just random stuff

Apparently it was Lexi's birthday today. There was a big white board in our living room today with this message on it. Melanie said she remembered about it yesterday, but didn't want to write anything about it until today because she didn't want Lexi to read it and spoil the surprise.

Lexi didn't seem to be too excited about the birthday wishes.

Other stuff going on around here -- we had a lovely Thanksgiving. Our group was small. We are missing Brady during the holidays this year. It is the first time our family won't be intact through the holidays. Not only were we missing Brady, but Rachel drove up to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend. She had a great weekend, but it made me very nervous for her to be on the roads with so many storms blowing through. Fortunately, she had no problems in traveling. Roxanne's boyfriend spent the day with us and we invited a couple of families over later in the day to have pie and we sat out by the fire pit for the evening.

Brady got transferred last week. He didn't know where he was being sent when he last e-mailed us, so it has been making me anxious not knowing where he is living for a few days. He could be in Iowa, Illinois or Missouri tonight. I don't know why that makes me unsettled. I'll hear from him tomorrow morning and then I'll feel better. We get to talk to him in less than 3 weeks YAY!

I am still surprised that people pay us to paint this silliness on their store windows. Shannon and I realized that we've been doing this for 17 years. It is our guilt-free Christmas spending money. Most clients ask us to stay away from anything other than the generic "Season's Greetings". So it is surprising to have someone ask us to paint "Peace on Earth" and for the 2nd time in 17 years, we painted a nativity scene.

Melanie tried out for soccer this year and is on the varsity team. Games start this week. It will be fun to see how she does. This is her first go at team sports.

Dave made a float for the annual Electric Light Parade here in Phoenix. It's a fun event and he loves the whole process - designing, building, painting, driving, waving to his fans etc. He and his brothers used to make floats for the parades in his hometown so this is something that ties to his family and hometown memories. And if Dave is not busy enough, his chorus Spirit of Phoenix has 3 big performances coming up. One of the performances is out at the Temple Lights in Mesa later this month. They are really, really good.In more embarrassing family doings (embarrassing to me, but apparently not to anyone else), Melanie participated in a self-imposed event called "No Shave November". There didn't seem to be a purpose, but she was glad for the morning of December 1st to come.

Dave did a major smash up job on his fingers at work recently and had two very black fingernails. He told Melanie he didn't want his fingernails to look so ugly so he talked her into painting his two fingernails. (Ugly? or Goofy? what's worse, I don't know.)

We've had a wonderfully quiet Sunday afternoon. On days like this, I sure see the wisdom of the Sabbath being a day of rest. The last six days have been over-scheduled and stressful for everyone in this house. I will be glad for the semester to end. Rachel has a split personality -- her "I'm so stressed out, will graduation never come???" personality, and her "Winter break, Spring break and Summer break" personality. It is surprising what is required in the upper level classes at the University. It is almost not humanly possible for her to get everything done and keep up with work too. If she can survive 8 more days, we will see her calm and delightful personality return.

It's nearly midnight and the craziness of another week begins in about 6 hours. I'd better get to bed.