It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

First, the aforementioned project Natasha is working on, to write "I will obey my parents" so many times.... She has to do it neatly or she starts over. She is doing that very well! She's fitting 30 sentences on a page, to simplify the counting. See anything wrong with her work?

After years (a decade?) of waiting, Mom has replaced her sewing machine. The business she runs, "Sewing In My Home," requires amazing feats, and she's got the skills to handle it all. However, owning one of the new machines will broaden the services she can provide her customers. Additionally, her old machine is so old that every time she needs a part replaced they say, "You're lucky they had this part; they're not making parts for these machines anymore." She was coached that she really needed to find a new home for her old sewing machine to force the issue of her learning to use the new one, so ... (drum roll) ... she gave that machine to US!!!! Well, I basically asked her to. :\ True, she could have sold it to a stranger, but how much nicer is it that in its retirement, the machine she used to sew innumerable items in service to her family can continue its service therein! -wait, was that sentence botched or well-built? Eah, leaving it. (! lol) Wow, it's comfortable to use this high-quality machine on which I learned to sew. And now, a second generation of young ones can learn to sew on the same machine. I took a picture of its new home for you, Mom, during its first project in Iowa, hemming jeans for Justus.

[For the record, there is some discussion and frustration about what to do about the sewing machine cabinets. Mom kept the one for this machine because she doesn't yet have the one for her new machine. However, it's not working well for her. And, the cabinet in this picture is for my old machine (which is in the garage waiting its turn in the budget to go get repaired), so it's not a good fit with this machine. If I fold out the left portion of the table, Mom's machine just falls right through! :( It's a compromised sewing situation, but still a DREAMMM. I'm so thankful.]

While I was taking pictures in the family room, I shot the other wall that has a map on it as well. In perfect timing, these great, laminated wall maps were given to us (used, of course, by a homeschool family that is through with them); you see, we signed up with 49 other homeschool families to do a 50-states postcard exchange this year! So, when we've received a few postcards, we take the Vis-a-Vis pens downstairs and let the children label the map. They think it's a blast. I laid on the top of that center cushion the cards we've received but haven't yet posted. :)

Justus's Scouts troop caroled on Tuesday at the VA Hospital. Justus appeared to be having no fun at ALL. Later we asked him if he enjoyed it; he said it was fine! Jeremy said, "Then why did you look so serious?" Justus said, "I was concentrating!" This picture doesn't even include all the singers!! I couldn't get back far enough in the room to fit everyone in!! In this picture Justus and Brandon are toward the left in front of the lady in the pink shirt.

Here's a closer shot of them; sorry the zoom on this camera compromises the light situation.... And yes, the kid beside Justus has blue hair. He's a decent kid, who has blue hair....
There is something funny going on in our house. Because we are not bound, scripturally or familially (made up a word), by the date of December 25th to celebrate Christmas, we have all decided to save our Christmas money 'til after Christmas, to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. It's weird but fun, for this time. And if we like it we may do it again! We kinda get two Christmases this way...? On Christmas Eve the Four Fab will open Free extended family gifts that we have received (wow! thank you!). On Christmas morning we will open stockings with Elaine and open Folding extended family gifts we have received (wow! thank you!). So Jeremy gave each kid $5 to spend at the dollar store to buy a $1 stocking gift for each of the other four people. Oh, and I bought each child a roll of dollar-store-wrapping-paper to wrap his/her gifts. This is turning out to be hil-larious! The gifts they chose.... *sigh* Some of them won't even fit in the stockings...?! Or, I'm also told that they would have, but they couldn't figure out how to wrap them, so they put them in boxes to wrap ... that won't fit into the stockings. Oh, what a riot! XD It's so silly in a celebratory way!! LOL!! At any rate, Justus finished wrapping his gifts the other night, and I found them placed carefully in this pile. And, yes, the gift on the top left says: "From Justus To Dad's Mom". Huuuh? lol!

Here is the wrapping job Natasha did for my stocking gift from her.
And now. More drum rolls.... This morning the doorbell rang and on the front porch stood a smiling man who could barely hold this monstrous basket of goodies. Fruit, coffee, nuts, sausage, cheeses, fancy cheese dip, crackers, appetizer olives, and candies galore! We have never received something like this, and I'm completely blown away by the generosity! The note reads: "Merry Christmas - We appreciate you and everything that you do for our congregation. With love -- ..." and I'll let the givers remain anonymous in this extremely public setting. Just ... CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??! WWWWOW.

Next comes the snow. And I have yet to make my traditional Christmas sugar cookies for the decorating fun our family still seems to enjoy.... So, it's shaping up to be a beautiful, cozy holiday for us. I sincerely hope yours is, too, though I do have to coach my attitude this time of year because the pain of missing you all is remarkably sharp on the celebration days I used to spend with you. Counting my blessings.... There are definitely enough to distract the mind and ease most of the emotional discomfort.