happy new year!

As we move into the year 2008, I want to wish everyone well. May the coming year bring you much happiness, prosperity, good health, and personal growth. If you make resolutions, may you be successful at keeping them. Have a fun, safe time tonight, and happy New Year!!!

a blast from the past!

The coolest thing happened today: the phone rang, and it was my ex-boyfriend Rick, whom I hadn't seen or talked to in over 10 years! He was actually the last boyfriend I had before Brian, and I had always wondered what happened to him. It's such a small world - he actually lives close by to us. He has family in the area, so after moving around a lot, he ended up here about 4 years ago. I guess he wondered what happened to me, too, because he looked me up online, saw that I live here, and decided to give me a call. It was so awesome! After I got over my initial sputtering astonishment, we had a really long, good conversation and got pretty much caught up with each other. We decided that we'll have to get together soon. He's a really good guy, and it's nice to be in touch with him again. Wow! Quite a big surprise in the middle of an otherwise humdrum day.

the 3 of us

I have finally gotten all of the Christmas pics off the camera and onto the computer. Below is a picture of Brian and me taken at his battalion Christmas party, and a picture of Nick taken while he was opening presents at Uncle Tim's house on Christmas.

Soon, I will be sending an email to those of you on my list with a link to an online album with even more pics!

two steps forward, one step back

As I expected, I did gain weight this week. I knew I would, and I know that I shouldn't be too upset by it, but it's hard not to be. As you can see, I weigh pretty much the same now as I did 4 weeks ago, which means that in a month, I really haven't gone anywhere. That's hard to swallow. I know that I should be happy with how far I've come, and I am - it's just that I want to be done with this!

OK - enough whining. You probably want to kill me by now. :) Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to jump back into exercising, count calories again, and get 'er done. I'm going to reach the 30-pound mark again and never look back. Come summer, I'm going to be one hot mama. Wish me luck!

we're back from springfield

We got back a couple of hours ago, and we're getting unpacked, processed, and resettled. It's really good to be back in my cozy home. We had a great time in Springfield - fun with family and friends, lots of presents (way too many for Nick!), ridiculous amounts of decadent food. My weigh-in tomorrow will most certainly not be pretty. :) But, I'm gonna get right back into the swing of things as far as diet and exercise.

The day after Christmas, I did a bit of shopping and snagged some great deals, like VSmile cartridges for 1/2 off, Christmas cards for 1/2 off, wall calendars for 1/2 off, etc. I love great deals!!! I also finally got a desperately-needed haircut, and it was great to visit with Tracy (my hairdresser and good friend).

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now with everything I have to do: get all the presents dealt with and put away, process a ton of digital photos, get rid of some of Nick's toys to make room for the new, clean my house, do laundry, take down the Christmas decor, etc. Whew! I know I just need to take it one day and one task at a time, but it's hard not to think about it all at once and get anxious.

I don't have much else to say right now. Not feeling too gabby. I think I'm just going to chill out on the sofa for awhile, in fact. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...

a wonderful day with my best friend

Tim and his mom arrived here around noon and left around 7 p.m., and we had a wonderful day together! We didn't really do much of anything exciting, but we just had a great time talking and laughing, and Kathie and Tim enjoyed spending time with Nick. We went out for Chinese for lunch, and then went to the commissary (the grocery store on post) and WalMart. The day left me feeling very warm, fuzzy, and loved. It left Nick very wired and spastic, but then, what's new? :)

I didn't end up going to Brigitte's for caroling. I'm just too tired, and the weather has gotten kind of nasty - cold, very windy, and rainy, with a chance of snow. So, I'm in for the night.

Tomorrow morning, I have more laundry to do (again - what's new?), and we're going to get all packed up and head to Springfield tomorrow late afternoon/evening. There will be much to pack in the car - in addition to the usual, we have a surplus of Christmas gifts, plus ingredients and equipment for the stuff I'll be baking, etc. When we get all settled in Springfield, we might go out and drive around looking at Christmas lights - that would be a great way to end the night!

Monday, I will be making nutty chocolate bars and mint chocolate peppermint bark, and generally helping my Dad get ready for Monday evening, when the whole family will descend for the familial Christmas celebration. The kids will all open their gifts from the aunts, uncles, and grandpa, and there will be much consumption of cookies and other decadent fare. After singing at the 7 p.m. service at National Avenue Church, Tim will come over and he and I will have our own gift exchange. Then, we'll probably hang out and maybe drive around looking at lights again. There are a few "famous" homes in Springfield where the owners really go all out.

