Unpacking under the movies and the mail.

So. Much. Unpacking.

It feels like it will never end! Realistically, however, it will be done late tomorrow or Tuesday - I can't tell just yet. I am so very much looking forward to calling the moving company and asking them to come back and pick up all their boxes and packing material! (I'll have space in my garage again - whee!)

My dining room is just gorgeous and huge. I still cannot get over all the space in there. That, to me, is the most drastic difference between our old house and this one. I love the fact that it's not situated off the main garage entrance into the house, and it's not near a television of any sorts. It's awesome, truly.

The plan tomorrow is for Philip and I to move/unpack all the stuff in the garage. See, the movers unloaded all our shed and garage items directly into the garage, so we've got to unpack everything and get it moved into its proper place in the storage room in the back. Philip already took apart our shed, and we'll put the pieces in our "renovation space." (When they renovated this house, they built on an extra room along the basement wall, and they entered through there, bringing all their equipment with them. Once they finished, they closed off the room and left a large access flap. We can easily open it via the flap, and it's an 8x10' space, at least.) While we're doing that, the boys will be playing hard in the snow. Once we're done, we'll have all our space back in the garage, and we'll move all the boxes and packing material to the breezeway until pick-up. Trash Day is also on Tuesday, and it'll be great to have all that gone, too. (Gosh, but moving creates a lot of excess trash!)

Depending on how long we're out in the garage tomorrow, we'll work on the office afterwards. It's the only room left, and that's because I considered it the lowest priority of all the rooms. I mean, *I* love this room, and I practically live in it sometimes... but everything I really need (computer, bills, filing cabinet, etc.), I can already reach, and we brought with us ahead of time. What needs to be unpacked are the bookshelves and lots of Philip's military memorabilia and knick-knacks. He heads back to work on Tuesday, and I can finish this room by myself, if needed.

As a reward once ALL of the unpacking is done, we plan to go see Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. The boys are dying to see it, and I think it looks pretty cute, too. I thought the first one was good, and I'm sure this one will be about the same. The boys are also anxious to spend some of their Christmas cash at the mall, too. *wink*

Speaking of movies, we all went to see New Moon last Friday. It was the boys' first time seeing it, Philip' second time, and my seventh time. I probably won't see it again in the theatre, but it was just as good this time again. A quick rundown of the showings I've been to:

1st - with Marissa as my 'date' to Amy's midnight premiere party (11/20)
2nd - with Marissa again on Sunday afternoon (11/22)
3rd - with Liz on Sunday night (11/22)
4th - with Philip the following Tuesday (11/24)
5th - with Cheyenne on Thanksgiving night (11/26)
6th - with Aimée on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/28)
7th - with the family (12/21)

We also recently saw The Princess and the Frog (on opening day!), and we all loved it. I cried a little near the end, but it was wonderful to see the old-style animation again. And - I was so surprised when the first song began! I'd almost forgotten how the older Disney movies always had original songs - how sad is that?! I thought the characters were very charming, and I really hope the movie does well enough that Disney will do another one in this style again soon.

We saw Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3D, too. I found it to be much darker than I'd imagined, but the effects were amazing. Honestly, though, there were parts of it that unsettled even me, and I don't think I'd let younger children see it yet (though the Disney Channel promotes it constantly). We were late to the game on this one, having been planning on seeing it ever since we rode the official movie train back in August (what a neat experience, too!). After seeing the movie, we bought my favorite as a young girl: Mickey's Christmas Carol. I didn't have the movie growing up, but I had a record of it, and I played that over and over all year long. I still have most of it memorized. :-)

I'm hoping to have mail tomorrow, but I'm not terribly optimistic. There was, of course, no mail yesterday in the face of this major blizzard, and then today was Sunday. Philip and I did watch some lady trudge through all the snow with her key, falling down in the deep drifts and then crawling on her knees atop them to get to the box, only to open it and find it empty, of course. We learned long ago (in both Alaska and Nebraska, actually) that even though the post office's motto is, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," that isn't always the case. We've had numerous times with no mail delivery due to inclement weather, and on a day where no travel is advised, I'm surprised that anyone would think there would be mail.

Perhaps she didn't check her box on Christmas Eve, then? *nods* We'll go with that. :-)

The Christmas blizzard.

Snowed in, for sure.

On Christmas Eve day, the snow started falling. And blowing. And falling and blowing some more. By 4:30pm, we knew that a Christmas Eve church service wasn't possible. By 11pm, travel warnings were issued everywhere.

Christmas Day the snow fell nonstop - from midnight to midnight. It didn't stop snowing until yesterday around noon, and thankfully, the winds let up a bit then too. The accumulation wasn't nearly as crazy as the DRIFTS. Philip shoveled twice during the snowstorm, but by the time we woke yesterday morning, you couldn't tell he'd done a thing!

The TV channels turned to static in the morning, along with a message alerting us that the road conditions were RED. No travel was allowed on base at all, and everything was closed. Fine by us, as we didn't need to be anywhere, either!

