YIKES! It’s Friday!

Funny how during a normal school week I say “YAHOOO! IT’S FRIDAY!!”

But this week is Christmas break!

And it’s already Friday!

Christmas break has been very quiet, full of rest, and really a true blessing of JUST what we needed.

But…we have had illness here.

NO FUN!

I bet the kids are glad though, because usually on Christmas break we have a long list of projects!

I did get a few things done, in between blowing my nose 62,398 times.

Approximately.

Like cleaning my straight iron.

It has been needing it – and something I never get to – except when it is on a list for a week off school.

Rubbing alcohol is amazing stuff.

While I was working on that, it got me thinking about Eliza’s Bitty Baby that Addie Mae handed down to her.

It was SO dirty looking!

Wish I would have taken a before photo – before I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol!

Bright and shiny it is now.

When I was walking from the office to the sunroom to get a photo of that doll, I saw this photo on the wall.

Our family in 2004!

Be still my heart, the bigs were so little!

Remember how I was looking for a solution for our hat and mitten storage?

One that an adorable lab puppy could not reach at ALL?

This is what I came up with.

It is in the living room.

Less than ideal – but it is working good enough!

My appetite has been gone. Gone. Gone.

Thank you, respiratory virus.

I am thinking that I might need to eat a piece of our Christmas Eve dessert soon though.

Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake!

Might have to share that recipe too!

It is super yummy.

I refilled some of my essential oil rollers this week too.

This is the oil base I use for the rollers, which I add after I put the drops of essential oil in first.

I have some bloggy friends who have been and are in China right now!

I have been praying and praying for them!

We truly know how important the prayers of others are while you are in China!

A post that Jean wrote that is my favorite is right here.

Jean is blessed with the gift of words!

And energy and organization I would say!

Yesterday morning we got a call from our neighbor who had a little stray kitten on their porch all night.

Of course – I didn’t even need to think before saying YES, we would take it!

Of course – my hubby was at work at the time!

She is SO cute, SO soft, and was SO scared.

The boys got her settled in the barn after we had her in the house awhile.

And just like we thought, our cat that had been a mama before, Libby, took to the kitten and started taking care of her.

Every time we checked, they were laying together in the hay, or eating together.

PERFECT match!

Or so we thought!

Then last night we saw a cat who must really be this kitty’s mama in our barn.

I hope they both stay!!

We named the kitty Callie.

Isn’t she adorable?!?

Some of my favorite people visited for lunch yesterday!

We have been missing them, as for the last several weeks David and Kayla have been working hard to get their sweet foster baby used to their home and their care.

It is ALL official now, and their sweet foster baby girl has joined their home permanently this morning!!

It’s their GOTCHA DAY!

They will be starting her adoption paperwork soon!

Someday I will bombard you all with more photos than you probably will wish to see of this sweet baby!

But for now, we will be honoring the privacy that this deserves.

She is the most BEAUTIFUL baby girl!!

Addie and Lane were the babysitting crew for Clyde last night so that David and Kayla could have a date together!!

The babysitting crew spent the night too!

They had a BLAST!

Today my hubby is home…. and will be for four days in a row!!

What a gift!!

I am looking forward to a wonderful date with him!

That we don’t have to wait until 7 p.m. tonight to start!

Do you all have big plans for New Year’s Eve?

Can you believe it is going to be 2017?!?

I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us!!

He writes the BEST stories!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!