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!