He shoveled for hours and hours yesterday. We had much higher drifts than our next-door neighbor, and when he was done with his own house, he helped Philip for another hour-and-a-half, at least. I still can't much see out of my windows, but I expect that's just how it's gonna be for a while. ;-)



Drifts up to our office windows.


A sideways view out the window of the front lawn, including the completely buried front three steps.


The drifts up to the dining room window.


Looking out the kitchen window, the drifts blocked the garage and part of Philip's truck.


The view when we opened the garage door...


The solid wall of snow from the garage door to my kitchen window.


The view from our master bedroom deck.
This is a picture of our back-yard neighbors. The house on the left is the same floor plan as our own. Those neighbors were SLEDDING down their steps - that's how high the snow was!

Last night, Philip and I glanced out the dining room window just before I was going to start dinner. A beautiful dog was leaping through the snow, looking lost. Philip went to the front door and called, and the dog ran right to him. The dog had no collar, and Philip pulled him into the mud room for warmth. He had snow on his little nose, but he was just gorgeous. Philip and the boys sat in the mud room for over half an hour and loved on the dog. Finally, the police arrived to take him back to the squadron to read for a microchip, and they let him go.



The lost 'Snow-Dog.'

Advent, and we wanted to make it.

Philip woke early this morning, and he ran to the Shoppette to get a copy of the base newspaper**.

**Side tangent: the base paper is an awesome one here. It reminds me of the hey-days of the great paper at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. It's chock-full of stories, happenings on base, etc. It even has a TV guide in it for the upcoming week!

/tangent

He got a copy of the paper, and he also picked up some grape and apple juice for breakfast. We looked at the church directory, and we decided on a Lutheran church (Missouri Synod). Services started at 11am, and so I went back to snoozeville while the boys ate breakfast and Philip showered. Once he was out, we all got ready for church.

We left in plenty of time, and thank goodness for that! Philip had thought it would be about six minutes away, but it ended up being closer to sixteen. He dropped me and the boys off at the door, and we walked in at 11 on the nose. I noticed a guest book to sign, but as soon as I picked up the pen, the organ began playing. I told the boys we'd sign it afterwards, and I ushered them inside... down to the first few rows. You know, folks always joke that Baptists sit in the back, but let me tell you - those Lutherans had left 3-4 rows empty at the front of each of the three sections, too! We sat in the third row, and Philip joined us a moment later.

The church was much larger than we'd imagined, and they were presenting their childrens' program today. It was cute, and the congregation sang along here and there. Jack got a kick out of using a hymnal again (we usually attended the Contemporary service in Nebraska), and I enjoyed singing the alto harmonies of several of my favorite Christmas hymns. The church was extensively and beautifully decorated, and I couldn't help commenting on it. A very nice couple then introduced themselves, and we chatted with them for over an HOUR after the service...

... but that was because today was Jesus's birthday party, too! The fellowship hall of the church had been decorated with balloon centerpieces on every table, and each child received a birthday goodie bag. The younger children received red plastic mugs, and the older children received white stone mugs. They were filled with cocoa, candy, and stickers, and everyone munched on cupcakes, frosted brownies, and ice cream. The couple we had been talking with in the sanctuary introduced us to many, many folks (there is no way I can remember all those names correctly!), and one of the youth directors joked with A.J. for a while. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and then she introduced him to a handful of other sixth graders, too.

It was a wonderful experience, and now we'll have to decide whether we want to try a few more churches, or go ahead and commit to this warm, welcoming congregation. Even if we don't end up joining this church, I feel very blessed that God has led us to what will be a wonderful congregation to share our Christmas Eve together.

After leaving the church around 1pm, we grabbed a bite for lunch. We stopped at Barnes&Noble for a quick return, and then we headed home. With a full tummy and in the warm car, I was dozing before we reached the base again. Once home, Philip set up the air mattress for me, and I was down for a nap (around 3:30 or so).

I didn't wake until 6:30! Baby kitty had joined me for sleeps, and I think we both needed it. We had easy dinners tonight, and then after the boys went to bed, I began the wrap-fest of Christmas presents. I had intended to do it tomorrow, but I got a jump on it instead tonight. I'll run some errands tomorrow instead because I ended up finishing all the wrapping in one go - yay!

And now, it's 2am, and I'm back to bed. Here's hoping we hear from our moving company about our household goods tomorrow... *fingers crossed*

The bigger, the better!

As a Christmas/housewarming gift, Philip's parents have ordered us a new TV. Mind you, our current TV is still in excellent condition (it was a Christmas gift from my parents a few years ago when we did not have a working one at all), but his parents have been introduced to the HDTV age, and they insisted that we must have one as well.

The day after we took keys to the new house, the new TV was ordered, and it is still on its way. A 52" RCA LCD flat-panel TV that is so flippin' huge that it didn't have a chance on fitting in our current entertainment center. Soooo...

