we have our two youngest grand daughters tonight.
Keira is coloring and Kayla is watching Barney.
Her new favorite.
It is usually a toss-up between him and Dora, but more often than not Barney wins.

Keira wants me to color with her but I snuck up here while her grandpa is coloring.
🙂

I hope to stay up for the New Year.
it will be the first in a long time that I have.
So we shall see if I make it.
Hopefully the New Year will bring much joy and happiness to all my family and loved ones!
🙂

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So I am here at work thinking about my New Years Resolutions.
I have several and wanted to jot them down so a month from now I can look at them and laugh at my silliness for thinking I could even begin to control myself to make something stick.

Here it goes
First and foremost……LOSE WEIGHT!
I am 40 pounds heavier than I want to be, so I am really going to go gusto with exercising and eating right to lose weight ( I have lost 12 pounds since Thanksgiving  just by giving up pop and anything with sugar in it)

2-  spend more time with my siblings
(either together or individually, I need to spend more time with them.  We aren’t going to be here forever)

3- get a good-sized savings account going (my youngest daughter may get married one day, but also for my own well being, I need to stop spending and start saving…..)

4-be content with who I am

5- either go back to school or take some on-line courses

6- find a church and attend regularly

7- be a better wife

8- be the best Nana I can be.
I’m sure there are more, but those come to mind as I sit here.

🙂

I have a cold.
A genuine all out cold.
ugh
I have a sore throat that I have had for days.
Coughing, sneezing, getting the chills and then getting hotter than hell.
It is miserable.
And while yes I am at work (The Tylenol does wonders) I know I should be home.
there is just so much to do here.

ugh……..so tired of this already
😦

I am in for another short week this week.
Just today and tomorrow and Thursday and then I get a four-day weekend again.
So today is my unofficial Monday.
Even though it is Tuesday.
I have a lot of stuff to do and am still fighting this cold and sore throat so…I can’t imagine how fast I will be today.

Never the less….it needs done so I best get started.
🙂

my children were very generous to me this Christmas even though I told them I wanted for nothing and anything I thought I needed I bought for myself.
Still they graced me with gifts and it shows their love and appreciation.
I am a lucky woman.

I received some new pots and pans from my eldest son and his wife.
I received a game from my son Matt and his family
My daughter Emily gave my husband and I a $75 dollar gift card to Red Lobster and she got me a huge picture frame to put various pictures of my grand children in, and the sign has a huge lettering saying Grandkids on it.
And then she got me a $50 gift card to Barnes and Noble.
I also got a $30 gift card from Barnes and Noble from my sister Kathy.
Another $25 gift card from my sister-in-law and her husband.
A ten-dollar gift card to Target from a student at school.
and a book from my eldest sister.
So I made out quite well.

the tree is gone and we are back to normal in our home.
Christmas is always a great time to share with loved ones but it is nice to get back into the routine of normal life as well.

Besides I have birthdays in the next three months so………

my pocket-book will get good use……for the next three months…..

Why me Lord, what have I ever done, to deserve even one, of the treasures I’ve known

tell me Lord, what did I ever do, to deserve even you and the kindness you have shown

Lord help me Jesus, I’ve wasted it so help me Jesus, I know what I am.
And now that I know, that I’ve needed you so, Help me Jesus, my souls in your hands…….

Jesus my souls in your hands…………..

I was sitting here staring at the screen, trying to figure out what to write and thinking of the Christmas spirit and this song popped into my head.
literally just walked right in………

Kris Kristofferson wrote and sings that song.
it is an old country song with a lot of impact.

I am a blessed woman and I know it.
And as the Christmas season begins tomorrow, I rejoice in the love I have for the Lord and the love I feel He has for me.
It shows every single day in the health and happiness of my children, husband and grand children.
My siblings their families and my friends.
Life is good.
🙂

I need to wear a sign that says “Hey people I am dieting!”

because I have gotten two boxes of candy and several candy bars and a loaf of pumpkin bread for Christmas from the staff here at work.
Yes I know they mean well but,  I cut out sugar in my diet two weeks ago and I can not go back to eating it.

I gave all the candy to my son and his wife and family yesterday but I just got the loaf of pumpkin bread from another teacher today.

Maybe I will give it to my sister when I see her later today……..

🙂

the day I have been waiting for….it is finally here……..

school was out yesterday for winter break.
We can’t call it Christmas break here in Iowa City Iowa because we have so many different religions that it would offend a great many if we did.
I personally think, hey if you come to our country you do what we do or deal with what we do, but no we American’s have to make it all so mellow for every nationality that comes into our country…….

but anyway now that we are on Winter break I can clean and clean and clean and it will stay that way, until January 5th when they all come back and mess it up again.

yes it is a discouraging job but it is mine, so I must make the best of it.
And I will be extremely happy cleaning the next two weeks!
🙂

I made a decision today
one I have been struggling with for weeks now, off and on.
I made the decision to make the most of all that I have and to stop complaining and wishing for something different.

I am blessed in many ways.
I have four beautiful healthy children and they all have someone they love and share their lives with.
I have four incredibly fantastic grandchildren who are all healthy and happy too

I have a man who loves me unconditionally

I have a good job, no not a great job but it pays well and I need to make the best of it.

I have a couple of friends who are very important to me.
I have siblings that I love and who I enjoy spending time with.

I have a full life.
I am blessed beyond words.
So I need to wallow in that blessed life and stop looking for things that are out of my reach.

God loves me, I am truly blessed in so many ways…….

and I need to just look on the bright side of things…….

(I have lost 12 pounds since I gave up sugar and pop!  That is a plus as well!)

🙂

Sunday when I had my two youngest grand daughters, they were wrestling around and playing and having fun together.
My wonderful Keira who is 4 came to sit on my lap and she hugs and kisses me and says
“Nana I love you so much!  And when I grow up I’m going to marry you!”

I laughed and said “honey it doesn’t work that way”
And she puts her hand over my mouth and says “We are not talking about it anymore! When I get bigger I will marry you!”

End of conversation.

to me that is the highest honor she could have given me.
It definitely was an early Christmas present.
I so adore that child.

Of course her baby sister is equally wonderful and starting to talk more and more. (she is 2)

She is more free with her kisses and hugs and she is all around a beautiful little girl.

I am a truly blessed woman, to have such wonderful grandchildren.
🙂