decorating for Christmas

Shelley and I decorated our apartment for Christmas last night!! I think it looks great. Shelley went out the Friday after Thanksgiving to buy a tree and with a few things from Grandma and Mom (and a few of my own) it turned out looking good.















I got a few rusted looking Christmas bells while I was in Texas and couldn't wait to put them up! I really like the way they look...it is hard to get the full affect in a picture.

















Our tree turned out really good also! It is small so all our ornaments don't fit, but we got our favorites on. It is so nice to be able to have a tree to look at!

Back home again

I had a great time in Texas, but it feels good to be back home and back to work (not to many people can say they miss work when they are gone for a week). My plane got to Chicago around 11:30pm on Sat. and my friend Beth picked me up. She surprised me and brought Bella with her!!! I was so happy to see both of them! When I started unpacking on Sunday, I found Jazz making himself comfortable in my suitcase. I thought it was really cute.

We had a great Thanksgiving here in Texas. The temperatures dropped Wed. night so it was really cool here. People here think it is freezing but it is more like fall weather. We went dinner at some friends of mom and dad's then went to see a wonderful moving (August Rush).

Today we went to another little town and did more shopping. We saw our old pastor from church, Eric, and his wife, Caren while waiting for our table for lunch. They moved to Austin in May and we haven't seen them since. It was nice to see them again. They are going to come see mom and dad's house here in San Antonio tomorrow evening after I leave.

On our way home we stopped at a town we went to earlier this week but wanted to see their Christmas festival they were having. It was really neat! The whole street was blocked off with a few different people doing live music and all the food vendors selling things. Later they had snow machines! It was really fun to watch the people that don't see snow all the time. It was a wonderful end to a good week!

We found this really neat Santa (he was Father Christmas) and just had to get a few pictures! The first one was taken while the snow machines were going.

The horse carriages were out giving people rides up and down the street!

Tomorrow we are going to breakfast and maybe stop and a few more shops then I am heading home. Please pray that all my planes are on time. I leave here a little before 6 and should get to Chicago around 11:45 (with a 2 hour layover). I just hope I don't get delayed later!

Adventures in Texas

Well, it has been a busy week, but alot of fun!!! Mom and I have kept busy during the day shopping and walking around San Antonio. These pictures are off of my moms camera, so those of you that also look at her blog will recognize most of these.



On Tuesday we went to a Big outlet mall and ate lunch at Johnny Rockets. The whole time we were eating we were watching a cat outside looking for scrapes of food. All of you know how I feel about animals and how I start to feel sorry for anything I think is suffering so we took some food off out plates to give him. He loved it!! The shopping was great... especially since I don't get to do that in Rockford very much.

Yesterday we went to see Dad at work and got a tour of the plant. We were told that we had to act like potato specialists but I don't think we really looked the part. I love to go through the plant and see the chips being made. This was my favorite plant he has worked at. It seemed alot more organized and cleaner than the others in the past.

I know this is a goofy picture of me but I thought it was really cool how the tortilla chips came out in perfect triangles!!

After going to dad's plant mom and I went to the river walk in down town San Antonio. It was really nice to walk along the river.

Today we are going to the house of some of mom and dad's friends and having the Thanksgiving meal. Then I think we are going to see August Rush (a movie that I really want to see) tonight.

The weather has been wonderful while I was here. It has been warm all week but today a "cold spell" came in and it is in the 50's. It is amazing to see how people react to it. I heard we got snow in Illinois yesterday. I am really enjoying the food here! I feel like I don't even get time to get hungry before it is time to eat again. I am enjoying it while I can because I know that when I get home it will be back to sandwiches and mac 'n cheese. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!

Here in Texas!!!!

I am here!!! I have been waiting for this week for a long time and it is finally here. I got her on Sat. after a long day of traveling. I got my plane from Chicago to Memphis just fine and then got on my plane to San Antonio just fine, but after an hour in the air our pilot told us that we had been circling Memphis for an hour and would be returning due to some mechanical problems. Very annoyed and confused we all got off that plane and sent to another. When we boarded that one and after sitting there for 45 min. we were told that they were finishing up maintenance on that plane and would be taking off in the next half hour. By this time we all were hungry and tired of sitting there, but what can you do? I finally arrived in San Antonio 2 1/2 hours late. Mom had a wonderful dinner waiting for me! Steak, potato casserole and really good bread!

Today we went to a really nice mall and to a town not to far away that had little shops. Tomorrow I am told we are going to an outlet mall with really good stores! Sorry no pictures yet..I don't have my camera so I am going to have to get some from mom. Hope everyone else is enjoying their week!

busy week

Wow, another week is gone! I don't know what happens to my time. I don't feel like I am that busy, but my weeks fly by. The only real exciting news that I have is that my really good friend, Beth, and her fiance got a house. It is a nice house but it is a fix-er-upper. I was over there last night and we took all the carpet and pad (it smelled like cat pee) out and went through all the stuff that was left there by the old owners. Then today we cleaned the bathrooms and did some yard work. It is amazing how even a job you hate, like cleaning really dirty bathrooms, can be so much fun when you are with friends. I had to leave early afternoon to go to a game night with a few other friends so I am looking forward to seeing how much they got done this afternoon/evening. Sorry, I don't have any pictures, I took my camera with me but I was to busy to take any. Plus, once I started getting dirty I wasn't real worried about getting pictures. I will try and get some later. Oh ya...and only one more week till my Texas vacation!!!!!!!!!

Bella's first home clipping

Yesterday after church Grandma came over to help me clip Bella at home for the first time. I decided it would be cheaper to buy a set of clippers for $30 then to spend $30-$40 a month to get her clipped elsewhere. It went really good!! It was a lot easier than I thought...I was really nervous at first. She would wiggle really bad when someone held her until she heard the clippers and then she would just freeze. She knew what she was supposed to do when she heard that sound.

I like that last picture...you can just tell how much she is enjoying herself. I think it will get better the more I do it. I am just happy with the money I am saving!!!

my morning with Lydia

Wow, I have been trying to get my computer to load these pictures all evening! I don't think my camera has to much life left in it. I got to have Lydia this morning for a few hours and we had so much fun! I got a little set of play dough for her that has a few cutters and shapes with it and she loved it. We must have sat at the table playing for almost an hour.

She was so excited when I brought it out

I love spending time with her! Here are a few pictures that I got of Bella and Jazz today...they are really starting to play good together. Bella will sit at Shelley's door until I let him out to play! I am glad they are getting along now.

please pray for Cheryl

My co-teacher, Cheryl, lost her husband today. He has been battling cancer for almost 3 years now and has been in the hospital all week. He came home on Friday with hospice. Please keep Cheryl and her family in your prayers as they deal with what is to come.