Christmas morning, Nick, Brian, and I will open the gifts from each other and from Brian's parents, and then we'll probably just hang out all day, not doing much, until we go to Tim's house for Christmas dinner. Yum!

On the 26th, I have various objectives, including visiting friends, getting a much-needed haircut, doing a bit of shopping, etc. We'll finally head home on Thursday. Brian will be off work all next week and the following week, so we'll have lots of time for togetherness and domesticity. :)

We don't really have any plans for New Year's Eve - we'll probably just have a couple of people over, and my niece might drive up from Springfield and spend the night - yay!

That pretty much sums up my holiday plans. I probably won't post tomorrow, so this is my last pre-Christmas post.

I hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful Christmas!!! Travel safely, and have fun...

only 3 days until christmas!

First and foremost: Happy birthday to you; happy birthday to you; happy birthday, dear Patty; happy birthday to you!!!

Well, the results are in. In losing 30 pounds, I have lost a grand total of about 22 inches in my arms, bust, waist, hips, thighs, and calves. Wow! That's pretty amazing, when you think about it. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, women need to have a waist measurement of under 35 inches, and I'm almost there at 35.5.

The gift-wrapping last night was really fun, and quite crazy at times! Right when I got there, we were slammed, and I literally wrapped non-stop for the first 30 mins. As I had predicted, there was plenty of witty repartee and banter, and we really had a good time. In fact, the time flew by, and I was really bummed when it was over. We extended the evening a bit by getting something to eat at the food court afterwards - I was starving!

Today, Tim and his mom are coming for a visit, which should be nice. His mom absolutely loves spending time with Nick, and the feeling is mutual. Brian is now on leave until January 7, which makes him very happy! So, it's all good...

30 pounds!

I've finally made it to the 30-lb. mark! Yay! I'm a little concerned that by the end of next week, I'll have gained a bit back, but that's OK - after next week, I'm really going to buckle down again. I've gotten away from my food journal, and from counting calories, and I think that if I get back into that, I'll be able to get right back on track after Christmas. I'm so proud of myself! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have Brian help me take my measurements, so I'll know the total number of inches I've lost. I'll let you know...

Not much else to say today. I just exchanged gifts with my neighbor, Angela. She gave me these beautiful silver and onyx earrings and necklace. What girl doesn't love jewelry? :) Nick and I are just chillin' at home for the rest of the day, and then tonight, I have the gift-wrapping. I'm looking forward to that. I'll be wrapping with some zesty peeps, so there should be some good convo and laughter.

Everyone have a great weekend!

we made it to springfield, after all

So, after all but resigning myself to being stuck here this weekend, the big snowstorm turned out to be a non-event. Boy, those weather-peeps had egg on their faces! We got maybe a couple of inches in all, and Springfield got less than an inch, I'd say.

So, anywho, we set off on Saturday morning and got to my Dad's around 11:15. Soon thereafter, I had to leave to attend the rehearsal at the church where I was to sing the next morning. The rehearsal went well, and my solo stuff sounded great. We did some really pretty choral stuff, too. In the meantime, Brian and my Dad took Nick to Bass Pro Shop to get his picture taken with Santa. They had to wait an hour and a half, during which time Nick was apparently really well-behaved! But, just as it was his turn to go up to Santa, he pooped! He didn't want to sit down on Santa's lap then, since he hates sitting after he poops (who wouldn't?), so in the picture, Nick is standing and Santa is kind of leaning in. It's still pretty cute.

After the rehearsal, I stopped for a quick bite at Panera and then met my peeps at the ice-rink, where we watched my 15-year-old niece skate in the winter ice show. Nick was rather squirrelly, and wouldn't sit still, but he didn't make any noise or cry or anything, so we chose to let him roam around a bit. At one point, the announcer introduced the next skater, named Kayla, and Nick shouted "Kayla is beautiful!" When a skater named Natalie was introduced, Nick yelled "Go, Becky!" :) He really enjoyed the popcorn that Aunt Mary bought him - that actually got him to sit still for awhile! My niece did a great job, and after the show, I got some great pictures of my nieces and Nick. Tim and I had been planning to go to a concert that evening, but ended up deciding against it - we just weren't in the mood.

