My post from the fair is now available for your reading pleasure. Just look under November. Yes, I know that the fair was in October, and that it has taken me two months to get it published since I started it Nov. 20th. Sorry.

I was wearing a vintage AXO shirt from our 1998 informal the other day and while we were driving home from my mom's house the other night Alden says "Mommy, what does the back of your shirt say?" I told her I couldn't see it to tell her right that moment. She says, "I think it says 'Galatians 5:13 With love, help each other.' " I told her I didn't think that was it...the Cotton Chair probably wouldn't have put a Bible verse on the shirt.

When I took it off, it did say, in the profound words of Semisonic :

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".

Not quite the apostle Paul.

The Week Before Christmas

Matt's parents flew into Raleigh on Friday, the week before Christmas to visit for a couple days before heading north to Philadelphia. Matt had the kids Friday night since I was working and he met his mom and dad at a local Mexican place for dinner. I had to work Saturday night and Sunday night, so my time with them seemed short. Lucky for us, their flight was delayed on Sunday, so we got to spend some extra time with them Sunday night and Monday morning. Sunday.

We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night at my parent's house. Ashley came into town on Tuesday, so we enjoyed lots of family time together.

Tuesday, we slipped away for a few hours and had lunch with our dear friends Chris and Julie. It was SO, SO good to see them. I hope that God will let us live across the street from them one day.

For Christmas Eve, we went to church with my parents for the children's service. The puppet show at the beginning was a big hit with the kids, but we ended up taking them out about halfway through the service. Maybe in a few more years we will make it through Christmas Eve church. We came back to Bebe and Pop pop's and had dinner. We came home and tucked the kids into bed and enjoyed setting up their presents under the tree.

Alden's Heart for Africa

Alden was singing a little song the other day

(to the tune of Mary had a Little Lamb)

When I want to go away
Go away, go away
When I want to go away
This is where I go

Me: Where are you going?
A: Africa
Me: what are you going to do in Africa?
A: Tell people about tornadoes
Me: What are you going to tell them?
A: That they suck things up and that when they come you should go hide in a closet or if you are at school go to the hallway and COVER YOUR HEAD!