... the current entertainment center will go downstairs (when our household goods arrive, that is), along with the 32" TV from my parents. We have been carpeting the basement (in a tiled pattern, and I'm doing it slowly - I keep taking breaks!), and one half of the basement will be a relaxing area for the boys (entertainment center, TV, carpet, couch, and several of their toys). The other half will be my scrap/craft room, complete with the sink and all those lovely, lovely built-in cabinets.

We bought and built a beautiful new entertainment center to house our new TV in the living room. We subscribed to digital cable again, but for the first time, we joined a new club: those with DVR. We never really felt we needed it before, but it was only a couple bucks more with our internet/cable packaging, so we sprung for it. It's only been a day now, but I think Philip loves it already. ;-)

Merry Christmas to us, indeed! Now we just wait for the TV to arrive!

Random is as random does.

I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness! This week, I should pull into overtime again, too.

I've gotten back into the beta'ing bug again for my dear friend kataclysmic. Even if just for one story, it's been fun, and I've realized how much I've missed this in the last couple years. Dramione, how I still love you. ♥ ♥ ♥

I bit the fingernails on both of my ring fingers much too short yesterday morning, and they were both SO SORE all day yesterday. Today, they're not as sore, but they do feel awful funky as I click away on this keyboard. My poor left middle finger should be worried, as he's the next to go.

** Yes, I bite my fingernails. I always have. I could care less whether you find that disgusting because I find it to be the best way to cut as very, very, VERY close as possible, and I loathe taking care of my nails, so I prefer to do it the least often possible... meaning it needs to be TO.THE.SKIN.**

I need to begin my Christmas shopping. Last year, I was on top of things. In fact, last year, I was sickeningly jolly in my holidayness. I had all our gifts purchased and/or made, already gift-wrapped and stacked decoratively in a corner, and photographed (for PROOF!) on this day, November 4th. And then I sent it out to most everyone I knew. After all, how can you properly hate me without knowing the full extent of my awesomesauce? ;-)

This year, I've got diddly-squat done so far. Okay, okay - that's not entirely true. A couple gifts have already trekked out to AnnieMcFranniePants (the_mommy_in_me), but that's it. There are, however, a few in the later stages of being made, so I suppose that's something. But I desperately need to get out there, get shopping, get back here, get wrapping, and get shipping. QUICK!

We got the boys' school portraits a couple weeks ago. I should probably share those, right? I know, I know... "this post is useless without pictures" is ready and waiting in the wings of the comments, so I'll just cut to the chase and share 'em:



Eh? Love 'em? I'm think they are both good pictures, but I also know that neither of those smiles are genuine for my boys. I guess I'm happiest that they save up their very best true smiles for me! ;-)

(It DOES make you wonder though, doesn't it, if the photographer even CAN center a child for their picture. I mean, GAH.)

An overdue post of THANKS!

About a million years ago, I received a ginormous surprise box from chelelev. (Okay, okay - it was around Christmastime... but really? Wasn't that about a million years ago, too?) In said surprise box, there were CRAZY amounts of assorted Coca-Cola® goodies: a decorative metal tray, several years of collectible tin playing cards, frisbees for the boys, a wooden crate, and more. There were also several antique issues of Workbasket, a discontinued crafting magazine that used to feature tatting patterns every so often, and a holiday card.

I still need to get some iron plate hangers for the tray, plus two more that I have of my own, so I can display them on the wall, but just last week, Philip helped me to finally get the wooden crate up and displayed. I put tons of tiny knicknacks in the crate, including eleven tiny Coca-Cola trucks that mix3d3m0ti0n5 mailed me over a year ago - I hadn't displayed them previously because I couldn't figure out a good way to do so... and then along came Chele's crate!

Here's a pic of the crate in place on my dining room wall:



And here's another, of both the crate, and the adjacent wall:



There is more Coke stuff in the room, but I didn't feel like photographing the other walls. I might, later, when I get those other trays up and displayed as well. (And, let's be honest, I might never get around to it. *wink*)

Related, I received another surprise box in the mail a couple weeks ago - this time from mostcurious. It did not fall into a postal black hole, as she might've feared, but it did land in my hands... and these are hands that are awful delayed in letting folks know I've received their box!

-- tangent: I just remembered, redwink, that I never let you know I did receive my books back and your sweet card. Thanks! --

Back to the box I'm currently discussing, though: it contained a SURPRISE knit hat from Catherine herself, made to match the Slytherin scarf she made me many months ago. And, I just (as in, two seconds ago), took a pic to prove the existence of both great items:


Slytherin scarf and hat

Also, she FILLED the rest of the box with Coca-Cola caps and box ends with codes on them. Over the past couple years, she would save them up and email me a bunch - sometimes 50 or more at a time - but this was unreal! I counted, and there were over 200+ codes! It is taking me FOREVER to enter them all (and Philip has been helping me, sitting on the office floor and calling out the numbers and letters while I type), but I'm so grateful!

-- another tangent: maryjo once mailed me a box with about 50+ codes too, as well as huge bags of candy for the boys. If I haven't already said thank you for that, then THANK YOU, too! --

So the point of this post is that I'm actually very grateful to all those mentioned, and I'm so sorry that I'm so remiss in thanking you!