Saw this this morning, and was duly impressed.  Enjoy!

Blessings!  ~Christi

Missouri's Homeschool Curriculum Fair was a couple weeks ago.  It was good to go.  I took the kids, too, and they did a fantastic job hanging out in seminars all day long for 12 hours a day for two whole days! 

One of our favorite speakers was actually a hubby/wife pair.  It was Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the same Duggars who have 17 kids and have been on Cable Television shows called something like "14 and Moving In" and "16 With One on the Way" or something like those.   We don't have cable or dish, so I'm not sure.  But they were such a delightful family, with such a warm-embracing heart for the gifts of God, a sweet spirit like I've never seen on a woman just filled the room from that wise, wise woman, Michelle.

Anyway, my nine-year-old daughter fell absolutely in love with Michelle Duggar, smiling from ear to ear anytime we were in one of their talks.  She commented this to me: "Mommy, I love the way she looks at her husband when he's the one talking.  Her eyes twinkle!"  That sweet little Michelle, mama of 17 with #18 on the way, married for over 20 years to this man, would unwaiveringly gaze upon her man's face when it was his turn to address the crowd, and usually she did so with a soft grin stretched upon her lips.  My daughter said it rightly: her eyes twinkled at her hubby!

I was so grateful for this public display of affection!  My daughter was witnessing -- and appreciating -- first-hand a wife deeply loving her husband with reverence and respect, praising God with her lips, and enjoying the fullness of life alongside her hubby as his helpmeet! 

Ladies, the young ones are watching us.  How do our own daughters see us looking at their daddy?  When he's talking, are we gazing lovingly at his face?   Do our eyes twinkle?  Are we enjoying the journey with him, with love and reverence and respect?   Do we speak affectionately of him when he's not present?

Or are we unimpressed with him?  Do we mock him?  Are we angry and bitter against him?  Do we cajole and undermine him?  Is there no sparkle in our eyes, no affectionate tone in our voice, no admiring grin upon our lips?

We must be careful, because we can do harm, and not the good that we hope we're doing, without even realizing it. 

Lord, help us to love our hubbies a little more tenderly.  Help us to remember that there are little ones watching our every move, noticing everything.

Blessings! ~Christi

You might not know this about me, but I love volleyball.  I have ever since I was a little girl in elementary school, and one of the local moms in our apartment complex would put up a net between our buildings.  Kids (and parents!) from all over the complex would come out and play.  Sometimes we even had 10 on a side!  It was crazy!  But I loved it.  Always had.  Still do!

Anyway, when I was in high school, I joined the volleyball team.  I was so excited to play on an actual team! 

I remember my first day.  There were all these girls I didn't know.  Now, mind you, I went to this tiny little country school.  Everybody knew everybody.  But I didn't know THESE girls!  I was a public school kid, all the way through, but these girls came from the local Catholic School.  I was one of two girls from public school on my team.  The rest were "them."  And they were gooooood!   Turned out, they played competitively since the 5th grade, already knew what positions they were, how to serve overhanded, and everything!  This was my first year!  I didn't even know there were positions!  What's a "setter"?

Needless to say, I was benched most of the season... even for the "freshman" games.

That following spring, during the track season, I experienced what I can now reflect on as a moment of Divine Providence.  I overheard two of the coaches discussing who was coming up from 8th grade graduation at that local Catholic School, how many of them planned on playing volleyball, and that there might be so many of them that they would actually have to hold try-outs, an almost-unheard-of concept at a country school with only 350 total kids enrolled in 9th-12th grades!

So, I bravely asked the coaches if they thought that I'd make the team (another Providencial moment).  They said no. 

I was glad for their honesty, though, because it put the determination in me to work that summer.  I asked to borrow a school volleyball to take home.  All that summer I ran farmer's fields and gravel roads, practiced my overhanded serves, and did tons and tons of setting/bumping volleys up against the house.

When volleyball started back up in the fall, there were no try-outs after all.  Though I was ready for them, I was relieved.  That year, I actually saw some real court time.  Not a ton, but enough to earn my JV letter.  It took me two years to achieve that small letter "W"!

But I was still determined to improve.  By the next year, my junior year, I was a starting defensive player and an ace-server.  Too short to play net and not a designated "setter" (I was now fully aware what one one of those was), I was a rotational player with another taller gal: she played front row, I played back row, and we played as though we were a single player. 

