These pictures take my breath away!

It's a combination of the early morning sunlight, her expressions, the softness of her hair.... her face....










Thanks to my Uncle John for the pictures! He's got a great eye and a super camera. Actually my aunt has a camera that has a "beauty" option which erases most wrinkles and spots without blurring the picture. It's really incredible. Maybe one day I will get the guts to post those before and after beautification pictures of myself!

Having a daughter for Christmas

This was not Charlie’s first Christmas, but it was her first Christmas with us, her forever family.

I wonder what her mother is doing in Addis? And her brother. I hope they are OK. I have sent pictures and a letter to the address I have for her, but so far have heard nothing in response. I know that Ethiopians celebrate Christmas in January, and Charlie and I will send prayers across the globe on that day.

Back here in the USA, Christmas was joyful.

Much better(in my opinion) than before Charlie's arrival.

The Christmases the past few years have been decent, great, fun, and it’s always nice to spend time with family. But there was something missing. And this year she was not missing. She was very much a part of every moment of Christmas for me.

We made it to family after the snow storm of the decade. Three days late, but still made it safely. We spent our time between two relatives houses. Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch were fabulous. I made a special drink called a “Maple Buttery Kiss” on Christmas Eve that was yummy, or at least I thought so ;-) . My aunt set a beautiful table and the lasagna dinner was delicious.

All the cousins played together and Charlie had a blast. They all went down into the basement at one point, which is a huge basement, very long and perfect for riding toys (such as the motorcycle and car seen in pictures). It was like a small amusement park down there. Boy was it chaotic at moments! Chaotic but fun. Totally out of control. Charlie held her own, but was asleep by 8 PM and slept until 9 AM Christmas morning, that’s how exhausted she was.

Christmas morning we opened presents and for the first time in years, we kept it to a reasonable amount. It still took all day to open them, but at least the adults didn’t get or give many to each other, it was mostly about the kiddos this year. Then we ate and played all day. Perfect. My family embraced Charlie 150%, and she is now going through attention withdrawals because it’s back to just me and her. She loves the 21 person attention-fest that happens when we go home to visit!

This is the Holiday Wrap Up, since I’m not celebrating New Year’s Eve, to my knowledge. I hate NYE anyway, always have. It makes me sad. Sad and usually disappointed. So I’ve just stopped celebrating it, and now that it would cost even more with having a babysitter, it’s not worth it. I’ll just relax with Charlie at home and wish her the best 2010.

I do have pictures of other family and cousins, but have not yet gotten permission to post them.

Super happy with my Christmas gift!

Look at how awesome my (PINK) Canon Powershot is (thank you Santa!) click on pics for larger, better detailed shots.

(oh yea, and how pretty my daughter is....)


The "knock-knock-who's-there?-open-the-door-shut-the-door-do-it-again" game. Christmas Eve I put coils in her hair.



Snow... nom, nom, nom...


Ice tear, not from unhappiness but from the cold. If you only click on one, this is the one to click on.



Her cousins have a motorcycle and she took right to it. Rut-row.


Oh yea, back to the door game. This was Christmas Eve. I'll post Christmas tomorrow.

On another topic, I just wanted to point out that the "Airplanes crash when I travel" curse still continues. ON the day I flew to family, a plane in Jamaica crashed. On the day before I flew home, a mad bomber was taken down mid-air over Detroit. This continues the pattern. For years now I have noticed that planes go down when I go up. In a way, I take it as "insurance" that my own plane won't go down, based on statistics. However, if there comes a time when I'm traveling and there has not been an accident lately.... I'm going to assume it's my time.

Santa's Revenge:

On our flight home, when we were about to land, I shifted Charlie's position on my lap and all of a sudden I felt this warm gush.....

Since I was buckled in and not allowed to visit the restroom, I was trapped.

But a warm trapped. Which is better than a cold trapped. So I tried to look at the bright side. ANDDDDDD.... we didn't crash so that is always appreciated (Thank you, Gods!)


I guess Santa got me good for this!




;-)

He also got me a great camera and so as soon as I figure out how to upload the pics, I will post a few (hundred) of Charlie's first Christmas with the family. She had a wonderful, fun, overwhelming, playing, laughing, dancing, cousin-y, delicious, chaotic, and loved-filled Christmas. It was GREAT!

I hope all of your holidays were filled with joy.

Oh Sweet Jeeezus How Good it is!!!!!!!!!!!

Internet, TV and HEAT ARE ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Woooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!


Man did I do the happy dance all over the house!

I woke up my neighbor and sang in her ear!

Ahhhh... life is good again. I had resigned myself to a dark, cold Christmas alone with Charlie but it looks like I MIGHT (pending no plane crashes) be able to be with my family for Christmas!

I got to drive around a bit today (to buy Chai of course) and every 30 feet a tree is down. It looks like a disaster area. Where is Obama to give us some funds??? There are utility trucks on every corner. Two lane roads are one lane, traffic lights are out, it's a bit eerie. But I'M FREE! FREE AS A BIRD! AND THAT BIRD WILL NEVER DIE-EAYYY-EAYYY!

Kind of sad that the Internet and TV can make me so happy. Or rather, the lack of reduce me to a heap of bored mess.


Here are some pics of the past days:



OUTSIDE:First day, it's still fun and beautiful....


End of first day, trees are starting to look sad.


Umm, yea, that's my driveway somewhere there...


This is still the first day, about 18 inches fell that day. We got another inch or two the next day.




This is the tree that fell against my house. Note how close it came to both breaking my window, and knocking down the cable wires. That would have meant no electric or Internet for even longer. Thank God for small (as in an inch) favors! Note my trusty saw hanging there in a moment of exhaustion.







This is the tree, or parts of it, after I pioneer woman'd it.

INSIDE:




"Momma. Can't. Move." Actually, it was bedtime when I bundled her so much she could barely bend her arms.

I was so unprepared for this. I had:

- half a book of matches
- a flashlight with a dying battery

I did not have:
- boots or gloves for shoveling
- Charlie's coat, mittens and hat (locked up in her school)
- salt for the driveway

We survived though. Each match was revered. Each candle, pruned and nursed along.


Thank you, all of you, for writing me comments and getting me through this last day when I was really losing it. I could expound on all sorts of deep thoughts I've had over the past few days, such as how easily a terrorist group could bring a city to it's knees by knocking out the electrical plant and the water reservoir.... or how close we all are to living like animals and our "civilization" with it's "Internet" and "heat" is an oh-so-fragile illusion about to come crashing in at any moment... certainly by 2012 I'd say. But I"m not going to. Instead I'm going to spend the night doing electrical activity, such as dish washing, laundry, and maybe, just maybe, some TV. Tomorrow we leave, please pray for our flight. Frankly, we've had enough excitement for this Christmas season.

We hope you have a MERRY MERRY Christmas! And, of course, a joyous Festivus for the rest of us :-) Don't forget to "Air Your Grievances" and have a fun wrestle.