Well, on Monday I made all of my 3 months of freezer meals!!  It took the entire day.  Although I got set behind when I realized I didn't have enough ricotta cheese and I had to turn off all of my burners to run to the store and buy some.  But, everything else went very smoothly.  Emma was my can washer and everytime I opened a can she would wash it out and put it in the recycling bag.  I didn't realize Mike had turned the deep freezer to it's lowest setting, so I was really worried that everything I had made was going to spoil and not freeze since it was only at a fridge temperature, but we turned it up and after a day everything froze.  I made my first fajitas in a crockpot (on low for 8-9 hours with the marinade) and they were so tender they were falling apart... I will make them like that from now on.  The kids weren't fond of the tuna burgers, but Mike and I liked them.  I think we'll have white chili tonight and chicken divan tomorrow.  I love freezer meals!

Logan has really tight teeth and so he needs some dental work done because of some in between cavities.  His family dentist won't fill them, so we went to a pediatric dentist.  She was recommending silver crowns which I really don't want to do, so I got another opinion.  The next dentist recommended 4 silver crowns, root canals, and 4 cavities filled.  I just laughed when she told me.  I told her that I had been to two other dentists and none of them had said he needed all of that.  Then I talked to an orthodontist friend and he said she has a reputation for overtreating.  It's a shame that some people are just out to get money.  Mike had the same problem when we moved here.  He never has any cavities and the first dentist he saw here said he had 6 cavities.  Mike switched to another dentist and they said he had NO cavities, and he's never had any the whole time we've lived here.  It's sad that people can be so dishonest.  Anyway, even though Logan brushes his teeth the same as Cameron and Errolyn (and they don't have dental problems), we have to floss Logan's teeth every day, use a special mouthwash, and make sure he brushes every time he eats... he likes to snack a lot which probably was a contributing factor.

I had playgroup at my house this week.  Emma was excited, but the little girl didn't want to play until the end.  Emma was trying so hard to get her to play... she practically brought down all of her toys. 

Errolyn's volleyball coach called Wednesday morning to say she was switching Errolyn's volleyball practices to Thursdays.  Well, we can't do Thursdays, so we had to switch her to another team.  But, Errolyn's new coach seems good and she likes her team better because some of them actually know how to play and they aren't all newbies.  She had her first game on Saturday and she did a great job!  Much more agressive.

On Wednesday, my visiting teaching companion and I threw a baby shower for someone we visit teach who just adopted a baby boy.  It was fun.  I did the dirty diaper game where you melt different candy bars in each diaper and you have to smell/ look to try and figure out what kind of candy bar it is.  Someone got 8 out of 11 correct... she must really know her candy bars.

On Friday, Errolyn turned 10... by little baby girl.  Carol and Grandma were going to eat lunch with her, but Errolyn told us the wrong time and so Carol showed up at the end of  Logan and Errolyn's lunch.  Carol turned around and saw Errolyn walking back from lunch and her eyes were red from crying because she thought they forgot to come.  The staff and her teacher were super nice and let them all eat in a conference room.  I walked in with Emma, (not knowing they had let them eat in a conference room and to see if I could pull Errolyn out for a few minutes), and so we all ended up eating with Errolyn.  And the front office lady called Logan down so he could eat the pie Grandma brought.  They were super nice and Errolyn had a wonderful birthday meal after all.  She had a good dinner and enjoyed all of her presents.  She was excited about the American Girl doll her Grandma got her, and enjoyed her Camelbak and rapid fire shifters we got her for her bike.  We also got a her a lockable diary for her to decorate and write in and she got some cards and birthday money from Linda, Carol, and Grandma.  Cheryl called on her birthday, and Mom and Mike's Mom called the next day.

So, ever since the kids got new bikes for Christmas, they ride them ALL the time!  Errolyn and Mike formed an Adventure Rider's Club.  To join, you have to do all sorts of challenges: ride up the huge hill on our street, down the huge hill, ride three miles through the subdivision without stopping, ride through the greenbelt, and then ride all the way through the greenbelt to a road that's far away.  Cameron just joined the club and they really ride a long ways with Mike.  Yesterday, they went on a 6 mile ride to McDonalds to get an ice cream cone, but they've gone on 10 miles before too.  I LOVE that they love riding their bikes and spending time with their Dad.  Logan goes on rides through the subdivision with Mike and is getting really good on his bike.  He has already passed the two hill tests (Mike said he wouldn't give up and was outside for 45 minutes trying to do the uphill challenge over and over again), and he's getting better at the other challenges.  Logan said his goal is to join by the time he's seven... it's so cute see him working so hard to join.  When my knee gets completely better (which is taking FOREVER), they said I will have to pass all of the challenges to join too... lol.