And I earned my Varsity letter in just one season!  Woohoo!  I had, indeed, improved.  ^_^

Now, I'm a mom, and my own daughter is the age I was 21 years ago when I began that journey of self-improvement.  She'll be playing on the local homeschool team, and I intend to be the assistant coach.

So many memories.  I hope hers are also sweet!  May Providence guide her!

Go, Winfield Warriors! 

Go, Homeschool Patriettes!!

Ya'll KNOW how I feel about mortgaging, about how bad it is to go into debt, how we're not supposed to boast about tomorrow, how the borrower is a slave to the lender, how Jesus came to set us free and not to enslave us, how we're supposed to owe no man anything but love, and on and on.

Well, I just found this following quick article on Renting vs. Mortgaging:

Real-estate agents have been pushing the virtues of homeownership since homes were invented. Or since real-estate agents were invented, anyway. Paying a mortgage, they insist, is a can't-miss investment (the tax breaks, the appreciation, the thrill of fixing your own roof!). Renting is for simpletons who don't like keeping their own money.

But does owning a home really trump renting? With the economy stumbling, house prices falling, and credit tightening, many housing experts are questioning the conventional wisdom. "Over the last decade, it may have been true," says W. Van Harlow, an economist at the Fidelity Research Institute. "Clearly, there are periods where [the housing market] will dominate. But give this market correction another 18 months, and it may not be true anymore."

Not so hot. The housing boom produced endless stories of homeowners getting twice what they paid for their homes. But "prices don't always go up," says Jay Butler, director of realty studies at Arizona State University. Even a boomtown like Phoenix has seen median rates of appreciation climb only 4.6 percent a year since 1981. According to a Fidelity study published this year, the return on a dollar invested in real estate in 1963 barely beat that of a low-risk treasury bill.

When the housing market slumps—as it has every 10 or 15 years for the past several decades—homeownership becomes little more than renting, from a bank. Without appreciation, buying a $400,000 house—instead of renting the same property for, say, $2,000 a month—can turn into an expensive, potentially money-losing proposition. Assuming home prices come out of their death spiral (prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter compared with last year), they would still have to appreciate at 4 percent every year for a decade—even if rents climbed well above the rate of inflation—before a family would save more owning than renting. An $80,000 down payment could be invested instead in a mutual fund earning 8 percent, and housing comes with myriad other expenses, from maintenance to insurance to taxes, none of which build equity. Tax breaks do ease the pain. But with the average family staying in a house only six years, homeownership during a slump (especially in foreclosure pits like Las Vegas and Tampa, where prices have dropped more than 9 percent since last year) can look less and less like the American dream.

Renting, meanwhile, has its virtues. It's cheaper in the short term, it offers maximum flexibility, and it pushes the headaches of maintenance and taxes onto landlords. It can also be a sound long-term investment. According to Fidelity, if renters save even $300 a month—the difference, say, between their rent and a monthly mortgage payment—that money, invested in stocks growing at only 4 percent, could add up to $114,000 in 20 years. (And that's on top of earnings on a down payment that never had to be made.) "Over long horizons, if you reinvest the savings," Harlow says, "you're probably not going to find that much difference between renting and buying." Saving hasn't proved to be the national forte, of course. But with the bloom off the homeownership rose, it may have to be soon.

It seems there are sensible reasons, too, besides biblical ones.

Many blessings!  ~Christi

I am so controlling about what my kids pack when we go on a trip that I have to do it all for them.  I mean, what if they should - *gasp* - forget underwear???  Or, what if they pack nothing but shorts when it's only getting up to 65 deg. this week?  Or, what if they don't pack church clothes?  See?  And then, of course, they each want no less than two back-packs full of toys, books, drawing materials just for themselves.

And then there's the pre-pack prep.  You know what I mean.  It's all the housecleaning, laundry, pet supplies, etc., that all have to get taken care of.  *sigh*

Can you tell I'm procrastinating even as I type this?  I really don't wanna go do all that stuff.  I've had all evening to get to it, and I can't seem to just make myself go. 

That was a lie.  Of course I can make myself go do it.  I just haven't yet.  But I will.

Oh!  After I tell you this:

It's mine and hubby's 15th anniversary today!  Hooray!  Where has the time gone?  LOL... But, ya know, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!  He's a gem.  My hero, my champion, my eye-candy.  I love you, Stewart!

