We all had a wonderful time over at my sister, Kitty’s, house. I LOVE Christmas over there. To me, I actually have more fun there then at home on Christmas morning! My boys loved it too because my cousin John Felix was there and he LOVES video games as do my boys so they hung out all day talking about gaming. Here they are:

Here is my sister, Kitty, opening up her gift. We all play a game with our gifts. We each bring a present and label it male or female and put it under the tree. Then we draw numbers and go in order. You can either pick a gift under the tree or steal a gift someone else has. A gift can be stolen 3 times before it’s “dead” and no one else can take it. We all LOVE this game!

Here is Candy doing her gift.Here is Chuck with a gift he wanted but didn’t end up taking home. He ended up taking the MP3 player Joe wanted and Joe grabbed the gift I wanted and I ended up with the desk lamp for Chuck. CJ took a borders gift card. We love to scheme and make sure all 4 of us go home with everything we wanted. The tools ended up being stolen 3 times before we could get them back. There were MANY gift cards this year
Here is Joe with my gift that he ended up with:

The boys gave a concert of Christmas music. They played one together with Joe on the piano and CJ on the violin and then they each did two pieces on the violin. Then I had Joe do a fiddle piece and everyone went crazy! He was doing it from memory so he kind of forgot the last part but everyone loved it anyway. I guess maybe next year we will do a different kind of concert with more lively music instead of the same old boring Christmas music! LOL!!

Chuck did pretty good. We got him there in one piece and the ride didn’t bother him too much. But as soon as we got home he crashed on the couch. We all had a wonderful time and it’s sad that it’s over. It goes by so fast!

I told the boys not to even get out of bed till 8am. I finally made it to bed last night at midnight. I woke up with a headache and had it all morning. I am wondering if these are stress headaches as I’ve had one every day since Chuck got hurt. Anyway, I got up at 8am, but the boys didn’t get up till 8:30. I got Chuck up and out to the couch and we unwrapped our gifts.

Joe’s main gift was a Sony hand held PSP. I got him some games too. He also got a new pair of shoes, that he needed badly. A new belt, new t-shirt, Steelers calendar, violin case and bow, a gift card to “Game Stop” so he can buy more video games (from his Nana) and some other stuff I can’t remember now!

CJ’s main gift is a flip camcorder. It records up to an hour and you can put it right onto your computer. He’s been wanting a camcorder for a long time. He loved it! It’s so small too. He also got all 3 of the “Inkheart” books, which he loves. He got a couple of dragon t-shirts, a dragon calendar, a violin case, a PC game which he’s been playing all day, camo pants, camo sleeping pants, muscle shirt for gymnastics, High School Musical movies 1 & 2, a gift card to “Game Stop” so he can buy more video games (from his Nana) and probably some other stuff I can’t remember now.

Chuck got a heavy duty 50 ft. electrical cord from CJ, an electric knife sharpener from Joe, a heated massager, underwear, and a new wallet from me. He got a nice blue and red checkered flannel jacket too.

As for me, Joe got me a nice 3 scented candle and a large numbered timer. CJ got me 4 knives and a short heavy duty electrical cord so I can use other things in my kitchen that won’t reach the outlet. Chuck got me this really nice clock with a pendulum and it chimes every hour from 6am to 9pm. Of course he didn’t know he got me this till I opened it, LOL!! He isn’t able to leave the house. I also bought my own Christmas card but he filled the inside himself. This is what he wrote:

You are my angel. I wish I could have helped you so much more this past week. But I couldn’t have done a better job. You are the glue that holds this family together. I know that, and now I hope you realize it too. I really appreciate what you do for me, even when I’m not hurt. I could have never done better than you. You are my world. I love my angel, love 4 ever Chuck.

Isn’t that just so sweet! Not sure he wanted me to tell the whole world that but I figure what the heck! Just keep it to yourselves, LOL!

Chuck fell asleep right after we opened gifts and got up for something to eat, I made a nice ham dinner, then went back to sleep. He basically still just sleeps all the time but I know his body needs it even though it can be frustrating at times.

The boys are taking showers and then I promised them we’ll play cards. They want Chuck to play too but he’s so tired all the time I think it will just be us three that play.

So, all and all it was a good Christmas but I must say that I’m glad it’s over. I’m looking forward to school starting back up but not looking forward to all the activities after school starting back up. I am wondering how I am going to have Joe in Fairview and CJ in Ashtabula on Tuesday at the same time. SIGH!! CJ has gymnastics and Joe has Jr. Phil. Chuck used to take Joe and I took CJ. I will be gone every evening again and I know Chuck hates that and I do too but at least Joe finishes swimming at the end of January. That will help some, though I like seeing him active. I was hoping swimming went till spring but it doesn’t. Jr. Phil ends in the spring. Gymnastics doesn’t ever end. I will just have to take each day as it comes.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Today I made some doughnuts. I haven’t in a long time and thought today was a good day for it. So, Joe helped cut them out and we made doughnuts!

Then I through them in the deep fryer. I know, very unhealthy, but it’s Christmas!

Here are the finished doughnuts!

And doughnut holes!
Then I moved on to the cinnamons rolls. First you fight with the dough to get it all rolled out.

