Items of Note/Notorious Items

(Warning: I use a LOT of capitals and exclamation points in this post!!!)

*Last Friday the kids were off school so we had Maxwell's birthday party at the Weasel's Den*. He liked his Lego cakes, so all went well. (In my mind.)

He had a blast with this buddies and got some great gifts.I'm glad he enjoyed it because we only get "friend parties" every other year in this family.

* We got our first batch of Christmas cards yesterday! HOORAY! I LOVE CHRISTMAS CARDS!!! (Especially the ones with pictures.) My friend leaves her Christmas Card Pictures up on a closet door all year long. I think I'm going to leave mine up on the closet door all year long, too.

* Incidentally, our Christmas cards will be going out late this year. Very, very late. They've been ordered and shipped, but who knows when they'll get here.

(Unfortunately, this is not the picture we used. Just the picture we SHOULD have used. Long story. Thank you for the awesome photo shoot Therese!!!)

* I had an amniocentesis this morning. This means I got a really long needle shoved through my belly and into my uterus to withdraw amniotic fluid. Our neighbor (and former friend) is also my OB. He had to stick me twice. It hurt. A LOT!!! I told him he's off the Christmas Card list. Then I demanded more of his homemade Baklava.

* We just got through babysitting a two-year-old (same age as Gabe) for a week. His Mom (My friend Janeen) went to America to see her husband (Doug's friend Merrill) before he deploys for Afghanistan. He's a Dentist. And yet notice the very large gun he's learning to use.

(They live here, but he's getting training in the states. More about them later.)

I pretended Gabe and "Little I" were twins and dressed them the same all week. Turns out, two isn't much harder than one. The house ends up messy either way.

* I have a new church job. I'm the R.S. 2nd Counsellor over the Activities-formerly-known-as-Enrichment. I haven't been to Relief Society regularly for over 6 years. It's scary being with grown-ups again! And there aren't even any Primary songs!!!

*We (finally) got (a little) snow. And it stuck! The boys are THRILLED!

(They kept trying to force Gabe onto a sled. He wasn't having it.)

* The Japanese do not plow, or salt, or sand their roads. So driving to the church -off base- on icy roads was less than thrilling for me this evening.

* I am now 23.5 weeks along.

* I've already gained 18 pounds. (Whoops!)

* That's about it for us! Life is good here in Japan!!!

Now SEND ME A CHRISTMAS CARD!!!

(Call it "supporting the troops"!!)

Merry Christmas!

*The Weasel's Den is a converted airplane hangar. It includes a huge indoor playground with awesome equipment, two party rooms, a small miniature golf course, an indoor soccer area, pool tables, video games, a theater for playing "Rock Star" and the Outdoor Rec. Department. (Where you can buy and rent sports equipment, plan ski trips, etc.) A guy in our branch is mostly responsible for putting it all together so we praise his name every time we're there. (Which is often. Especially in the winter.) THANKS BEN!!!