We all went to Mr. Yen's for dinner (Fun! We got our own private little room.), after which Tim and Caitlin came out to Dad's house to bond with us. We had fun chatting and playing Christmas carols on the piano. In the meantime, we didn't realize that even with the small amount of precip, Dad's streets had gotten very bad. His neighborhood has always been very treacherous, and you have to go uphill to get out of it. Anywho, to make a long story really short, Caitlin couldn't get her car out of the hood when she and Tim finally left, and Tim ended up having to give her a ride home. Worse, when my Dad drove out to try and help them, he ended up sliding into some mailboxes and completely ripping the driver's side power mirror right off his car, in addition to some other damage to the body. :( It was not a good way to end the night.

I ended up getting to bed later than planned, but still had to be up bright and early at 5:30 (blech!) to get ready for my church services. Dad ended up taking me, and he managed to get out of the hood OK, but not without some slipping and sliding. The services went great (save for some bad playing on the part of the organist)! Between the two services, Tim, his friend Jennifer, and I went out for a bite, which was really nice. My "bite" was a decadent piece of French Silk pie - see how my diet goes out the window when I'm in Springfield? I think I've gained a bit more weight back - must get back on track! But, I digress. Dad and Brian came to the second service so Brian could videotape. They left Nick in the nursery, much to his utter devastation. :) It was really a lovely morning of singing, and I got a nice paycheck, to boot. That's always a good thing!

After church, Tim dropped me off at the mall so that I could do some power bargain-shopping (The crowds sucked, but at least I didn't have to find a parking space!). Due to my masterful combining of sales and coupons, I got some majorly great deals at Bath & Body Works, Yankee Candle, and JCPenney. For instance, at JCP, I got two shirts (one is all silvery and fancy) with a combined sticker price of $38 for....drum roll, please.....$5! Getting deals like that gives me such a high - I think I'm a little addicted to it.

Dad picked me up and took me back to his house (By this time, the sun and higher temp had all but melted the ice off the streets.), where Brian and I packed up our stuff. We headed to the Christmas program and dinner at Holy Trinity (my siblings' church), after which we were leaving to drive straight back home. My two younger nieces were in the program, and the 15-year-old sang a solo. (She is multi-talented.) The program was weird, disjointed, made no sense, and was just plain BAD. But, I had fun making fun of it with my 20-year-old niece, and singing the Christmas carols! Nick wore his Santa hat, as he had been doing all weekend, and looked really cute. And, he sat very nicely on his Aunt Gayle's lap during most of the program. The dinner, when it finally got started in a very tardy fashion, was yummy (And, in keeping with the ways of Catholics, it involved free wine!), and I had fun chatting with my family, all of whom were there. Brian and I got away around 7 and were home by 8:30 p.m. yesterday, and here I sit!

Tonight, our friend Mike is coming over for dinner. I'm making baked rigatoni and cheese, so I guess I'd better get off the computer so that I can get my butt in gear...

black friday :(

Well, I certainly seem to be rather manic lately, don't I? Up and down. I guess that's life. First of all, I'm rather disheartened that I gained 1/2-lb. this week, because while I may not have been eating in the best manner possible, I also worked my butt off exercising. I am so close to the 30-lb. mark, but just can't seem to quite get there. I guess I'm going to have to lay off the Christmas cookies entirely.

Secondly, the main reason for my black mood is the impending snowstorm we're supposed to get tonight into Saturday. If you'll look at my upcoming events in the right-hand column, you'll notice that I have several things going on in Springfield this weekend. This storm could obliterate all my fun in one fell swoop (not to mention my paycheck from National Avenue Church). I have been looking forward to this weekend so much! I was excited about singing, about seeing my nieces in their ice show and pageant, and I was really glad to be able to spend some time cheering my oldest niece up and just bonding with all of them. I had also been planning to use some coupons I have for mall stores that will expire before my next visit, and to get Nick's picture taken with Santa. I'm just so bummed that the snowstorm has to happen on THIS particular weekend. Grrr. All of my plans just wiped out. I know there's no point stewing over it, since it can't be controlled and none of my plans were life-or-death, but if you know me, you know I'm a stewer. Just call me "Stewy." :) Sigh. It looks like our area could get several inches of snow, so I'm already resigning myself to being stuck here this weekend. I'm trying to accept it, but my brain is resisting.

