told Chail last weekend that I love giving presents more than getting presents.  It's true- I know once I get in bed tonight I will be lying awake thinking about all the Christmas projects I'm so excited about.  Chuck and I finished about 90 % of our shopping tonight- great feeling.   I'm going to end with a random fact.  Michelle Duggar is only sixteen years...

  We had a Halloween Extravaganza for our small group of teens last night!  Chuck found a whole bunch of decorations and props in the youth room and we had a blast decorating our house for the occasion.  You can't quite see in this picture, but we had hanging bat lights on the banister, and spider webs- complete with spiders, all over our big, annoying front bush.  Our group is called The North Group- really creative, I know.  We don't get a say in the name.  Gotta tell ya, we are loving the chalk board wall.  Here's the place all spooked out.  The dining room even had a flashing red light. Here are some of our crazy teenie boppers.  It was pretty exciting to have FIVE kids come that hadn't come before!  We loved having them.  Check out our cute co-leader, Candy in her home-made 50's gear.  (To the left of the pizza, and in the corner of the couch.)  Candy is also my dearly wonderful mentor and...