Holiday Exhaustion

Hi everyone. Wow, December 21st. I can hardly believe it.

It's been a nuts last several days. As you know, I was gone all of last week to Indianapolis for training on the new personnel system set to roll out to the DoD within the next few years. I'm giving this training on Friday here in Kansas City to the other HR folks (correction - I might be giving the training...I have no voice and the cold from hell, so we'll see.) I played hostess this week to an office Christmas party (baked, shopped for and wrapped gifts, etc.) and also got things in line for Erin's daycare Christmas party (which was today - can't wait to hear all about it when she gets home!) We got a call from the Gardner Edgerton School District and a slot in preschool has opened for our little girl. She'll be an official student this January, and we can hardly believe it! I went to meet her teacher, and it took me everything I had not to break down and bawl right there. Tears of joy, of course, but still...she's growing up. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that she was this frail, tiny, 5 pound preemie who could barely take in an ounce of formula and who had to be bundled ("Baby Burrito!") all the time. Now she's a walking, talking, expressive, vibrant little person! I've been crocheting like mad in an effort to get holiday gifts finished (see below for more info), and have been baking, daking, decorating, desktop publishing (holiday letter), and writing (Christmas cards) like a wild woman. I love Christmas so dearly, but it will be so fabulous to be with my family next week totally relaxing and doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but enjoying each other and our free time!

(Oh, before I go any further, please send your prayers and love to my Bo Bice. He had to be rushed to the hospital, I believe on Monday night, because of some bleeding stemming from his surgery earlier this year. Lots of stories are available online, I'm sure (just too lazy to Google them myself). Please just keep him in your prayers.)

We had Curt's parents and brother over Saturday night for our first official 2005 holiday celebration. I got a smattering of amazing gifts (to include the Sizzix machine I've wanted for ages and a GORGEOUS cherry wood grandfather clock). It is so wonderful to be with them. They are such fantastic people. Mom lit up when she saw the scarf I'd made for her. She loved it. And on the topic of crochet...

...check out these scarves....



These are Christmas 2005 giftables! The red one, made free-formed with a "P" hook and three hooks of Plymouth Baby Grande Alpaca (color #2160), is for our daycare provider and across-the-street neighbor who has come to mean so much to our family. I actually made this scarf in just a few days while in Indianapolis last week. The second scarf's recipient shall be anonymous right now. I made it free-formed as well (I think I used a "K" hook...maybe an "N"?) with the two hanks of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky yarn (in Jeans) that my Secret Pal Mindy purchased for me. Allow me to say right up front that Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky is now my new favorite yarn. It is so deliciously beautiful. The shades and hues are so vivid and bright, the yarn doesn't split, and it's soft yet warm at the same time. Unfortunately, NONE (note emphasis) of the local yarn stores in my area sell this yarn. Mindy's connected me with her source in Ohio, and I'm hoping to buy some from them in early 2006. I made two other giftable scarves for this year...one, you've seen already (the scarf I made for Curt's mom). The other is a scarf/mitten set I made for Erin. Photo to follow.

In today's mail at the office, I received my official notice that I did indeed pass the PHR examination. I absolutely still can't believe I passed it. I will enjoy shopping for a thick, gorgeous frame in which my certificate will hang proudly from my office wall, and I changed my signature block in my EMAIL to add the "PHR" title after my name. Wow. Me. Certified.

OK, I am off to fall, face-first, onto my bed and collapse. Need to beat this cold before I get on an airplane this weekend and fly home for Christmas...