Well there certainly is a winter wonderland covering most of Virginia right now!!!

It started yesterday around 2:30pm…and by 3pm the roads were nasty to say the least. Therefore, I’m stuck here. *Here being…my new home, not where I want to be which is home with Tracy and Carly an hour away*

At 7pm it looked like this outside.

So much snow!!!!

And by this morning….

See that? There's usually a step DOWN on to the deck...not so much anymore.

 So…I sit. And wait.

However this nice person did come by!

I don't know your name, TractorMan, but I sure do love you!!! Thanks for diggin my car out!

So, I guess we should go in to it.

The Work Week:

Well, technically I think it’s been 2 weeks…but they were a blur. Main points were the last few days before break. The kids were NUTS and they all seemed to think rules should fly out the window. I made several of them quiet upset by still enforcing all the rules and writing them up for infractions.

Too bad. So sad. Fairness sucks.

At school for the last two weeks there has been a plethora of goodies and junk. Biscuit breakfasts, Holiday lunches, cookies, cakes, candies as far as the eye can see. And I packed on about 5lbs because of it. Or rather because of my lack of self-control. *glare* But let me tell you something, you just can’t say no to a cookie you didn’t have to bake!

So that leads us nicely in to….

The Workout Week:

Well, the good news is I ran some!!! The Jingle Bell Run was last weekend and I ran the WHOLE thing which was my goal considering I only ran once the week before it, and barely 2 miles for that one. So I’m proud that I ran it, and mom came VERY close to placing in her age group…the competition is steep at that race with nearly 1500 participants!

Here are some highlights!

Here we are...getting ready to go. Can you spot us???

It's a train, it's faster than a....no. It's not fast. It's just me and dad being less than great at photography. Love him anyway!

"I'm bored, it's cold, and let's hurry this thing up!!!" says Dad.

"Silly dad, they have panera catering and I planned for this. HA!"

So I didn’t come close to placing, but mom probably got 4th in her AG. I should check these things. But that’s ok. I ran.

Then this week I ran…once I think? I can’t remember. But I need to get back on the training wagon like woah. I’ve been looking at several halfs and fulls for spring. It’s time to kick it in to gear once and for all!!!

Let’s hope I can start tomorrow…the snow is making it kind of impossible for today.

The Knitting Week:

Um…I packed all my projects to take home and work on? That….is where the knitting starts and ends.

OH! But I did enter a knitting-related contest over on Meghan’s blog/podcast!!! *fingers crossed*

Other than that…no news.

Favorite:

I’m gonna steal the favorite that I used for  Meghan’s contest.

This week’s favorite thing is holiday traditions!!! My personal favorite is The Official Uncle Jimmy Christmas Present.

Uncle Jimmy and dad always exchange tool-type items. Dad is a retired professor turned contractor, and Jimmy does excavation. Hence the tools.

So every year at Christmas, dad gets Jimmy a present, and I am in charge of wrapping it. Originally, it was just normal, boring wrapping…but several years ago, Jimmy decided to give me a gag-gift for Christmas. Then the next year it was a present wrapped in layers and layers of paper. Then a present in a box in a box in a box….

So he really started it. It’s so not my fault.

And about 5 or 6 years ago, I started getting revenge.

One year the present consisted of layers of paper, layers of duct tape, wall paper, and fireworks.

See? It had a warning label and everything!!!

Then there was the one that had battery powered christmas lights and barbed wire.

Last year I got a maze that you can put something small in…like a key. So Uncle Jimmy had to un-wrap the maze, which was in multiple boxes…then work the maze to get the key out, and the key then unlocked the padlock and chain that were wrapped around his real present…which had hardened insulation (The stuff in the can, “Great Stuff”) and dryway spackle. Mom…less than amused. Jimmy couldn’t stop laughing.

I'm holding the box with the maze in it. Beside me is the real present, under lock and key.

So far this year I haven’t made it home to wrap the present yet, because there is about 16 inches of snow outside and…I can’t drive the hour home because the interstates are shut down. But I have a pile of stuff ready to wrap the present. The pile includes curtain rods, cammo pants, dryer vents, cell phone chargers, cell phones, and bubble wrap. It’s starting to get hard to out-do myself.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the “Official Jimmy Walker Christmas Present”. This is my first year living this far away from my family…so coming home to wrap that present is something I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. It’s my favorite part of the holidays, and I prepare for it all year long. I can’t even begin to put in to words how much I love this tradition. It’s more than playing a prank…I really feel like the effort I put in to this present, is equal to how much I love my whole family, and the holidays. Now my cousins take the present that their parents get me, and they wrap it in much the same fashion that I wrap their dad’s. Everyone is involved at this point.

So. That’s my faaaaaaavorite Christmas Thing.

Other Junk:

Well you heard about the snow already…so I’ll skip that part. In fun news I got to give Carly her Christmas/Graduation presents last week! She loved them.

Pretty gloves!!!

And we also baked cookies. A metric ton of cookies.

Mmmmmmmm. And yes, I ate ALL the cookies.

And my neighbors got a puppy…

Olive!!!

And…oh yeah…I GOT A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where am I? Why won't you let me sleep?

He’s 2 years old, and his original name is/was Miho…but I’m thinking of changing it to Hemingway. I really wanted something that sounded like Miho, so as not to confuse him too much…but I just can’t find anything I like. So I’m pretty sure his name is now Hemi.

Paco…wasn’t too happy, but he’s slowly warming up to the idea. Last night he got semi-comfortable with the idea.

This is as close as Paco was comfortable getting to the new addition.

So far the new doggy is doing well. He has had a few indoor accidents but that’s kind of normal for confused/stressed animals. He was/is house trained according to his previous owner, but I think it’s just the confusion of the situation. I’m pretty sure he’ll get over it in a week or so. I hope.

He knows “sit” and “no” and today we worked on “stay” and “lie down” He did pretty well! We also are working on “don’t pee in the house” and “don’t put shoes in your mouth”.

Mostly, he just sleeps though. He seems really unsure about what’s going on, and what I want him to do. And he really does not like to go outside in the snow to use the bathroom. Haha. Poor guy. It’ll take time, but he’ll adapt. The good news is he is MUCH more accepting of Paco than Paco is of him. He has barely looked at Paco, but doesn’t fear Paco like Uri does. I think they will eventually be friends.

I’m also SUPER excited for Uri and Hemi to meet. I think they will get along well. They are about the same size I think. Hemi is really not very big for a boxer!!!

Well anyway, that’s all I have for this week. Time for the…

Sucking Up Shoutout:

This week’s shoutout goes to my family…in particular mom.

Mom, if you read this. DON’T KILL ME!!!!!!!! I KNOW I don’t NEED a dog right now. I KNOW you will not be happy about the dog and I especially know dad is NOT going to let the dog come to the house for Christmas….but….just try to be understanding.

The doggy is good with cats and doesn’t beg for food like a certain overweight gray feline we both know.

He’s a sweet dog….he really would behave if he can pretty please come over for Christmas!!!!! Mom, don’t freak out. I have wanted a dog for years….and I shouldn’t have to beg for your permission at this point in my life, but I feel like I do…

So just don’t freak out, and don’t make me feel bad about getting a dog. I wanted a doggy.

I got a doggy.

Don’t get mad.

Love you, mommy.

HOLY CRAP IRONMAN IS ON AND I FREAKING FORGOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!

And lastly…here’s my “Go dig the car out” outfit.

Yay for public humiliation.

Long sleeve tee. Pink gloves, blue XL vest, cammo pants, and trash bags tied to the belt loops. I was prepared.

Happy Holidays!!!!!