Blessings to you all!  ~Christi

Even www.PuzzlePirates.com is celebrating this silly holiday.  Look what my pirate (and the other pirates, too) got.  I'm Whoopsidaisy.

 Yep, those are funny-face glasses!  How cute!

Anyway, happy pranking.  Have fun.

Blessings!  ~Christi

This is a 15-part series.  Scroll down for previous entries.  May you be inspired!  ~Christi

Day Five (representative of Year Five)

Traditional:	wood
Contemporary:	silverware
Flower:	daisy
Gemstone:	sapphire/turquiose

Yesterday (Tuesday) I gave hubby wood items: a wooden cork board for his home-office and two DIY wooden-shelving kits, also for his home-office.  And a daisy... almost forgot that one.  I'm having so much fun with this.

Oh, yeah.  Today's my birthday, too.  I'm now 35.  Where has the time gone?  Wasn't I having my 18th birthday, like.... YESTERDAY???  LOL.

Many blessings!  ~Christi

Okay.  It's that time of year again.  It's spring ... and summer is right around the corner.  What WILL we wear?  

Well, my dear sisters in Christ, fret no more!  I found this site with the most lovely and modest swimsuits, flatteringly feminine, and made to swim in!  Plus, b/c they're 2 pieces, it makes potty breaks much more pleasant.  Here are some of my fave pics on the site's photo gallery: 

And I love these from the testimonials page: 

Notice how the skirt, sleeves, and leggings are all customizable to suit your own personal tastes?  The first gal seems to like the skirt not so flowy, in the second one the 2 older girls have baby-sleeves while the little girl has short sleeves, the third pic is a lady with longer sleeves, longer skirt, and longer leggings, and the last photo shows a gal who seems to opt for skirt-length leggings so they are barely or not-at-all noticeable.  I think they're all very nice options against what we see in stores today.

Oh, and if you decide to make it yourself, check out the material on this site: www.spandexworld.com.  Their prices are really great and their selection is mind-boggling!  Plus, they'll send you sample swatches of up to twelve (I think) different fabrics.  But make sure you pick the nylon/spandex blend and that it stretches 4-way (don't worry, the site tells you all that stuff; just click on the "Printed Spandex" button and each selection tells you what it's made of and how it stretches).  That's swimsuit material.

Anyway, many blessings!  Happy swimming, and may your choice in clothing glorify and bless God!

~Christi

Okay, when I have $400 to spend on something absolutely frivolous, I'm TOTALLY getting THIS GLASS TOILET for my downstairs bathroom (it's done in lighthouses, after all).  Click the video link on the site.  It's short.  Here's a small pic of it.

Interesting, huh?

Many blessings!  ~Christi

This is a 15-part series.  Scroll down for previous entries.  May you be inspired!  ~Christi

Day Four (representative of Year Four)

Traditional:	books/flowers/fruit
Contemporary:	electrical appliance
Flower:	geranium/hydrangea
Gemstone:	topaz

Of course, since hubby's a comic geek (as previously mentioned), this one was easy b/c "book" was on the list.  There are these books called "graphic novels" that hubby likes to get.   I got him Marvel's Essential Series Iron Man #1, since the Iron Man movie (with Robert Downey, Jr.) is coming out this summer.  Oh, and a hydrangea to go along with the carnation from Day One.  The vase is getting prettier!

This is a 15-part series.  Scroll down for previous entries.  May you be inspired!  ~Christi

Day Three (representative of Year Three)

Traditional:	leather
Contemporary:	crystal/glass
Flower:	fuchsia/sunflower
Gemstone:	pearl

Hubby was in need of a new leather wallet; his old one was lookin' ratty and the picture "book" had torn out.  So, on Sunday I gifted him a new one.  ^_^

This is a 15-part series.  Scroll down for previous entry.  May you be inspired!  ~Christi

Day Two (representative of Year Two)

Traditional:	cotton/straw
Contemporary:	china
Flower:	cosmos/lily of the valley
Gemstone:	garnet

Hubby loves comics (as previously stated), so on Saturday I gifted him a 100% cotton t-shirt with various Marvel super heroes* (Iron Man, Spidey, Hulk, Captain America, etc.) all over the front.

