The backyard.

The front yard.

Because I wanted to share this blizzard with you. Makes that trip to California next week look even better! Here’s what the weather website has to say:
Moderate to heavy snow will continue over the urban corridor through the early evening hours. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected. North winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 45 will cause extensive blowing and drifting snow especially east of I-25 with visbilities near zero at times. Travel will be nearly impossible and is not recommended.

We’re being hit with a winter storm. Started last night after we went to bed, and when the snow settles in a few days, we should have 24″ of snow, and a White Christmas.

So Elijah and I will be housebound the next few days. Makes me glad I took the opportunity to walk down main street Southlands yesterday. Despite the mild wind, it was nice to be out. I feel bad for Geoff who is going to have drive to work the next few days.

Not much going on this week. Just getting excited about Christmas. So is Elijah (see his blog for the funny video I took of him). He hasn’t tried to open any presents, but I have been looking at the shapes of them.

I am hoping to make it out shopping on the 26th. We have our eye on a Christmas decoration for next year, and I need to check out Hobby Lobby to find a stocking to make for the baby. If I get it early, I leave myself the whole year to complete it. I may not be able to sew, stitch, or quilt, but give me a felt stocking project, and it’s just my speed. It’s funny looking at Elijah’s stocking, I almost want to make a new stocking for me.

We’re trying to catch Christmas specials on tv, but some movies are far too butchered, and that’s no fun (for example, Scrooged). I may just have to actually buy Christmas DVDs. All I have is Merry Christmas Mr Bean, The Toy That Saved Christmas, and The Ref. We watched The Ref on the weekend, so I’ll close with that.

Gus: Caroline and Lloyd will get the coffee and deserts then we’ll be opening presents.
Connie Chasseur: We can’t open presents til midnight.
Gus: Why not?
Connie Chasseur: Because it’s not Christmas until midnight!
Gus: We’ll be changing the rules a little bit. We’re opening the presents now. Not later, now. Why? We’re adults, and we can open our presents WHENEVER WE WANT!

Next year, I’m starting my shopping early!

We did some great family stuff this weekend. Friday night we checked out Denver Zoolights for the second year. Elijah enjoyed it much more this time around (see his blog for more info). Yesterday we bought our ham for Christmas Day dinner. Today we went swimming and then came home and baked some Christmas cutouts.

Elijah ate some of Nana’s fruitcake, and seemed to enjoy it. He also had some cookies. Pictures of all our holiday activities (and Christmas Day pics eventually) are/will be viewable on the shutterfly website (link on the left).

One more week!

I got this from my mom, and I thought it was funny.

A Canadian Christmas…
A man in Newfoundland calls his son in Calgary two days before Christmas and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.”

“Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams.

“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Vancouver and tell her.”

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “No way they’re getting divorced!” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this.”

She calls Newfoundland immediately and screams at her father, “You are not getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get
there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there by tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing. DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Okay,” he says, “they’re coming for Christmas and paying their own way.”

He’s a very funny actor. I think I’m going to go watch While You Were Sleeping (he plays Sandra Bullock’s future father-in-law).

If I never have to go into a mall parking lot again, I’d be happy. 🙂

My shopping is done. I am serious about doing gift cards next year, cause they are good gifts, and ideally they don’t involve driving around to a dozen different stores. Plus, I can start buying those in the summer.

Yep, I’m up early. I’m heading to the post office for the 7am opening to send the last of my Canadian gifts. No, they won’t make it there on time, but it was (mostly) unavoidable. I’m over that too. No point in being upset.

Now I just want to focus on spending this blessed holiday with my family. I love the lights, I love the music, and I love seeing it all through my son’s eyes.

The bunny who visits our yard

With the release of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest this week, we were finally able to see it! What an excellent movie, equally as good as the first one. We bought it knowing we’d love it, and we did. I’m happy that 2007 isn’t so far away, I’m anxious to see the conclusion.

I don’t really feel like I did a ton this weekend. Saturday I went to the Trails and walked. I haven’t been to my aquasize class in a while, I may try to get to one of the daytime classes, and see if that works out better. I just don’t like having the class at 6pm, and then making it a late dinner.

Sunday we had a good church service, and I made Rice Krispie Treats. Mmm.

My Christmas shopping is going okay. I have a bunch of stuff waiting to get wrapped and shipped to Canada, but the thing I ordered online has not come yet. So, some gifts just won’t get there in time. Even if I rushed them, Canada Post and Customs suck and there would be no guarantee they’d arrive on time as promised. I think next year either everyone gets giftcards, or checks. 🙂

My Christmas shopping for U.S. people is so much less stress. I’ll pick up Geoff’s gift from Elijah this week, as well as Kelly’s & Elijah’s gifts. Geoff and I aren’t exactly exchanging a gift this year. We decided to get the family membership to Trails, and we’re paying it off monthly. So we’ll give each other a few stocking stuffers and that’ll be it.

It’s almost a month to my 30th birthday. Just mentioning that.

I want to be excited about my trip to Irvine in 18 days, but I’m more focused on Christmas. But I have my plans set with the Pursley’s & Eseras. And I told Cindy she’s got me all day on the Saturday. I mostly foresee hanging out, and not doing much else. We’re going back in July, so there is no pressure to accomplish anything. Though I would have liked to hit Disneyland (naturally).

I’ll close with a quote from Pirates Of The Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest.

Jack Sparrow: How did you get here?
Will Turner: Sea turtles, mate. A pair of them strapped to my feet.
Jack Sparrow: Not so easy, is it?

Evidently this should be my next car. Yeah right, like I have money to buy a new car. Hee hee! I love how kid-friendly it is.

You Should Drive a Saturn Sky

You’re sleek and smooth, and you need a car to match your hot persona. Besides, sometimes you want your top up – and sometimes you want it down.

For everyone to consider:

Three Kroliks, a Gustafson, and a Stanley are participating in the L.A. Marathon. Crazy gals are going to walk the 26.2 miles. Please consider donating to them, with the proceeds going to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I’ve got a link on the left side of my blog, A Team In Training. The website has a place to donate, as well as any other information you’d want.

For my Canadian readers:

Something has to be done about the youth violence & the justice system. One father who lost his son has started a petition to hopefully see the changes that need to be made to prevent more “kids” killing each other without serious consequences. Visit the website, read up on it, and find out where you can sign the petition.