Nothing really going on today - I just have to pay bills and do laundry, and then tonight, we're going to see Brian in the Army Band concert.

a much better day!

First of all: Kreativemix, who are you? Are you just a random person who commented on my blog, or do I know you? I'm intrigued.

Now, on to my day. Today has been very full and lovely. This morning, I dropped Nick off at preschool and then proceeded to my MOPS meeting. I could only stay at the meeting for a brief time, but I wanted to go anyway, since it was the last one of the year, and I wanted to wish all of my peeps a merry Christmas. Even in the brief time I was there, I had some lovely chatting with various people, and I got a compliment on my weight loss, which never gets old. :) I also got an invitation to a party on December 30, which pleases me to no end. You see, I'm one of those people that is very happy DURING the holiday season, but then comes crashing down on December 26. I always get major letdown and blues when Christmas is over, so any fun thing to look forward to after Christmas is a godsend! Thank you for the invite, Jeannie!

After wishing everyone happy holidays, I beat a hasty retreat not from my lair, but from MOPS. Knowing me, I probably DID do it with adjectives. :) On the way to Nick's preschool holiday party, I talked on the phone with my 20-year-old niece. She's having a tough time right now, and it felt great to talk to her and give her some Aunt Amy Lovin'. LOVE HER! (Love all my nieces.) I arrived at the preschool for the party, and Nick greeted me with a huge smile. I sat with the other moms while the kids sang some cute Christmas songs. Nick was one of two kids who refused to sing a single word. :) But, he did look super-cute in his little reindeer headband thingy. Then, he presented me with a glittery Christmas card and an even glitterier ornament with a photo of him in it. So cute! My first Nick-made ornament for my tree! This is what it's all about. I love my gorgeous ornaments, but I will also proudly hang any raggedy thing that Nick gives me right beside them, in a place of honor.

After the non-singing, we all sat down for some yummy cookies and punch. Santa was visiting the preschool this morning (This Santa was a FAR cry from the faboo one at the library, though - very lame beard, and sneakers! I mean, really.), and I finally got Nick to sit on his lap by bribing him with candy. For a few minutes, I really thought it was a lost cause, but I prevailed! I snapped a photo, and it's OK. I still want to try at the mall in Springfield, because this Santa was just too cut-rate to qualify for THE Santa photo of the year, you know what I mean? :)

After Santa, the kids played while the Moms talked, which was nice. I really like some of the other preschool moms, and we shared some nice chitchat. Well, while we were chatting and Nick was playing with some boys, he got bitten! Yup. The scary part is that the kid bit him through a thick fleece top, and STILL left teeth marks and scraped his skin. Can you imagine the damage that would have occurred on bare skin, or through a thin shirt? Mylanta. Thank goodness for fleece. He was pretty upset, and we got some ice to put on it. Apparently, they've had lots of problems with this kid, and this wasn't the first biting incident. When they put the kid in a time-out, he proceeded to throw a major tantrum for about 10 minutes. It was lovely. Miss Ulla (the main teacher) told me that she would watch the videotape (because of course, classrooms have cameras in every corner nowadays) and write up the "incident report" after class was over. It kills me how much CYA goes on now. It's so different from when I was a kid. I guess it's not all bad, though.

After the party, Nick went to daycare for an hour while Jutta and I went to a supremely lame craft bazaar. The lameness didn't really matter, though, because it's always nice to hang out with her and bond. It was quite bittersweet, because that was the last time I'll see her before she leaves for Germany on Sunday, and she won't be back until JANUARY 14!!! I'll simply die. To make matters worse, Rebecca is gone right now, too. I won't see her until after Christmas. Next week shall be rather lonely and uneventful.

I picked up Nick and came home, and found the most fabulous, lovely, wonderful message on my answering machine from my Patty-friend in Illinois. At first, I thought she was calling to tell me something awful had happened, because she sounded all teary. But then, I realized that she was teary in a joyful way. She had just received my Christmas package, and went on about how wonderful it is. Well, that completely made my whole day! I mean, anytime I make someone that happy, it just about knocks me over with joy. I've got a huge grin on my face just thinking about it. And if anyone deserves a delightful surprise, it's my Patty-friend. She rocks! Patty - I'm glad you love your treasures, girlfriend! It was absolutely my pleasure.