On Saturday, Mike and I were going to go carpet shopping, but all of the carpet stores closed at 5pm... and we left our house at 5pm.  Such is life.  So, we went to one furniture store and then a piano place to look at pianos.  We didn't buy anything, but are just looking for when Mike gets his bonus.  This bonus will be spent on home improvement projects.  We have a prioritized To Do list, and will start at the top and buy what we have money for.  We'll put a lot in savings for different things throughout the year, and then we should be able to at least get new carpet (since our other is old and well matted), build a wall for Logan so he has his own room and isn't just sleeping in the game room, do some painting, and get a better used piano.  The other piano is so out of tune, three of the keys don't work, and it's just old sounding.  I feel so badly when the kids are practicing and half the notes in their piece won't play and so they have to play at different octaves.  We would like to get new couches in the front, and new tables (since all of our other's were garage sale purchases that we've have for ten years and are really worn down), but we'll see how much we have left after the carpet.

Cameron's giving a talk in church today... he'll do good as usual.  The kids watched Prince of Egypt for the first time yesterday and Logan was crying quite a bit.  Before the movie started I told them that it was a true story.  So, when the soldiers killed all of the baby boys, Logan was crying because it "really happened."  The poor kid, but I'm glad he has a compassionate heart.

On Saturday, I bought all of the food I need to make the 3 months worth of freezer meals on Monday.  Errolyn and I each had a cart and filled two carts at Sams Club and two carts at Walmart, although the 2nd cart at Walmart was all toilet paper, not food.  I'm going to start all of the chicken cooking in my crockpots tonight and they should be ready in the morning so I can prepare my freezer meals.  I've done a month of freezer meals before, but never 3 months at a time... we'll see how it turns out.

Errolyn had her first volleyball practice on Saturday.  The coach was 15 minutes late, and when she arrived she asked for help.  I was still feeling badly from being sick, but Errolyn mentioned that she wished I was her coach so, I volunteered to help.  And after helping the whole practice I am now the assistant coach... lol.  Although, being the assistant kind of stinks because you can't do your own drills, just help with what the coach wants to do.  I think I will coach next season.  Errolyn's last coach was amazing!  I've written down all of her drills and think I could do a good job.  But, it will be fun to help in the meantime.

Last night, I went to the Justin Bieber concert with Errolyn.  We went out to eat at Olive Garden beforehand (they have her favorite macaroni and we never go there), and then the concert.  My friend Shannon and her daughters sat directly behind us which was fun.  Errolyn didn't enjoy sitting through the opening acts, but I did.  Carly Rae Jepson was one of the opening acts and I really like some of her music, so that was cool.  When Justin finally came out, Errolyn didn't recognize him and didn't think it was him.  Finally he took off his glasses and the camera did a close up and she was satisfied that it was him.  She was standing and jumping up and down most of the concert.  I'm glad she had such a good time.  Afterwards, Errolyn and I and my friend Shannon and her girls all tried to find Justin Bieber's tour bus.  I'm pretty sure he left from an underground tunnel as soon as the concert was over, but we had fun trying to find him and being in the mobs of screaming girls.  We all thought we saw him at one point, but he was so far away that it was impossible to really tell.  Anyway, we got home late and I collapsed after my long day.  Luckily, my coughing went unnoticed since the concert was so loud.  However, my coughing was very noticeable in church this morning, so I left the chapel after taking the sacrament so I wouldn't be a distraction to everyone around me.

Cameron enjoyed seeing Elder Holland last night and said he felt the Spirit a lot.  Poor Cameron is sick today.  I'm not sure what he has, but he has a fever and feels miserable.  He ALWAYS gets sick after going camping.  It's really frustrating that he gets sick every single time.  I was like that before my surgery.  I don't know what it is, but sleeping outdoors (I'm sure with all the allergies) just made me get congested and I'd get a sinus infection.  Cameron is the same way, although this one may be a virus, we'll see.  Last time he went camping he got pneumonia.  I don't know how I'm going to send Cameron on a two year mission someday when I worried about him like crazy after just one night away.  Mike enjoyed seeing the Presiding Bishopric member since he had to set up the technology stuff for his visit with the single adults. 

