... of shoping crazyness and goodbye's

Okay so I have never understood the people that bankrupt themselves for Christmas. I actually resent Christmas shopping these days because it is expected. It used to be you do it because you want to make SOMEONE ELSE happy. Now you have to, it is expected. I have for the last few years made it a tradition to collect all my change in a gigantic budweiser bottle and that is what I use for Christmas money. Grumpy agrees with this and has his own bottle of change. Obviously we never have enough change for huge gifts but that is the point this way we have to be creative about what we are giving and more importantly it comes from the heart not the wallet!
Here is all my change that I had dumped on a tray this was December 7th. Looks pretty good doesn't it. I had a lot less this year because the restaurant I am working at does not cash out our credit card tips every night - we get them in our paychecks once a week.
Well this is what it looks like when its all sorted. I had over $108 in coins and Grumpy had $40 something (he had to break into it a couple times this year since it was a bad year financially). But anyhow this is more then enough to work with.


Here are my Christmas eve pictures ;)

Here are Grumpy and Mac on Christmas eve. I still can't believe that Mac weights 146 pounds. Sassy weighs excactly 1/2 of that.

Isn't she the cutest baby every? Look at that face.


Well as always on the last Wednesday of the month I met the girls at Barnes and Noble yesterday. We wrote 20+ cards that I am going to send to soldiers overseas to cheer them up. It was also one of the girls's last meeting (3rd on the left).
She is going back home on Tuesday and while she is excited about going home, she seemed pretty sad about leaving. I have to say I am sad about seeing her go as well. She was one of my great au pairs that I will miss alot.

On a happy note: My buddy the squirl is back. He came to my window at work today to say hello but I didn't get my camera out in time.
You can see him in the branches towards the top. See him? No here let me get up and get closer.

Better? Do you see him now? He is a cutie and very friendly.

Well I better be off. We gave Grumpy's nieces each a movie ticket with a note that its good for one night at the AMC with us. The oldest one is cashing hers in tonight to go see Eragon. The movie looks interesting enough despite the bad reviews. I haven't read the book so I am sure I'll enjoy it. I have noticed the movies rarely do the books justice so I try not to read the book until after I see the movie. The only one where I thought they captured the book pretty well was Queen of the Damned.

I'll try to catch up with you all's blogs before the year is over I promise.