Saturday Update

Andy's coming home! He just called. WOOHOO! Apparently he finished up at dawn this morning. For those of you who are familiar with Boy Scouts, he had to go away because he was getting the top honor in the Order of the Arrow. Order of the Arrow is like a secret honor society in Scouts, and this top honor is a really big deal. They have to set up committees and do all sorts of preparation for months beforehand, then the person getting initiated has to go through a bunch of tasks before the ceremony happens. And apparently my husband blazed through them so he could come on home to me! (He has been a little bit in the doghouse these past few weeks because I'm *sick* of his being gone...but he won't have anywhere to go for quite awhile now.)

I know he'll sleep this morning and day as he hasn't slept since the night before last. But he's going to come up to Renee and Leigh's and we'll do pumpkins and watch movies and such. I'm sure he'll get tired and pass out but since we're staying the night, that's fine.

We got the hardwood floor wood already and it's stacked up in the living room. I can't help but feel that this will singlehandedly be the biggest improvement to this house. I keep meaning to take pictures but I really prefer taking them when a room is officially "done," and I doubt *anything* will be really done until we're ready to sell this place.

Incidentally, two things are coming up: my birthday and Christmas. I know you all don't know me but I'm batty about both holidays. We are currently in Birthday Month and within a couple of weeks we'll be in Birthday Week, which means cookies and cupcakes for everybody. On my birthday I always wear a big button that says, "Birthday girl" and force everyone to celebrate by giving them more cake. I know, I know, am I pushy or what?? I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! I mean really--one year gone by. That's something to celebrate. I have friends who haven't made it this far in life and I staunchly feel that every year survived and lived is an accomplishment. So eat that cookie for me! :) My coworkers are a little curious about this--I've already invited all of them to accompany me to the California Pizza Kitchen for a birthday lunch, and I'll be bringing pastries all week. Luckily, another guy in the office has the same birthday (down to the year, but I'm a few hours older) so I am going to promote his birthday as well.

And thennnnnnnnnnnnnn, it's CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!!!!!! Oh heavens, I can't get enough of that Christmas music and the decorations and the snow and the good feelings all around. I get teary-eyed every step of the way. I am seriously like Christmas with the Kranks--and my husband is too, because he doesn't really like it (but humors me). I'm going to go to the Christmas Tree Shops and buy a houseful of decorations. I love Christmas because:
1. The food
2. The wonderful music
3. The smells (this year will be my first real Christmas tree ever, as my mom and brother are allergic to pine)
4. The way we all stomp around in snow boots and zip-zop snow pants
5. The decorations--both in my house and throughout the city (bows! bows!)
6. The reminder of the imporance of family
7. The sense of community. For ONCE, people look each other in the eye and nod. For ONCE, we see the less fortunate--not just see them as "those poor people" as Bostonians tend to do, but see them as PEOPLE. We give each other dignity back.
8. The reminder--all too important--of what Christianity is all about. Jesus' arrival as a baby in a manger really hits home with me--his lowly birth, his sweetness, his need for humanity to love him back, his Grace. Sometimes during Easter I feel a sense of shame because I know he died for me in *that* awful way. I feel that it's a debt I could never repay, and I don't even know where to start. But on Christmas...well, I know how to change a diaper, I know how to coo and rock, and I know how to snuggle a baby to sleep. I feel like Christmas--or rather, the way Jesus chose to come into this world--is a gift for me because it makes me feel so much closer to him, so loved, and so quietly honest. Babies don't hold a record of wrongs, and neither does Jesus.


Annnnnd, here is the video I took last week on our hike. I can't figure out how to add audio but I had planned to add Nickel Creek to it.