We had a good FHE on Monday.  Cameron taught a good lesson about being a stronger family.  He was creative in his lesson and bore a really sweet testimony at the end.  He even started crying because he felt the Spirit so strongly and loves our family so much.  I love it when he teaches the lesson, he always really gets into it and feels the Spirit.  I'm grateful my kids are spiritually minded.  Errolyn had an interesting dream last night that I won't share here, but it reminded me just how spiritually minded she has become lately.

I finally am on the mend... not feeling super, but on the mend.  Errolyn and I are supposed to go to a Justin Bieber concert on Saturday.  I don't know how up for it I'll feel, but we bought tickets 6 months ago, so I will probably still go and try to go and have good time with her.  She earned the money for her ticket, and then I bought mine.  We have some good friends sitting directly behind us, so it should be a fun conert. 

Cameron is going camping on a Freezeree with the Scouts and they spent a large portion of the week building a catapult for one of the contests at the camp.  Logan is being tested for GT this week, so we're hoping he does well.  They've already been letting him come to GT this year, but now they're administering the official test to see if he can stay.  Logan also is really into exercise lately... his gym teachers must really be inspiring him.  He's made an exercise chart and everyday for specified periods of time he does pull-ups, push-ups, V-sit, running laps around the dining room table, and a few other exercises.  He's been really vigilant with his routine and it's cute to see.  Emma has been a bit bored with me being sick and all, but I'm about to turn on some music so she'll have fun dancing for a bit.  Emma has joined a playgroup with 3 other friends though, so once a week for a couple of hours she'll play with her friends.  We'll rotate who is in charge, so once a month I'll have to watch them all, but now I have a day when I can schedule my dr. appointments, dentists, visiting teaching, etc... and Emma can have fun with her friends.

So, Tuesday we came back from Fredericksburg and my fever and aches were out of control.  It has not been a fun week for me.  I started to feel better midway, and then got a sinus infection.  But, it was my first one in about a year so that is a ton of improvement for me.  The rest of the week was the same, me being sick, cleaning, and talking to the kids.  Luckily, Mike took the kids on lots of bike rides so they could get their energy out.  Logan has started riding Cameron's old bike, without training wheels, and now loves riding with Mike and Errolyn.  Cameron also has been riding with Mike, but won't go with the other kids because he likes to go faster.  I think that's it for this week.  Nothing too interesting.  The kids journal jar question this week was about marriage... not their favorite topic.  Logan answered it publicly, Errolyn made hers private, and Cameron is writing his answer in a hand written journal that I am forbidden to read.  Lol.  I love my kids.  I just made a giant shopping list and will attempt to make 3 months worth of freezer meals in one day... we'll see how it goes. 

And... Drum roll please... I have the flu. I was hoping it was just a cold, but when the fever and achiness set in, it was and is miserable! Thank goodness for medicine. I had to play the violin for a wedding in Fredericksburg this evening, so it being New Years and FHE, we all went to Fredericksburg for the day. The kids were going to go ice skating but it was closed, so we just walked down Main Street looking at the shops. I felt horrible, but put on a nice face for the kids. While I played at the wedding, Mike took the kids to eat and to play games at Gatti's Pizza. They all had fun. I barely made it through my gig, but still enjoyed playing. We came back to the hotel and shot off some poppers and blew horns. Happy New Year now, because I'm going to bed. I'm glad we were able to have such a short little vacation together with the money I earned at the wedding. We should have some money left over even. My kids all want to move to Fredericksburg now, but they said that when we went to Utah, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Galveston... they just love seeing new places. Love you all! I'm hoping I'll get better sooner than later... We'll see. My worry is that Mike is starting to get sick now...

As of yesterday, Mike and I have been married for 14 years!  We stayed at a resort on the beach for one night while Carol watched our kids.  We had a great time together, on the beach, and then eating, but something I ate at the restuarant did not agree with me and I was in pain the rest of the night.  I took some immodium which allowed me to get through our couples massage.  All in all, we had an enjoyable time.  The beach was a bit too cold to really enjoy it much, but it was still fun to walk the beach with just my husband. 

