christmas week

hi.  i'm in nanaimo.  i got here late saturday night after missing the ferry by five minutes because i went back for my phone which was laying innocently and abandoned under my pillow.  

friday was my work christmas party which i was very involved in. i woke up at 3:30 that morning, wide awake.  like my eyes popped open and would not be shut again. so i was one of the only staff who didn't go home to get ready.  i got ready at work.  i wore the red dress.  my feet were killing me.  i served mashed potatoes, desserts, danced with children, cleaned and endured until nine o'clock.  then we i went with the group to a pub for the traditional after the party get together.  i didn't get home until one thirty am.  in bed by two.  if i spell it out for you, you may notice that i was up for almost 24 hours.  t-h-i-n-k-a-b-o-u-t-i-t.  katie woke me up the next morning at 8:30 to tell me the news about ma and pops.

the weekend before was the dunkel and renee christmas lunch and the cantatatatata.  i felt really blessed to be a part of the cantata.  it gave me the christmas spirit.  it helped me express the hallelujahs in my heart.  i was given a special gift.  an alto gift.  it was really special to me.  when i was driving out to surrey sunday night a landing airplane shone in the night sky like the christmas star.  it seemed to hang in the sky for a long time.  i imagined it was over the surrey stake centre.  sister ashcroft gave us some good speeches.  i'd be in her choir any day. she's rad man.  :)

so anyyuletide, i'm here in nanaimo now.  yesterday i went to church and saw a smattering of other christmas returnees as well as the old regulars and some people i don't know. i even went to a short choir practice.  we're singing far far away on christmas day.  audrey told us not to sing in triple forte the whole time.  she was looking at katie and i.  we admittedly belted it out, but that's what it's all about.  we pledged kyle and dad to the choir so i hope they don't make liars out of us.

natalie and michealah and i made up a story while waiting for katie and brent to join us to watch the nativity. they had different visions of this story so i had to end it.  this turned out to be the jist of it:

once upon a time there was a sad lonely donkey and a bear that  died twice.  they were abducted by aliens. the end.

some holiday bokeh girls.

it's chilly in this house.  my nose is always cold.  (katie just came in here and said it was quote unquote roasting in here.  whatevs.  chilly's just her norm. (not eryn's biological dad)).

brent's made fudge.  vanilla and chocolate.  we have fudge after every meal.  i'm fudgy.  are you?