I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Ours was the Christmas that almost wasn't. If you remember, I was worried about Emily, Bryan, Amanda and Ryan being exposed to the stomach virus. Well, guess who came down with "something"...that's right ME! I don't know if it was the virus or not because I did not have the fever that goes with it, and I didn't vomit any, but something was going on Monday and Tuesday. So, no baking/candy making got done. Between us, Bill and I got the dining room rearranged the little it needed to accommodate the extra people, but that completely drained me. However, Christmas morning I woke up feeling much better and Christmas was on. By the time everyone got there I was pretty tired and felt bad again after eating. But, the grandkids were all happy with their gifts and seemed to have a good time.

We had McKenna Thursday and Friday. Bryan's department decided to work a few hours while the plant was shut down. She was pretty good but she's at the age where she can entertain herself most of the time. It was still tiring so we're playing catch-up on sleep. And, this morning, Emily ended up at the ER with vomiting and diarrhea! They aren't sure if it is the virus or not, and she really doesn't think so either. I sure hope not!

Bill has become a demon with the vacuum! If he sees 1 little piece of lint or paper on the carpet, out comes the sweeper! He put away all of the TV trays/folding chairs and swept everything up Thursday. That was good because it took 2 dishwasher loads to get all of the dishes done!

I have a little story to tell on him that my mother should appreciate. He was making coffee yesterday and I asked him if he got enough coffee out of the canister because I knew that it needed filling. He said he did, 1 1/2 scoops. I told him it took 2 heaping scoops and he gave me a look. I told him he was turning into my grandmother and before long he would just be drinking hot water! That's what she did. She started making her coffee weaker and weaker until she decided just to drink a cup of hot water in the morning! She decided she didn't need the caffeine, she just needed the warmth!

He had a headache Thursday night into Friday morning. He said he had it all night but he didn't want to wake me up for some Tylenol. I could tell by looking at him that he didn't feel well yesterday morning. I gave him some Tylenol and then, after he took his morning aspirin it finally went away. He said he also thought he had a fever earlier, but when I took his temp it was normal for him. He's had several headaches in the past 3 months and I wonder if it's due to his blood pressure. It isn't high by any means, but it is for him. His usually stays in the 110s/sixties and it's been more low 120s/seventies. That would be normal for most people so it's something for me to put on my list for Stephanie.

I finished reading through the Bible this morning. It was supposed to end Tuesday, but I just kept going this morning. It's the first time that I've read it completely through. I have a study of the women of the Bible that I've been wanting to do, so that's my next project.

I'm getting my haircut this morning so I'd better get a move on. Happy New Year and may you be blessed in the coming year!

This is just crazy! Two weeks ago we were socked in with ice and snow and extremely cold temperatures for early December. Today, the first day of winter we have extremely high temperatures, flooding rains and a tornado watch!

We've had a good week. We are totally finished with shopping/wrapping/shipping. Cards are all mailed and now all that's left to do is cook/bake/make candy and get ready to be invaded Christmas night. But, there's another nasty stomach bug going around. Emily and Bryan may have been exposed to it last night, or it could just have been a case of car sickness, and Amanda has not been feeling well, although that could be pregnancy related. Anyway, if anyone gets sick, they are being banned from the house! It's too close to going back to Florida!

I talked to Stephanie this week. We haven't seen her the last 2 times we've been to Mayo. She was talking about his yearly in May and didn't realize we would be there in a couple of weeks. Bill's due for a colonoscopy this year and he also needs to see a dermatologist again. We're having it all done at Mayo. Our local dermatologist has retired and we would have to go to Memphis for the colonoscopy, so we're just going to stay an extra couple of days and get it done then. Of course this isn't until May.

Bill has decided that he can't go shopping alone anymore. He didn't get into trouble, but being in the store, with a lot of people, he gets overwhelmed. I've known this for quite a while now, and I'm really glad he brought the subject up. We've pretty much decided that we aren't going to exchange gifts with each other anymore. We're blessed to be in the position financially that we can buy at any time. So, we've decided, at least right now, that if there is something we either one want, we will just get it.