The kids all had a great time with Carol, and we are so grateful that she watches our kids each year to we can have one night away!  After she left, Mike played tennis with Cameron and then went on a "Bike Adventure" (as Errolyn calls it) with Cameron, Errolyn, and Logan.  Logan hopped onto Cameron's old bike that has no training wheels and rode away fine... so now he is on a non-training wheel bike, which he's excited about.  In the evening, Mike and I saw Les Miserables and then went to Yogurt Zone.  I really enjoyed the movie, other than Ann Hathaway's whole character... it was too much for me.  She did a great job, I just didn't like the character.  The music was excellent, and most of it performed really well.  Cosette had too week of a voice, and Hugh Jackman needed to sing "Bring Him Home" in a lower key... but all in all, I loved seeing the emotion throughout each song.  The acting was really good.

Last Sunday, Logan slipped after getting out of the shower and banged right next to his left eye on the counter.  It banged so hard that it split the skin pretty deep and I had to take Logan to an urgent care clinic.  They were able to glue it closed, put on a small patch, and it looks much better as of now.

On Monday, Janet's family was supposed to come out, but they didn't make it until late and just went to Carol's.  Carol, Gerogre, Kathy, Brian, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and Jim all came over on Christmas Eve for nachos and dessert from Kathy.  We were going to do the nativity but postponed it until Christmas Day since Janet wasn't able to be there.  We had FHE with Mom and Dad and Dad sang his Samuel the Lamanite song on the guitar for us... which I love.  Earlier in the day, we went Christmas Caroling with some friends to a local nursing home.

On Christmas morning, Logan woke up at 4am!  We told him to go back to bed until it was in the sixes.  I came down at 6am to take my Synthroid and go back to bed, but Logan was up and opening his stoocking.  He woke up the others and so we had Christmas really early.  Dad came over at 7am to watvhcthe kids open their presents, but we were already done.  I felt badly, but didn't want to call that early in case he was sleeping.  The kids only got 2 presents each this year, except Logan who got three because his cost total was less than the others.  They enjoyed their new bikes and other presents.  Mike's parents sent the kids several presents each, so it still felt like a big Christmas to them.

We let the kids play with their presents for a while and then loaded up the car to go to Carol's.  Logan accidentally stepped in a tray of 7-layer dip that I was bringing for the dinner... I was not happy and had to scrape out the shoe parts and bring what was left.  We had a good time talking with everyone.  Lunch was a little more chaotic than we'd all planned... it was supposed to be no cooking or little cooking dinner, but somehow it still turned out large with lots of cooking chaos.  The kids ended up eating early and the adults a little later when the cooked dishes were done.  Then we did the Nativity.  I'll have to get the video from Jim because I'm sure it was funny.  Then we opened presents from family.  We all enjoyed our presents very much and hopefully everyone enjoyed the presents we gave as well.

After presents, we all watched a Christmas video from Linda that was fun to watch and revealed a super secret message that we all laughed and talked about the rest of the day.  Janet's family left fairly early, and then Kathy and Grandma left.  Dad had been feeling badly all day, which we all thought was just cedar allergies and now we know was also the flu.  After a little while, Mom and Dad left and we talked with Brian and Kevin for a while and played a couple rounds of Skip-bo.  Then we drove home.  It was a good Christmas... full of family, games, talking, and love.

On Wednesday, we went to Outback with Carol, George, and Kevin for Kevin's birthday since they were leaving early to go home early because of Dad's flu.  It was good to see everyone.  I stopped by Grandma's and said my goodbyes.  Then I took Cameron to see The Hobbit since he had received a ticket in his stocking.  He really enjoyed it and I enjoyed it much more the 2nd time... and really appreciated the music more the 2nd time.  The next day we cleaned and played. In the afternoon Carol invited us to go see the Abraham Lincoln movie. It was good, but not as powerful as I had thought it would be. The ending, of course, was powerful and sad.  I start feeling a little under the weather on Thursday, I think.  I didn't think anything of it, but I have slowly gotten worse and worse.  I was still fine on Friday at the beach, but by Saturday morning I was getting worse.  After Les Mis, I felt even worse, and by this morning, I think my cold has full blown hit me.  Still not the congestion that others experience, but I just feel bad and phlemy.  I'll be fine, I just hope it goes away quickly.  Emma and I are staying home from church today since we both have colds.

So, not to make a long post longer, but in Sunday School last week we talked about charity.  The Bible Dictionary says charity is not acts or deeds, so the teacher asked how have we had experienced charity in our lives.  We all gave good traditional answers and then she read a little from Elder Holland's book that revealed quite a different take on chairty than the normal definition.