Then once you finally get it to this point you add butter and then cinnamon and sugar.

Then roll it up!

Then I use dental floss to cut them into 1 inch pieces. I’m thinking next year that I will do 2 inch pieces next time. They just don’t rise like I want them too and then end up small and hard when I cook them.

We watch “The Bucket List” earlier in the day and then before bed we watched “A Christmas Story”. We did put up the tree after the fist movie. So here is our tree this year.

Man, it’s been a week and I am wiped out. We got our pipes unfrozen around 8:15pm. We had no water since 10am. I was so happy to have the water back. It’s amazing how much you use it when you no longer have it! I had to melt and boil snow to make dinner! LOL!!

I did all my running yesterday. Chuck had a doctor appointment at 10:45 and it took an hour and 20 minutes to get there. The lobby was FREEZING and I had to sit there for 3 hours!! I was frozen! The appointment went well, we got pictures of his x-rays and I could see all the brakes, screws and the rod. The staples are still in but he got a new soft cast put on. It’s a bit smaller and lighter then the last one. The trip really wore him out. He slept most the rest of the day. We go back on the 6th.

I spent one hour at home and then took the boys and did the rest of our shopping. I bought a small tree since we don’t even have one up yet. Mine is HUGE and really doesn’t fit in our trailer. This one is much nicer and doesn’t take HOURS to put up. Walmart was packed and I was so stressed cuz I really didn’t know what to get Chuck and the boys wanted to know what to get me. SIGH!! Spent over an hour in the store. Joe got a walmart gift card for $10 from him swim team party and he had it in his hoody jacket pocket and someone stole it. You can see right into his pocket and anyone can reach in and take it. I felt bad but again he shouldn’t have had it there. He said it’s uncomfortable to have things in his back pocket of his jeans. Well, maybe he’ll think twice about it next time. I almost took it from him when he showed it to me when we first got there but I was so stressed over what to get everyone that I just didn’t. I know I should listen to that voice inside me!! I have kicked myself every time I ignore it!!!!

Well, I got everything I needed and got everyone home. I was beat so I just threw everything in the closet to deal with tomorrow. I didn’t want to go anywhere on Christmas Eve.

Well, got up this morning to find about 3 feet of snow outside and about 2 degrees out. I also flushed the toilet only to find that the water wasn’t re-filling in the tank. I went out into our mudroom and found that the heat tape we have wrapped around the water pipe coming into the trailer from the well, was unplugged. I had forgotten all about it and never plugged in in this year! It’s been in the single digits all night long. I plugged it back in and 30 minutes later I heard the toilet fill up.

The boys used the bathroom and around 9:30 I filled water up in the large bowl for Chuck’s bath. He still has to be washed in bed. We tried to do it at the sink but he was in so much pain that only lasted 5 minutes and we didn’t get to wash his hair. So, anyway, got him all cleaned up and then CJ informed me that there was no water! It’s now 10am and the water is frozen again. This time it didn’t come back on.

My BIL, Dave, came out and is trying to get our water back on. The turbo heater won’t start so we can’t heat up the pipes to get them going again. I’ll have to leave some water running while it’s really cold out.

Chuck has his doctor appointment tomorrow and it’s over an hour away. Hopefully he’ll do okay and everything will go well. I will keep you posted on him and our pipes!

Went to Joe’s party tonight. CJ came too because he hasn’t been swimming in a long time. We left early so we could stop off at the mall and pick up the gift we needed for the party. We got the boy a gift card for Game Stop.

The food was good. I mostly ate the junk food. CJ ate a ton of junk, at least 10 pieces of fudge! He did have some noodles and meatballs. Joe ran around with his friends and I sat with CJ.

Santa came in and all the kids swarmed all over him for an hour! He is the best looking Santa I have ever seen. His beard and mustache are real so he really does look like Santa!

CJ kept asking when swim time was. After 2 hours someone finally said that it’s open swim from 6-9 and CJ could have been swimming the whole time!! I was so mad! Why didn’t anyone mention this? They said that after the party there was going to be a fun swim, so I guess open swim was the fun swim. The coach didn’t stay for any swimming and most of the kids all went home! I hate how I know nothing of what’s going on!!

Things are going well. Chuck is doing good. He is still in pain, as can be expected. What is weird is when he was hit by the train in 2000, he took 1 pain pill when he came home and nothing after that. This time he has been taking them round the clock. I guess this time it’s worse. Last time it was just his ankle, this time it’s all his lower leg and his ankle. He gets me up to take some and he NEVER takes med’s for anything but a REALLY bad headache so I know he’s hurting pretty bad. He’s been sleeping on and off the whole time we’ve been home. He lays on the couch all day and in bed all night. I actually have a headache today from watching so much TV. I have it on but I don’t sit and watch it all day, but today I sat with him and watched a couple movies. He’s sleeping now and I have to run and get the boys from school in about an hour.

Tonight is Joe’s Christmas Party for the swim team, I think CJ is going to stay home with Chuck tonight. Tomorrow I’ll be gone again and I feel bad. I was gone for over 5 hours last night but he did okay.

They are still looking for a cutter to go into the woods. They have a couple of leads, just need to call around and find someone that is willing and won’t cost too much.