Christmas just keeps getting nearer every day and my life is so busy with things that don't even pertain to Christmas that I don't really feel like I've done justice to preparing in any way, shape or form for the birth of our Lord. I've got a lot of the shopping done, maybe just a few tiny stocking stuffers yet to get. I haven't got much wrapped at all so I had better get on that before my boys start getting nosy!

Last Wednesday I had Ladies Card Club which was right after mass for Immaculate Conception which was right after my weekly weigh-in for Weight Watchers. Whew! It is kind of hard sometimes to go back out in the cold after a day at work but once I get there, I always have a good time. This time we were listening to Christmas music while we played cards. The song Sleigh Ride came on and we all started talking about our memories of high school band when we played this song, seemingly every year. Almost all of the Madson girls are in the card club and they all remember playing the sleigh bells and the cracking of the whip at the end. Leslie Monson recalled how Kevin Paca usually had the part of the horse "whinnying" on the trumpet and what a sick sounding horse we had! After all this recollection, we found it amazing at how we can recall all these details from 30+ years ago but we find it hard to remember which one of us dealt last or what is trump. Hmmmm...wonder what that all is about!

Last Saturday we took a famous "day trip" to Dubuque as Micah had a Christmas concert that afternoon. Mike and I left early enough to stop and have a nice lunch and visit with Fr. Huber in Waterloo. It was good to see him and catch up on each other's comings and goings. It sounds like he's doing great and oddly enough doesn't seem to miss "Siberia" at all. After departing Waterloo, we headed to Dubuque and arrived about 40 minutes before the concert was to start. Mike and I were both sooooo tired -- we just kind of leaned up against each other on the bleachers and tried to take a quick snooze without either one of us falling off! The concert finally started and for the length of it, really went by rather fast. The Con Brio group Micah is in even sang "our song" -- You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Mike used to sing that to me when we were dating only he replaced the name "Mr. Grinch" with "Kristi Smith" and we both remember it and have fond memories of those days. I guess that's the closest thing to a "song" that we have as weird as that is. I think it's appropriate that we have a fun song since our life never seems to be boring!

After the concert, we allowed Micah to go and change out of his tuxedo before heading off to an early supper. We went to Crust again (actually it was Mike's first time). There were some things on the menu I would like to try but the guys were in the mood for pizza. One of these days, I AM going to try their pasta! After a leisurely supper, we took Micah back to the dorms and headed off on our trek home. We got home a little after 10 so it wasn't too bad.

Sunday morning came too soon! I woke up with a cold so I scarfed a piece of toast down before taking some Alka Seltzer cold medicine before heading off to mass. I wanted to make sure I ate something because I have watched many a parishoner "go down" during mass after taking meds on an empty stomach! I got through mass just fine but during choir practice, the medicine kicked in and all of a sudden it was like a dam broke loose and all my congestion ran down my throat causing me to have a cough and practically left me unable to swallow. Once that passed it was a bit of a relief, but once I got home I curled under a blanket and napped. Mike even went shopping and I didn't go with him! I must have been sick!

Reed had a birthday on Wednesday -- 19! I can't believe it! His was definitely the birth I recall the most vividly as the hospital time was the longest. He was born December 14th and didn't come home until January 2nd.

Micah came home from Loras on Wednesday. Finished his exams and this semester is officially done. Now for a quick break and then he goes back for his J-term. It's nice to have him home...we'll see how long he is home before he is ready to go back!

Wednesday also brought another bit of excitement -- I made my goal weight at the weigh-in at Weight Watchers! Now all I have to do is maintain -- and through the holidays no less! I'll have to get a little more active to balance everything out!

Now, I'd better get to wrapping presents before there are no surprises for these boys!