In Elder Holland’s book“Christ and the New Covenant” he says:

 “It is instructive to note that the charity,or “the pure love of Christ,” we are to cherish can be interpreted two ways.  One of its meanings is the kind of merciful, forgiving, love Christ’s disciples should have one for another.  That is all Christians should try to love as the Savior loved, showing pure, redeeming compassion for all.  Unfortunately, few, if any, mortals have been entirely successful in the endeavor, but it is an invitation that all should try to meet.

The greater definition of “the pure love of Christ,” however, is not what we as Christians try but largely fail to demonstrate toward others but rather what Christ totally succeeded in demonstrating toward us.  True charity has been known only once.  It is shown perfectly and purely in Christ’s unfailing, ultimate, and atoning love for us.  It is Christ’s love for us that “suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not.”  It is his love for us that “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”  It is as demonstrated in Christ that “charity never faileth.”  It is that charity- his pure love for us-without which we would be nothing, hopeless, of all men and women most miserable.  Truly those found possessed of the blessings of his love at the last day- the Atonement, the Resurrection, eternal life, eternal promise- surely it shall be well with them.

This does not in any way minimize the commandment that we are to try to acquire this kind of love for one another.  We should “pray unto theFather with all the energy of heart.  That [we] may be filled with his love.”  We should try to be more constant and unfailing, more longsuffering and kind, less envious and puffed up with our relationships with others.  As Christ lived so should we live, and as Christ loved so should we love.  But the“pure love of Christ” Mormon spoke of is precisely that- Christ’s love.  With that divine gift, that redeeming bestowal, we have everything; without it wehave nothing and ultimately are nothing, except in the end “devils [and] angels to a devil.”

Life has its share of fears and failures.  Sometimes things fall short.  Sometimes people fail us, or economies or businesses or governments fail us. But one thing in time or eternity does not fail us- the pure love of Christ.”

Then the teacher asked, now how have you had charity in your life?  After reading Elder Holland's passage, I think anytime we repent, feel his pure love, or recognize the Atonment working in our lives, then we have charity because we have Christ's pure love, the pure love of Christ,  Elder Holland also says we need to seek to have this love ourselves, so this doesn't excuse us from trying to be charitable as well.  Anyway, I thought it was a neat take on charity.  

So, on Monday we went Christmas caroling as a family to our neighbor's and those we visit and home teach.  It's a tradition that I enjoyed when I was younger and my kids enjoy it too.  On Wednesday, I went out to lunch with a few friends from the Messiah orchestra and we had a good time talking.  That evening I brought dinner to a friend who just had a baby, and then Mike and Cameron went to help another family in the ward.  The family's house had flooded this week and the Elder's Quorum was taking shifts to help them fix and clean up everything.  Cameron enjoyed learning how to install toilets with Mike. 

Earlier in the week, the Mission President's wife called to see if I knew anyone with a cello for a musical number a missionary was going to perform at their Mission Conference.  So, on Thursday morning I let them borrow Cameron's cello.  That evening, Cameron had an orchestra concert at one of the local highschools.  He did a good job. 

In an attempt to simplify our lives, we decided not to have our adult Christmas Party this year.  It was a difficult decision, but in the end I'm glad.  So, Cameron and Errolyn wanted to have their own Christmas Party and promised to clean, make all of the games, and prepare the food... and they did.  They planned a great party and had a lot of fun with their friends.  They played table tennis, foosball, laser tag in the backyard, a minute-to-win-it game they had prepared, and then they had a White Elephant gift exchange.  Also, on Friday Emma and I went to Logan and Errolyn's Christmas parties at school.  Emma was quite the food mooch, but enjoyed "having a party" with her brother and sister.

On Saturday, we mostly cleaned the garage, car, a few things in the house, and went shopping.  Mike and I went to the temple in the evening... barely.  I think everything was conspiring against us to go, starting with long lines at the stores (getting home late), a dryer that broke (so our clothes we were planning on wearing were still wet), and construction (causing the exit to the temple to be closed), and then us taking the wrong exit after the closed exit.  Luckily, we were still able to make it to the temple before it closed and had time to do the family sealings that I had brought and then a few other sealings the temple had.  I always enjoy doing sealings with my husband; it's always special even if it's for somebody else.  Then we ate at Outback Steakhouse, which we have boycotted for the last two years because they changed the way they cook their Alice Springs Chicken (woodburning stove + no spices except salt= dried out and flavorless).  We asked if they could cook it the old way (seared with poultry seasoning), and they did and it was tender and delicious.  Boycott over!

