Crazy-but worth it

Audrey and I at the big Durrant Christmas party--this is how I was feeling about the write on your foot game

Alicia and I and a lot of hard work

 I have a lot to catch up on--It's December.  We have done parties, neighbor gifts, keeping Amazon.com from going out of business, yearly traditions..and many other things I've forgotten.  Mario and I also went to a reception for a boy who's sister's reception is 2 weeks after his.  We were talking to the parents and they said to us, "This could be you next year."  Their kids are each a year older than AJ and Audrey.  That about gave Mario and I a heart attack.  Technically, it could happen.  I'm definitely not ready for our family to change.  Lately, I've been thinking about Audrey possibly leaving in a few months.  It makes me so sad--more than I can say.  It's different for a mom and daughters.  I don't say this because I love my boys any less.  But I have a strong opinion about this topic--so here it is.  I think the reason the scriptures say that "a man must leave his Father and Mother and cleave to his wife". --is because a man really does have to turn his life over to his wife instead of his mother.  She will be in charge of him from that point on.  His mom will not--and the daughter-in-law will usually not let her if she tries.  But--if a mom and daughter can somehow keep their relationship strong and intact during the teen/pre-teen years, then you've got a friend for life!  A really really great friend.  Very worth keeping the puddles from becoming potholes.

Alicia has been an amazing help to me in getting our friend gifts ready this year.  I made layered soup mix and it was much more tedious than I ever imagined.  We made 50 of them.

 Mario and I chaperoned for the Christmas dance.  Audrey worked really hard getting all the details for it ready.  She seemed so happy that night and later told me that it was in her top 5 moments of all high school.  -no wonder.

Mario and I with Santa

 We've kept our tradition of going down to the Hale Center to see "Christmas Carol".  This year I told myself that I would keep it together cause I now have all the lines memorized.  It was better than it's ever been and I cried more than ever.  What a way to really feel the true spirit of Christmas.  It works every time.  We were really happy to get our picture with Scrooge after.  He was so amazing.

Audrey's latest painting is one I would have never guessed I would like.  She took a picture of my sink full of dirty dishes.  When she told me that she was going to paint it, I looked at her like she'd lost her mind.  Now, it's become very fascinating to me.  And Lori, if you read this, it reminds me of you guys, (not because of the dirty dishes:)--but just because you always have a bowl of fruit ready for bottling by your sink.  I told Audrey that I thought you would love this painting.