(* as any wife of any comic geek would advise, Marvel super heroes [listed above] are not to be confused with DC super heroes, such as: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, etc.  Marvel and DC are two entirely unrelated "universes."  You will never see Spidey in Gotham or Hulk in Metropolis, etc., though Superman and Batman have occasionally co-existed in each other's cities.... as if you really wanted to know.    ^_^)

*sigh*  Where has the time gone?  Hubby and I will be married for 15 years on April 4th.  There's this supposed etiquette associated with anniversary gifts.  For example, for the first anniversary, the couple is supposed to gift each other with a paper product, on the second, it's cotton, the third, it's leather, etc.  I don't think it's widely adhered to, but it is something that's out there.  Also, there's a list of flowers and gemstones for each anniversary, too.  Who knew!?

Well, needless to say, we never did that.  So, I decided that for this anniversary I'm gonna make up for it.  For each day of the fifteen days until our anniversary date, I'm gifting hubby with something representative of the etiquette list, and I'm sharing it with you all here on homeschoolblogger.  Maybe you'll be inspired for your own up-coming anniversary to do something similar, or maybe you'll use it to pass along at a friend's wedding or something.  May you be blessed! ~Christi

Day One (representative of Year One)

Traditional:	paper
Contemporary:	clock
Flower:	pansy/carnation
Gemstone:	pearl

Knowing that my hubby is a comic geek (and I say that lovingly) and his fave super hero of all-time is Spider-Man, I got him paper plates, napkins, and cups in Spidey theme for dinner that night (Friday).  Also, I gave him a small spiral-bound notebook to stick in the pocket of his Bible; it's Spidey, too.  And on the table: a single red carnation.

Lately, we hit McDonald's on our way home from church... not always, but usually.  The newest Happy Meal is a consortium of Disney's Pirates and Princesses.  It's also a contest.  If your Happy Meal toy's card contains a winning message... well, let me just print up what the box says so you can read it.  I added the bold red for effect and discussion.

"NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  MANY WILL PLAY, ONLY 15 WILL WIN.  Open to residents of the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), and Outer Markets as defined in the Official Rules.  Game begins March 14, 2008 and ends April 10, 2008 or while distribution supplies last, whichever is earlier. If you look in the  McDonald's Happy Meal Pirate and Princess toy bag and find a game piece printed with a winning message instead of 1 (one) of 16 (sixteen) official Pirate or Princess collector cards, then you are a potential winner of the prize in the Game.  To win, a Canadian resident must correctly answer a skill-testing question.  See Oficial Rules inside participating McDonald's restaurants or at www.happymeal.com for information on who can play, details on how to play without buying something at McDonald's, prize descriptions, and complete game details.  Void where prohibited."

What in the world?  So, I'm only a "potential winner" if my card says I'm a winner and not an instant winner??  That's a new one.  But the funniest line is the Canadian resident line: "To win, a Canadian resident must correctly answer a skill-testing question."  Are you kidding me?  Did anyone check the grammar before publishing this on millions of Happy Meal boxes?  Do they understand what they're implying?  Okay, let's suppose I get a "potentially (not instant) winning" card.  What?  Do I randomly choose a Canadian resident (where do I even find one in St. Louis, MO?) and ask him/her what typing speed a good secretary needs to type at?  Or how to code a good blinkie for a side-bar?  Or what the proper technique is for setting a volleyball?  Or in what manner dough should be kneaded?  What skill?  What question?  What in the world?  And if they answer incorrectly, does that mean I don't win?  And who chooses the Canadian resident?  Me, or the judges?

Silly, silly McDonald's!  We had a hoot laughing over this at lunch.

Many blessings!  ~Christi

Yesterday was Easter, and my Pastor preached the usual sermon message on the greatest event in the history of the world: the resurrection of Christ.  But what notably stood out in my mind was an object lesson he used.  He first said that he often gets the rhetoric from unbelievers that they can't "see" God.  How can a person believe in something they can't see?

Seemingly changing subjects, he asked us in the congregation, "How many of you would say that the electricity is working in this building?"  Of course, we all raised our hands.  We could all clearly see the lights were on, the over-head projector was working, and the music was in full-effect.  Easy: the electricity was flowing through building.  Then he asked those who didn't believe it was working, who thought this was an elaborate trick, with the lights, etc., that really the electricity was NOT - indeed - running through the building, to raise a hand.  Of course, none of us did.  So, then he asked us,

 "Now, how many of you can actually see electricity?"