I've been going through winter clothes this week and Bill was pleased when I came out of the bedroom and said that I didn't need any winter clothes! Remember, these clothes have been packed away for 2 years. When we came home last year I just pulled out some sweatshirts and that was that. Now I'm going through sweaters and some dress clothes. Since I'm not working anymore I've been wearing the few things I had with me in Florida to church. I've enjoyed pulling things out and thinking "Oh wow!" So, the washing machine and dryer are going to get an extra work-out!

Bill's been doing a little more around the house. He's not been more active in as far as exercising, but, he's fixed breakfast (granted it was just toast and cereal), emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away (most of them where they go), and making coffee. He's also taken over sweeping and vacuuming. Since we only have small area rugs it's not a strain for him to push the vacuum and sweeping or swiffering the hardwoods doesn't take much effort.

We were blessed with another great-granddaughter this week. Miss Brynley Marie Leahr arrived on the 15th. Now I will really have to sit and figure out how many there are. We also saw a video of William counting the balls he put on the Christmas tree. He was stuck on 5 and 6, but for someone who's not quite 2 that wasn't bad!

It's getting quite dark again with a few rumbles of thunder. We've just been put under a flash flood warning, along with the other warnings and watches, and the dryer just buzzed.

I wish each of you reading this a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Here's the extra post for this week. I also forgot to mention a milestone in the last one, so it's another reason to have the extra post.

First the milestone...we've been home for a year now, and it still feels good. We got home December 13 of last year.

Now for the word of the year. If you look back over the posts from December 2012 or January 2013, you will see that I was going to try something new this year. Instead of making resolutions, that I never keep, I was going to find a word to live by. The word I picked was FREEDOM. After living with so many appointments, doctors, etc. for the last couple of years, freedom sounded very appealing. Picking this word gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and not feel guilty if something didn't get done. So, if I wanted to sit and craft all day instead of cleaning house, it was OK to do that. At the same time, if I wanted to clean everything, that was OK too. And for the most part it worked. Of course there were still appointments and obligations that had to be kept, but if I wanted to stay home from church, that was OK too.

As I was looking over the list a couple of weeks ago, the word ORDER jumped out at me. I started thinking about that and, even though it's almost the opposite of the freedom I've had this year, order sounds very appealing to me this year. And, even though we lived by the appointments and obligations before, it was still chaotic at times. So, now I'm ready for the order.

For people who really know me, they know that I've always been a carefree housekeeper. Clutter didn't bother me and, if there were piles of things stacked everywhere, I usually knew what was in each pile and why it was kept. Now, that bothers me. So, I'm going to de-clutter my life, not just my house, but my life. But, I'm also going to remember my new-found freedom of this past year. Creating order is my goal, but, at the same time, if something doesn't get done, I'm not going to stress or feel guilty about it.

There you have it, my word for 2014 is ORDER. I'll let you know how it goes!

We survived our ice storm! School was out Monday and Tuesday and we kept McKenna. Brianna babysat for Emily's boss's grandson. We didn't leave the house at all Monday but was able to get the car cleaned off so we went out for lunch Tuesday, mainly to get out of the house. It was still pretty icy so we were very careful, especially of Bill. He kept telling me that he was going out to the apartment and it was getting to be quite an argument. I think he finally understood, after Ron and I both told him, that he couldn't risk falling and breaking a hip.

He and Bryan went shopping in Jonesboro Wednesday and he got his Christmas shopping done. Since I gave him a specific list of what I would like, and the number of gifts under the tree matches with the number of items on the list, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting. In years past I tried not to give him a list because he would always buy everything on the list. But now, that's about the only way he can shop. Bryan said he did really well with the crowds and they were home by early afternoon. While they were gone I wrapped gifts and took myself out to lunch. Bill doesn't like Mexican food so I went to Taco Bell.

Thursday night was Brianna's choir concert at the high school. It was really good and the jazz band played a couple of songs prior to the choir. There was also a good crowd which was good. I remember when Emily was in school and they had a combined choir/band concert. The parents of the choir members were very rude, in my opinion, because they left after the choir performed instead of staying to hear the band students. But, this year there are separate concerts.

