Christmas

I am a very big fan of all Holidays but I think Christmas is one of my favorites. Even though we live within 40 minutes of everyone we usually only see them at the holidays. Sad, I know but we all have kids who have different activities to be driven too and usually all in the oppposite direction. This year we went to Janets house for Christmas eve and I think this was the first year all my hubby's Cousins were together, there are usually 2-3 missing. After that the boys and I went to my dad's house to exchange gifts and back to our house to open the family gifts, then youngest went to bed to wait for Santa to come and Oldest and I went to the candle light service at church. It was a beautiful service but ran long this year, we did not get home until midnight, needless to say the kids slept in Christmas morning. I did not get pictures of the boys with their gifts (guitar hero for oldest and a Diego Wii game for youngest, Hubby got a sweat shirt that said Dad on it) but when I opened my box I found 2 cans of green beans and a coloring book (used) I knew that was not the gift lol but had to figure out where to find it, as I rifled through the coloring book I found a picture of the boys behind a lighthouse portrtait. I am very into lighthouses and have been for years but I am very picky about it, I want tasteful not cartoony as some of the pictures/figurines can get. I have been to many houses where people have rooms devoted to lighthouses..any and all lighthouses and some make it work but others are not to my taste..ok enough of the 'criticism' now.
Christmas morning I was up at 5:30 to get the cooking/baking done for my contribution to the meal at my MiL's house. Oldest woke up at 8 and youngest finally got up at 8:30 (with a little help from brother of course) Both boys were happy with their gifts..Santa brought Oldest a glass Chess/Checkers set and a remote control escalade as well as some Modeling clay, Youngest got a Disney 10 pack games set, Color Wonder book with paintbrush/markers and a plastic tool set. After a very non-nutritious breakfast we played with the games/toys until it was time to go to Grandma's. I think this was the best year at my MiL's, in years past all have concentrated on the gift part and this year with everyone being a bit hit by the economy very little was purchased in the form of gifts. The boys got clothes and 1 toy from everyone...both hubby and I are happy with the 1 toy they got as were the boys since they had to choose a toy to donate to the homeless shelter for every new toy received. The biggest gift was spending time with the grandparents and great Aunt and Uncle with no interruptions of football games or any other sport. Unfortunately we did have to watch alot of the Christmas Story.
After my MiL's Hubby, Boys and I went out to see FiL. We try to get out for all Holidays and Birthday as well as the Anniversary of the day we said Goodbye. It was -15 degrees so we had the boys stay in the car and we were out for a bout 5 minutes..long enough to clean off the snow say a prayer and do a bit of reflecting. It has been a little over two years since he went home to Our Father but it has not gotten any easier yet. We really feel the loss at Christmas, no matter how many Christmases we had in a year, we made sure to see him or have him over so the boys could listen to his stories and Corny jokes. Oldest knew him longer than all the other grandkids and remembers many of the stories and such, so he likes to sit down with youngest and tell him some of Grandpa's 'exploits' as a kid. Youngest was not yet 2 when he passed although he does know which one is Grandpa when he sees a picture of all the 'kids'. I still remember the first Christmas without him the boys and I were at Wal*Mart in the Christmas section and youngest found a Santa in a biker jacket with a bike in his hand (grandpa had a beard and mustache and rode a harley Softtail) and said, grandpa..buy him, buy him..daddy like (remember he was 2..not much articulation) so that was daddy's first gift that year. Youngest walked up to him with the gift and said, Daddy..Grandpa..for you..always here, it now sits on top of Computer Armoire year round. Still brings tears to my eyes when I think of it. Hubby thought I put him up to it, but my kid is amazing on his own.

Hunting Season

I recently had a discussion with someone about hunting..specifically deer hunting. She did not agree with the fact that I and my husbands family hunt and we are going to have our boys hunt as well if they want to. I brought up that if we did not hunt deer that they would become over populated end up starving and getting disease that could kill out the entire herd. Her response...overpopulation or being pushed out of their environment. Ignorant people really do bother me. I kind of got on my soapbox telling her that the area I and my family hunt is heavily wooded with very little development happening. The people in the area would never give up their hunting land to developers...that is how they feed themselves all year long. The DNR keeps an eye on the population of deer constantly..they decide how many permits to allow..they require registration of every deer that a hunter has gotten so they can keep as accurate a count as possible. There is also that time restriction for hunting...9 days for firearms hunting and that is it until next year. I asked her how she thought her ancestors fed themselves back when the United States was 'wild & untamed' when they could not just hop in their cars and go to the grocery store...I bet they weren't vegetarians... she then tells me that she is not a vegetarian either and that she enjoys venison.. I had to stop at that...I mean who eats venison then does not agree with deer hunting?

Obama

I read this response on a blog recently and thought I would share it..The poster is anonymous. This is political so if you don't like to hear negative things don't read on.

Will I support Obama???? This is the United States of America.... He is not the type of leader our forefathers and their families have sacrificed themselves for... He didn't use the Holy Bible when he was sworn into Offices... He will not say the pledge of allegiance... He and his wife are racist... In HIS book, he stated there was a very influential father figure in the early years of his manhood...This FIGURE happens to be a radical racial extremest... Obama has since denounced this figure once the media had an opportunity to interview this great influential man... (funny huh)... His father was a radical Muslim, and a US hater... His family members have financially supported Radical Muslim Extreme Groups... He attended a radical Muslim school while over seas... Recently he went overseas to visit our troops... (after a great deal of pressure from his supporters) He DIDN'T acknowledge any of the US SOLDIERS while exiting his plane!!! He did however play in a prearranged basketball game ... I will not let you know what ethnic background of the players and spectators were.... While boarding HIS leased plane (painted with the O Logo, nothing stating the USA, America or even the American Flag) he walked right past the soldiers and officers serving this GREAT COUNTRY, (so people like you and I can go through our so called rough lives) He didn't even share a glance with them... Our jobs are important, but nothing can hold a candle to the bigger PICTURE... We are in a great deal of trouble but nothing compared to what our kids will face and endure if people like you and I don't stand up... Is McCain the answer??? I don't think he is...but he is our best choice... how can anyone judge his loyalty to this county and its citizens... how many of us can say we understand what he went through while a POW!!!!! NOT ME... he is proud to serve and will do what is best for the USA.... Will our problems be mended overnight or in our lifetime??? No, but we need to take baby steps before we can walk.... Sorry to ramble on... but I'm sick of ..... non loyalty!!!! All the answers to your questions can be found with very little research.... I challenge all of us to do our own research and formulate our own opinions!!! Quit taking someone else's word and trust your own!!! What does it state in the Bible about the Anti-Christ???? Might sound a little familiar...OK OK I'm off my soap box...