Funny, I didn't see that coming.  Maybe you did, but I didn't.  The point, of course, is that - similar to God - we can't actually "see" electricity, but we can see the evidence of it at work.  We can feel electricity if we stick our finger in a socket, but we can't see it.  Yet, we believe it's there by the fact that we see lights and we can hear the radio, etc.  Right now, you are reading this because electricity is running into the monitor and computer you're using.  Electricity is real. 

So is God.  We might not actually "see" Him, but we can see the evidence of His presence, of His handiwork, all around us, in all we observe.

Many blessings!  ~Christi

Wow!  Where has the time gone?!  My blog has been grossly neglected.  If there's anyone out there still occasionally visiting me, I'm so sorry to leave you with the Christmas List That Wouldn't Go Away!  Blech!  Also, I apologize in advance for not including any photos or links in this post.  Those would both be immensely beneficial, but in the advancement of time, I'm gonna leave them out.

Anywho... let's see, what's new?  Well, for starters, we bought our first home.  Hubby and I have been married for almost 15 years and we've been renting all this time.  Not so anymore.  We're  in our first mortgaged home.  Our plan is to pay it off in less than seven years, following Deuteronomy 15's seven-year forgiveness of debts command.  So far, it looks like it'll be possible in less than five years, God willing.  Of course, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow..." right? (Proverbs 27)

Where did we go?  I'm so glad you asked!  We're in a house exactly two doors down from our 12-year rental and it's exactly the same size as our last home... except that one had NO basement, and this one has a FINISHED basement!  So, in essence, it's twice the size!  We love it here.  We knew quite well the previous owners (We miss and love you, Pansy and Evert!), and they took excellent care of this charming little place.  If you're nearby, you should TOTALLY pay us a visit!

Let's see, what else has been happening?  Well, my dad had two by-pass surgeries in the last few weeks; one on his femoral artery and the other one was a quadruple on his heart.  He's home now, praise God!  And he's doing well.  He responded well to both surgeries, with almost no complications!  We pray daily for his continued healing.  Love you, Dad!

Epiphany:  Life does not stop when you move.  Did you know that?  Aside from all the painting, wall-papering, packing, un-packing, etc., associated with moving, there's still the dishes, laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and homeschooling that has to be done.  Who knew?  Oh, and the kids had basketball season during all this, too.  I know, I'm a glutton for punishment.  On the plus side, I think we're almost completely moved in.  Hooray!  We just have one small 8' x 9' room in the basement with storage stuff.  You know, things I don't need right now, that I need to reduce, and then stick up in the attic.

Last, I wanted to share with you something you probably already knew.  California just did a crazy, crazy thing.  Unless you have a teacher's certification, you can't educate your own kids anymore.  Dr. James Dobson did a discussion on it, and the HSLDA has a petition on their website.  You should check it out, get angry, and then sign the petition.  Also, pray.  That's always a nice thing to do.  Without ceasing, if I remember correctly.  ^_^

Trying to stay focused on the good, pure, and lovely,

~Christi

(This post will remain in the top position until Christmas.  Scroll down for more recent posts.)

Family,

Most of you don't like the "Leave a Comment" format, so I've decided to relieve you from that "requirement."  If you please, just send me an e-mail telling me what you got FOR THE KIDS and I will strike a line through it for all to see (some items already have that).  Of course, if you choose a family gift, you don't need to e-mail me.  Also, you can still choose to leave a comment.  I won't read it unless you send me an e-mail telling me to read YOUR comment (and I won't read the others).

The Christmas list...

Here's the list of suggested gift ideas. These are only recommendations.  And I'm sure I've left off some really great ideas that you probably have.  Happy viewing... and thank you so much, our loving family!  Remember, you can click most items!

Family Memberships (minimums can be upgraded by us or combined with other people)

St. Louis Zoo (ours runs out in April '08)

Science Center (ours runs out in March '09)

Magic House (currently without)

St. Louis City Museum (currently without, and much-coveted)

Gift Certificates & Gift Cards

McDonald's

Denny's

Chevy's Fresh Mex

The Homeschool Sampler (call them for gift certificates) (I looooove this store!)

Border's Bookstore

Wal-Mart

Great Skate (call them for gift certificates) (We looooove to skate here!)

