'Tis the Season!

So where to begin? As usual, it has been quite some time since my last post.  It would take far too long for me to review all that has happened since my last post, so for news of my latest adventures, just read through Mandi and Carissa's blogs; they are pretty good at documenting my adventures with them :)  Oh what would I do without my sisters?

Well, I finally live in a real apartment! I have a washer and dryer! I have counter space! The ceiling is more than 6 ft tall! And.....I got a REAL Christmas Tree!! I have been waiting for years to have a place where I could get a real tree, and put lights and all my ornaments on it!  My wonderful mother went tree shopping with me last friday and we picked out the best tree on the lot!  It was run by what looked like a couple brothers, and true to form, my mom bargained for a discount on my tree. (it was only $5 but hey...it's great right!)  So we strapped that tree to the roof of my car and brought it home.  Jon came over and helped me get it in the stand, then on Sunday I put on the lights and just finished the ornaments tonight.  I absolutely loved putting up all my ornaments and smiling at the silly stories that are written with some of them.  I am so grateful for the tradition of the ornament exchange.  All of my ornaments mean something, and each one feels like a little piece of family here with me!  Below are a few that had particularly potent memories. (Sorry about the order, blogger does some weird stuff)  With all my christmas decorating it has brought a few waves of sadness that I will not be able to come home for christmas this year.  Sitting at home alone, waiting for the phone to ring and call me into work is not exactly how I pictured spending my first christmas away from home.  But life is life, and you do what you gotta do right?!  I discovered yesterday that I will at least be able to go home on Friday for the weekend and still see all my family together.  It's times like these that I try to remember to count my blessings, and keep in mind it could be a lot worse.

  Aunts Missy and Kristy - 2000,2002

 My first Tree! 

 Good ol' Grandma Great - 1999

 Wouldn't be a christmas without some blue & orange!

 Thanks to Carissa, this is real Texas cotton! Fresh off the plant - 2012

 Hahaha, and Aunt Missy, her tribute to the Swine Flu - 2009

This is a baby Jesus in a manger of popsicle sticks and yarn, I believe I made in Nursery or early Primary - 1990's

Thanks to all my family who sent me presents for under my tree! I feel so blessed :)

 This is for Chandler, front and center :)

 The kitty is not so thrilled with the new addition to my living room...such a good toy and such a shame not to be able to play with it!!

Speaking of cats -- you know how in general I really love my job?  I love to play with puppies and kittens that come in, there's so many pets that I have had the pleasure of watching grow up from babies, or that I have helped to save their life. 

Well, today was not one of those "just love my job" days.  Unfortunately, this kind of thing comes with the territory, and it IS in the job description....but it still sucks when it happens to you!  There is a 5th scratch you can't see well, that is mostly up my nose, and curves around the bottom.  That's the one that actually stung, I think it was worse than putting lemon juice in a paper cut.  And it bled for about 20 minutes! All the clients I interacted with thereafter made comments about it, something I have to look forward to for a couple weeks now.  Awesome.  I hate cats.