Today was our Ward Christmas program.  It was simple with narration and Christmas hymns straight from the hymnbook, but sometimes simple is nice.  Mike and Cameron are hometeaching right now.  I really enjoyed Cameron's answer in his Journal Jar post today.  He really felt the Spirit as he was answering the question and cried and hugged me at the end of his testimony.  He's such a good boy; always trying to learn and do what's right.  I'm a blessed mama to have such wonderful children!

Errolyn went outside, which she's not supposed to do on Sunday, and was trying to jump off a chair onto the tree swing.  Hmmm.... I think you know where this story is going.  Anyway, the next thing we know she is lying on the cement outside screaming.  Luckily she just scraped her upper leg and bruised her hip/ bottom area pretty good.  But, she is miserable and lying on the couch.  I played a recording of "Puff the Magic Dragon" to cheer her up, since that's what my Dad used to play for me... only with his guitar and not a recording.  Then I found a gem of a recording from Peter, Paul, and Mary of "The Marvelous Toy."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIl8JMkPylM  I didn't realize they are so funny.  Anyway, I love this song because of my Dad.

Errolyn's tragedy reminds me of when I was a kid and we lived with the Lewis family.  I knew I wasn't supposed to watch TV on Sunday, but I turned it on and watched the circus without my parents knowing.  Well, I wanted to be a tight rope walker and tied a jump rope to the top of my bunk bed and told my sister Janet to hold the other end.  (Yes, you know where this story is going too.)  I took a step off of the bunk bed and didn't even step onto the rope but missed it completely and fell onto a desk and onto the floor.  I remember having a huge gash in my leg.  I decided I would never watch TV on Sunday again since that must have been the cause of my tragedy.  Lol.  And Errolyn says she will never play outside on Sunday again.

I love the Missionary Jar questions that we do each week during FHE, but I really love the Journal Jar questions my kids write about each Sunday in their journals/ blogs.  When we first started they weren't thrilled about the idea, but now they love when it's their turn to draw a question and it's fun to see their answers.  We also have Scripture Flashcards that we go over each Sunday and it's fun to see how many scriptures the kids know.  We went over the New Testament Scripture Masteries this year and even Logan knows a lot of the references when I read the clues or verses (especially John 14:15, John 10:16, James 1:5-6, Hebrews 5:4, and John 17:3... although sometimes he'll bust out another reference that we didn't even know he knew... it's fun).  Cameron knows them all, and Errolyn knows most of them.  Emma likes to be a part so she sits down and yells, "John 8, 9, 10."  Haha... she's so cute.  So, when the kids can't remember a reference it's the inside joke to use Emma's answer of John 8, 9, 10.  Lol.

Tuesday was crazy for us.  Cameron was supposed to have Scouts, but they told the other deacon (only one) just to go to Cameron's orchestra concert since the other leaders also had kids in the orchestra.  Cameron did a great job and was third chair and part of a "solo" group on a couple of pieces.  Errolyn also had a choir concert at the same time, but chose to go to Activity Days instead because she wanted to go Christmas Caroling with the other girls.

On Wednesday, the missionaries came over for dinner and then I had a meeting with the Stake President to discuss next year's Messiah... yes, the planning starts already... lol.  On Thursday, Mike and I went to the Stake President's Christmas party and had a good time.  On Friday, Mike, Cameron, and I were going to see The Hobbit, but Cameron was not able to go so Mike and I went.  I really enjoyed the movie, although I think they shouldn't have made the book into three movies.  It would have been more enjoyable as two. 

On Saturday, we cleaned and I then I ate lunch with Carol, Kathy, and Grandma.  We had a good chat and then I came home while Mike took the kids to play tennis.  Carol came over for a little bit.  Later, Mike and I went to his company work party.  As usual, it was great!  It was crowded with about 12,000 people there, lots of food, a concert by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and lots of fun rooms to venture into.  We saw a  ton of people we knew, and I had a lot of people find me and tell me how much they enjoyed the Messiah- some of the people I didn't even know, some members, some non-members.  It's neat that so many people in the community are going each year.  It was fun dressing up and having fun with good friends.  Church came too early this morning, but we all managed to get there on time.  After church, we practiced with the choir for the Christmas program next Sunday.