In between Holidays

It's that time of year again; snow falls, people are caroling outdoors, shovled sidewalks, Christmas presents under the tree and everyone gathered around the tv set waiting to see the ball drop in New York City. Some of these memories have already past, but that doesn't mean we forget them.

The holidays to me mean that it's a time for families to get together and Christmas especially means to have the family around you and celebrate Jesus' birth. Christmas this year was filled with family joys. I was very excited this year because I could finally buy everyone in my family something using my own money. I had finally saved up enough that I didn't have to ask anyone else to help me get something. I really thought about what I was going to get everyone (I hope you all liked the gifts). I was also really happy when I tore off the green bags that had hidden the gift I was really looking forward to this year, thanks to Jaci and Shane, they gave me my 5 piece luggage set! Now I can travel to places and see those whom I didn't get to spend time with this Christmas.

The new year is just around the corner. I've never really observed New Year's, it's just been something that was fun to do a little with. One New Year's eve that I remember quite vividly was when I was in California at a year end retreat (I was too young for it but Mom and Dad were cooking so I got to go). Everyone went to a nearby park to play touch football and they invited me to go along. It had snowed a little bit on the mountain and it was starting to melt so the grass was pretty wet. I was just kind of standing there, waiting for the ball to come anywhere near me. My 3rd cousin Brandon was running and he slipped. I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and he fell right on my ankle. I thought I was just sore from it so I went and sat down with some of the girls who didn't want to play. George Lawson didn't want me to get wet so he gave me a Frisbee to sit on while he was helping me hop across the field. When I got back to the camp my ankle was the size of a softball. They took me to the emergency room and I stayed there for a few hours before I was able to come back. Then I celebrated the new year with the rest of the camp.

All I know is that this Christmas vacation has been the best one yet. It's going to end in a few days and I'm not going to like going back :)

My brother now has a frog for a sister

Ever have one of those days where you jump out of your skin and become that of another? Well, today we had our Christmas choir and band concert. We had to combine them because our band concert got snowed out two weeks ago.

The senior girls did an ensamble this year and we sang "Christmas Day." It was kind of strange to finally be singing as a senior girl and not just listening to them. It was a great song. I was surprised that we all didn't start crying in the middle of it. However, during part of the song I started to sound like a frog. All that was going through my mind was "NO! I can't be loosing my voice I have sing a solo in about 15 minutes!" We got done with the song and I told everyone of my friends to start praying for my voice. I don't know how many of them actually threw up a prayer for me, but whoever did I'm grateful. I was able to sing all of our choir songs plus my solo and no one notices my froggish voice. I made it all the way up to the "Halleluja Chorus." As soon as our choir concert was over my voice was shot. Luckily I don't need a voice for band, just a working reed. Which my good reed broke this morning because I wasn't paying close attention to what I was doing and I let my reed smack against my teeth instead of meeting it with my tongue. But everything worked out just fine.

I got home and I had to say something to my brother and he has now given me a new nickname, "Frogger."

We also had to have Jeff open his Christmas gifts early this year because our great aunt from Missory died earlier this week so my parents are going to the service on Wednesday which is Jeff's real birthday. It was great to see Jeff's face when he opened his new camera that Mom and Dad got him. He wasn't expecting it at all. I also disguised the box when I wrapped it so he couldn't really guess what it was. He just came in and took a whole bunch of pictures of me typing this. I can see his face has a brighter glow now. It's really nice to see, we don't get to see that often.

So even though there were a few minor set-backs today, it turned out to be a very good day for everyone.