After talking some more to my niece, here I sit, typing whilst my laundry agitates. I'm feeling quite content and happy today...

one of those days

I haven't had a good day. Nothing earth-shatteringly bad has happened, and I know that compared to people with real problems, I shouldn't complain, but in my own opinion, my day has been rather disappointing. First of all, I had nowhere to go this morning, so the morning was rather long and boring. This, in itself, isn't horrible, but anyone who knows me knows how much I can't stand just sitting home with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

After Nick's nap, I finally got out of the house, when Nick and I went to the library on post to get his picture taken with Santa. Nick was really looking forward to this, as was I, mainly because it was going to be a free picture with Santa, not a ridiculously-priced one like we usually get at the mall. So, off we went with high hopes. Well, when we got there, they were on #24, and we were #108. Suffice it to say, we didn't stay. What made it even more disappointing was that the Santa and Mrs. Claus were very nice-looking - not cheesy in the least - and the backdrop was lovely. It would have been a really GOOD free picture with Santa. Harrumph! Nick and I then went out for dinner with Jutta and Bryan, where Nick was awful. He just wouldn't sit still, wouldn't obey me, wouldn't eat, etc. By the time we left, I was totally frazzled and sick of my child. Double harrumph.

So, on the way home, I finally got our mail out of the mailbox, and what did I find in the mailbox? I found one of my Christmas presents from Brian. This made me totally, irrationally livid (in fact, I'm still in the midst of this lividity [is that even a word?]). I mean, here's the way I see things. Even if I've told Brian specifically that I want a certain item, and even if I'm 99.99% sure that he's getting it for me, the fact is that I don't KNOW I'm getting it until I actually get it. Do you know what I mean? Even if I'm pretty sure he's getting it for me, there's still that element of surprise, suspense, anticipation. I think I'm getting it, I wonder if I'm getting it, but I don't know for sure, and I'll be totally delighted when I actually get it. I mean, look - I'm 33 now. Christmas and birthdays just don't hold much magic or excitement anymore. Is it too much to ask that my husband keep my gifts from me until he gives them to me? I've told him before to have stuff shipped somewhere else - he could use his office, my Dad's house, a friend's house. He's got options. So, for some reason (hormones?), I'm just insanely angry that he had it sent to our house, knowing that I'm the one who gets the mail every day. I put a lot of effort into making sure he never sees his gifts ahead of time, so why can't he? I just feel so deflated right now. Now, I know I'm getting this gift, so all the fun and anticipation is just gone. Does anyone out there know what I mean and think that I'm not totally crazy? If so, please let me know - you'll provide me with immeasurable comfort. I just feel like any small amount of excitement that I had for Christmas, any sense of the unknown or of anticipation that I felt in relation to my gifts, is all gone now. I mean, how unromantic and lame is it to pluck your own Christmas gift out of the mailbox on December 12? I know I'm overreacting and rambling, and I know that I should probably get over it and get my priorities straight, but right now, this evening, I'm angry about it, and I'm going to be angry about it for a while, dammit!

That's all I have to say right now (at least, it's all I have to say without just repeating myself over and over).

a lovely soiree/blasted weather - bah! humbug!

Last night was my little soiree with Jutta and Rebecca, and it was lovely! Brian took Nick away, so it was just us chicks. :) We had all manner of conversation, in the free-associating way that only women can, covering everything from Sex and the City to C-sections to social differences between Europe and the U.S. Jutta brought a pot of delicious goulash, and I had made a batch of dark chocolate peppermint bark. We had a little gift exchange, and the gifts were loved all around. It was such a nice evening! It was so great to just sit around and talk uninterrupted, and there was much laughter and female bonding. I really like these two women.

As they were leaving, Rebecca said something that totally made my night. At the choral concert in Rolla, Rebecca and Jutta sat with my Dad. Well, Rebecca said (and Jutta confirmed) that during the concert and my solo, my Dad had totally been bragging about me and saying how proud he was, how much I sound like my Mom, etc. That just about blew me away, because I never would have expected that of my Dad. You see, he's not the kind of man to be demonstrative towards me in any way. I mean, he tells me he loves me, but he never really hugs me, and he never really praises me or tells me that he's proud of me. So, I couldn't believe what they told me! It made me feel all warm and glowy. I don't care how old we get - we still want our parents' approval, don't we?