Friday I went to Jonesboro to finish my shopping. Bill was determined that he was going to the apartment again to get the gifts he had stashed there. I asked our neighbor Joe to just peek out his window periodically to make sure Bill was laying on the parking pad. It was still pretty icy even though we had put down the ice melt. But that area gets very little sun. When I got home he had wrapped his gifts, but he told me he couldn't find one of them! Since I knew what it was we both went back to the apartment to look for it. We couldn't find it, but also couldn't imagine where he could have put it. We also looked in the garage and his car to no avail. But, as I was unplugging the tree lights getting ready to go to bed last night, I moved a package, and there was an extra one for me. The only thing we can think is he did wrap it along with the others and put it under the tree and then forgot he did it. That's one downfall of the stroke. Some days his memory is good and others it's cloudy.

It started raining/freezing rain/sleeting late yesterday afternoon and rained most of the night. We haven't left the house all day except to stand on the stoop and check the mail and put the flag up/bring it in. It was a gray gloomy day so a good day to get the laundry caught up. I also did some knitting and tonight will try to get the Christmas cards addressed.

I had said last week that I would elaborate on my word of the year, but this is already long enough so that will have to wait. I think I'll just throw an extra post in sometime this coming week about that.

All for this week. For all who are in the path of the snowstorm, stay safe and warm. I love snow and with I was at my mom's, but don't relish the drive. I've heard the roads are pretty bad, so will just stay home...for now!

It has been an interesting week for us! And all of it is just "normal" stuff! It had been forecast from the beginning of the week that we would have a significant ice storm/winter weather event. The advisories started early on and moved on to watches and warnings as the week progressed. The target day was for Thursday night into Friday. So, planning for us started as well.

Monday I was in the attic handing the boxes of Christmas decorations down to Bill. Our hallway is now lined with boxes. So far the only decorating finished is the tree (used the little top down pre-lit tree) and the "Jesus people" as McKenna calls the nativity set. I'll get around to the rest of it! We also had practice with the kids for the Christmas program. Had some trouble hooking up the laptop to the projector, but Bryan came to the rescue and got us set.

Tuesday my legs were so sore from up and down the attic ladder that it was quite painful to stand up. Once I was up it was OK, but going from sitting to standing was a little difficult. I got Bill's meds ordered and found out that 1 needed a new script. I hope it comes in by Wednesday since it's one of the anti-rejection meds.

Wednesday Ron and Bill took of for Lowes and I hit Walmart for groceries and Thursday Ron was over early making sure the generator was ready. It rained most of the day and when we went to bed it was starting to sleet some. We had "thunder sleet" which is pretty cool. It has also happened while snowing and it's kind of hard to believe at first. The air is so unstable that, even though the precipitation is wintery, there is enough instability that there is lightning and thunder!

When we got up yesterday morning it was just starting to really kick in with freezing rain and sleet. Luckily the schools played it safe and had pre-emptively cancelled classes. Some outlying areas lost power early and ours flickered early but stayed on.

Emily and Bryan lost power about 4 in the afternoon so packed up and headed to our house. They did have a kerosene heater so Bryan went back to the house to stay with the animals. They did not get it back on until about 2 this afternoon. Ryan and Amanda didn't lose power but their bathroom pipes froze. I tried to go out yesterday afternoon to make sure the cabinet doors were open in the apartment but the door was frozen shut. I knew that the heaters were on so hopefully it's OK.

Emily and I had both made big pots of soup yesterday so we had good dinners and lunches. I fixed a big breakfast for all of us and it was kind of an adventure day. It's very cold and I let my car run for 30 minutes and barely touched the ice build-up.

Church has been cancelled tomorrow. Since most of our congregation is over 70 we didn't want to risk any broken bones. As we don't have a pastor, or any deacons, it was left to the only trustee we have and he made the call about 3 this afternoon. I think God will understand, and we are not the only church to cancel.

So, our week has been interesting. I'm sure Stephanie would be concerned about Bill, but I have not let him leave the house. He wanted to go out and help Ron, but it was already getting slick and we both overruled him. We need some more firewood and he can stand at the back door and I will hand it to him.

I've been working on my word for next year and I'll write more about that next week. I hope all of you stay safe and warm, or safe and cool, wherever you may be.