the stocking were hung ... in hopes of St Nick...

Now this old boy is my family's idea of old Saint Nick!  He'd have tattoo's and riding a Harley...

Mark and I had a joyous shopping experience and while we had one scrooge at the local KMart ... an angry guy swearing at the cashier...the 350 pound guy on oxygen in a wheel chair with his scarf wrapped around his face ringing the bell for the Salvation army...all the while blessing me for my few dollars I slide into his bucket more than made up for the few crabs.

We found what we needed stayed in budget and everything, we did not spend no where near as much as we usually do but no matter...and what we don't have at the end of the month for bills...well, God's got that covered.

Liz's real dad sent her a card with a little money...he disappeared when she was 6 shortly after I got married.  I never married this man (thankfully for not getting married, I met him at a very low time in my life), he decided last year he wanted to be her, "father" again.  She only wrote him to tell him off, and I asked her to wait to meet up with him until she is out of high school.  That is a door that need not be opened right now.  Plus, now wife number 3 with 2 year old just divorced him this past summer and he got married again on December 13 to new wife number 4, wife 2 died from alcoholism, and wife 1 ran away to California and swore off men...ish...this guy is the truly insane...he does the same thing over and over expecting different results...thankfully he is in Oklahoma far away...he blames me and Liz for not keeping in contact with him...she was only 6 and was the type of kid that had to sit and what for when he felt like showing up...She realizes that Mark is her father and has always been there for her...she may not always like him, but he's still dad to her.  I don't really know why I needed to talk about this...but maybe it is part of what I am grateful for...NOT being that needy person that had to be part of that life style...loving "cave" men who would always be bums and never change....I am truly grateful for my marriage to my wonderful husband...I am truly blessed.

This evening at Jeremy's was so wonderful...The baby is still so cute, and he is so strong, he already lifts his head off your shoulder and looks around at the light.  We spent most of our evening playing with Jacob.  That kid is so cute.  At first he was afraid of Mark, but Liz got him to warm up and then after that...the fun began.  We got him a book filled with pictures of real truck, construction equipment, buses, firetrucks and he plopped on the floor, sat cross legged and just gazed at that book...Gotta love the little ones...

Again folks I am a blessed girl...this holiday could have been a real bummer for my family, but instead we chose to focus on what we have...the people, the family, the love...and for that I am truly blessed.

Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!