Now, on to my next topic. I am totally bummed, because it looks like the weather is going to ruin all of my weekend plans. We had been planning to go to a Christmas parade about 30 miles away this evening, but it's all wet and cold and yucky outside, so I think we're going to pass on that. I'm only a little disappointed about that, but what really has me bummed big-time is the demise of the girls' roadtrip to Hermann tomorrow for its Kristkindl Markt. Tomorrow, there is going to be freezing rain, so it just doesn't seem wise to make the trip. Boo hoo! You have no idea how excited I was about this trip. First of all, I sort of couldn't believe that I actually got everyone to agree to it in the first place. I mean, a roadtrip to someplace 2 hours away to attend a market that may or may not be fabulous, when we all have kids, was kind of a long-shot. But, everyone said "yes", and it actually worked with everyone's schedules, which was an amazing feat. I have been looking forward to it so much - it seemed so "Thelma and Louise"! :) I knew that we'd have a lot of fun and probably buy some nifty stuff and eat some yummy food in Hermann. So, I'm very down. I mean, we have to wait a whole year to have another chance at it. :( Now, my exciting plans tomorrow will include such stellar things as wrapping presents and perhaps cleaning a toilet or two. Alas. That's always the irony of this time of year: there are more plans and fun things to do now than at any other time, yet there's also the greatest chance of plans being foiled by weather or illness. Bah! Humbug!

OK - I've had my rant. I'll be OK.

a very worldly brunch/first snow of the winter

This morning, while Nick was in preschool (and daycare after that), I accompanied my friend Jutta to a brunch at her friend Brigitte's house. I know Brigitte a little through Jutta, but had never been to her house before. It's very lavishly and beautifully decorated! The brunch was pretty large - I'd say close to 20 people. Apparently, Brigitte likes to do this sort of thing pretty regularly. Her kids are adults, so she has time for stuff like that! :)

It was a very cosmopolitan gathering of women - the vast majority were German, and then there were an English lady, a French-Canadian lady, a couple of Korean ladies, and a handful of us Americans. The amount of food was staggering! I ended up eating too much savory stuff, so I had no room for dessert, which is a shame, as the dessert table was groaning under all the decadent German goodness. :) The bad part was that while we got there at 10:00, no eating occurred until after 11:00. I should have known - Europeans are very leisurely about these things. I was so starving that as 10:30 came and went, my hunger was all I could think about. When we finally ate, food had never tasted so good!

Another woman there happens to be a pianist, so we were asked to perform a bit. It was very informal, and people sang along with the Christmas carols, so it wasn't really a big deal. I did sing "O, Holy Night" pretty much as a solo, which was nice. And, we sang "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night" in German). At one point, we did a German carol I had never heard of, and it was somewhat taxing to read the unfamiliar music AND the unfamiliar German lyrics at the same time! I was chagrined when I had to leave to get Nick, but I had been there for 3 hours! I got the impression that some of the women would linger much longer. I hope to get invited to her house again.

And the coolest thing happened! As we were singing carols, we noticed that it had started snowing for the first time this winter. It was such a picturesque scene, looking out of Brigitte's picture window at the swirling flakes. It was almost magical that it occurred while we were singing. We Americans immediately decided that a rousing rendition of "Let it Snow" was in order. We sang lustily while the foreigners sat confusedly, chiming in only to sing the words "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" :)

The snow (and even some ice!) hasn't amounted to more than a dusting, but that first time is always lovely, no matter the amount. We were going to go to the Christmas on the Square tonight, but given the bitter cold and yuckiness outside, we'll probably skip it. Oh, well - a cozy, warm night in is fine with me!

oh, mylanta!

Just updated my list of upcoming events, and OMG! It's pretty stunning to see it all listed like that. To say that my dance card is full this month would be a gross understatement. I guess I'd better gear up for a busy few weeks. I'm looking forward to it all, but it also could prove to be pretty exhausting and stressful. Oh, well - after all, 'tis the season! :)

the concert is over...

...and it went OK. A couple of the songs had some issues, but we made it through. And my solo (O, Holy Night) went very well. I got lots of kudos, which is always nice! My Dad and my friends Jutta and Rebecca came, which made it even more special. After the concert, we all enjoyed some cookies and punch at the post-concert reception, and then Mike (Army band member who sang in the choir as well) went out to dinner with me, Brian, Nick, and my Dad. It was a lovely, if tiring, day. During the evening, I worked on my Christmas cards and just relaxed and watch Desperate Housewives. I'm really looking forward to slipping 'twixt my delicious flannel sheets...