Chuck E. Cheese's

Episode 3 of my collection of Giggling and Funny Babies.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy your own little ones, too. 

Incidentally, we love our Wii... but I don't think we love it quite that much! 

Many blessings,

Christi

I have to admit: I've jumped on the bandwagon.  I know it's not probable, being that we're homeschoolers, and homeschoolers are famous (notorious?) for marching to the beat of their own drums, right?  We don't exactly let society dictate terms to us. 

Well, in Christian circles all over the country, there are countless calls and letters sent to merchants to include "Merry Christmas" in their advertising instead of the cover-all-our-bases mantra of "Happy Holidays."  And we Christians are pressured not to shop at places that refuse to include "Merry Christmas" in their ads.   I was all along for that ride.   I even promised to make my kids learn the lyrics of the chorus to this video/song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

And then, one of my dearest friends sent me the following letter.  It's a copy of one she sent some time ago to another friend of hers.  My friend is a born-again, Bible-believin', Jesus-lovin' Christian... who also happens to be Jewish.  Hence, she celebrates Chanukah (or Chanukkah, or Hanukkah  ^_^) AND Christmas.  But she doesn't celebrate Christmas like other Christians: with a tree.  Read her letter.  I think it will bless you and maybe even relieve you the next time you hear someone wish you, "Happy Holidays."

****************************************************************

Dear friend,

Episode 2 of my collection of Giggling and Funny Babies.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy your own little ones, too. 

Many Blessings,

Christi

Granted, these are obviously still just cubs, but who in their right mind would do this?  Okay, the monkey, but besides him... who?

p>

God's creation is awesome!  Silly, sometimes... but AWESOME!

Many blessings,

Christi

We began this school year taking Saturday as our Sabbath instead of Sunday.  So far, we really like it. 

So, since Sabbaths are supposed to be days set apart, days to be joyful in and not doing laborious endeavors, I thought I'd give you something to smile about.  Over the next several months, check back every Saturday for a dose of ...

Cute giggling babies...

Enjoy!  Many blessings,

Christi

There's just something about Christmas.  Ya know?

My older daughter, the eldest of my three kids, in the Spirit of Love and of His Season, had the great idea to donate her hair to Locks of Love.  She has enough hair to donate a full 20 inches if she wanted to, right?  So, as a mother should do, I followed my daughter's fine example (or is that backwards?).  AND... my second-born ALSO followed suit!   

They were so brave... like, they were even glad and joyful.  Me, on the other hand, while I was glad to do it, I was also fearful.  I mean, it's just hair, right?  But... IT'S MY HAIR!    What a whiny brat I am!

Alex and Mom took the pictures.  Thanks so much, Mom and Alex!  We love you! 

Without further ado and for your viewing pleasure, see how we Waterman gals went from long-haired hippy-chicks to short-do bopsy-babes. 

Side view of hair flowing down the back....

Hair wrapped 'round to the front... 

 Hair cascading down the back (boy, I'm really revelling in this, huh?)...

 Kari first....

 And 10 or so inches later...

 Beth's turn.  That's me with the measuring tape...

 Fourteen or so inches later, a lovely ponytail...

 *sigh*  My, uh... *gulp* t-t-t-t-tuuuurrrnnn....

 I chickened out.  I couldn't do the 12 inches like I'd planned, so I got 10 instead.

 All trimmed up....

 Mamma and her two, brave, fearless, beautiful, and happy lambs.... and our ponytails...

 That's not a ruler, baby... that's a YARD STICK!  Thirty-six inches of Waterman hair!

I am so proud of my daughters!  Aren't they swell? 

Many blessings!

~Christi

Click here for a Countdown to Christmas.  You can even bookmark it as your homepage so that everytime you log-on, you'll be painfully reminded at how many (or how few) days remain until showtime, er, I mean, Christmas.

Naw, I'm not really that cynical about it.  I'm just grossly under-prepared.  Did I mention we're buying a house, and that we close on December 14th? 

Many blessings,

Christi

California vs. Washington State had a half-time show where Cal's marching band paid an amazing tribute to the history of video games, morphing in their marching from Pong to Tetris to ... well, you'll just have to watch it for yourself.  Enjoy!  It really is quite amazing!  Oh, and imagine how it would have looked if you had sat on the OTHER side, where it would have been right-side-up. 

Many blessings,

Christi