Writing up our Christmas Lists

 Hi all!  This afternoon, Elizabeth and I wrote up our Christmas lists.

 "Thanks for heating up some hot chocolate, Elizabeth." I thanked my sister.

"You are welcome." She replied.  "What have you written so far?"

"Well, I really want the Frosty Fair Isle Set from American Girt, so that's on there, and a outfit for my dolls." I read off my list.  "What about you?"

 "I'm still writing." My sister replied.  "Caroline's Travel Outfit is all I have written down currently." 

"Writing this down makes Christmas seem closer.  I can't wait for it!" I excited said.

 Quietly, we wrote on our lists, adding things as we thought of them.

Writing up our Christmas lists while sipping hot chocolate is a fun (and yummy) way to spend a afternoon.

Do you write up Christmas lists?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

 Hello, lovely readers!  Today Mother, Father, Chrissa and I decorated our house for Christmas; we always do the day after Thanksgiving.

 We brought our artificial tree inside from the garage.  Our parents bought a artificial tree because Chocolate Chip has a tendency too "sent" real pine trees.

 Chrissa lugged in the ornaments, lights, tinsel, and the star for the top of the tree.  Once the garage was emptied of it's Christmas contents, 

 ...Chrissa and I looped the colorful lights around our no longer bare tree.

 While I carefully guided the sparkly white tinsel around the branches,...

 ... Chrissa plunked the red star on the topmost branch.  With a bang, my sister dropped the box of bulbs on the couch, which she opened and started to hang on the tree.  I joined her.

 "Here's a bulb to place on the top." I said, handing Chrissa a green/yellow ornament. 

"Okay- I'll put it right here." She replied, cautiously hanging it on a high branch.  Finishing with the bulbs, ...

 ... I unfastened the lid of a container full of snowflake ornaments.

 We hung them on the tree's prickly branches.

 "I like it." Chrissa commented as we stepped back to look at our work.

"I think it to be splendid." I agreed.

 From the red star on top to the blue fuzzy tree skirt on bottom, our tree was beautiful.

 We hung up our stockings on the cabinet because there isn't a fireplace in our house.  In Florida, there simply is not a need.

But of course, we decorated the table for Christmas too.  At our house, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Have you "decked the halls" yet?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi all!  I hope you are having a pleasant Thanksgiving.  

This morning, Elizabeth and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,...

 ... ate Mom's homemade coffee cake, which was extremely good (and I probably devoured too quickly).  Later, Dad's parents (our grandparents) joined us for the delicious, delectable, tasty Thanksgiving meal that Mom made.  My whole family all enjoyed quality time and food together.

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving (if you did)?

Our Sweet Pets

 Hello, lovely readers!  One of the many things Chrissa and I are thankful for are our two playful pets, Sugar and Chocolate Chip. 

 This is my dog, Sugar.  She is a Yorkshire Terrier (or "Yorkie"), and I love her so very much!  Because it is easily tangled, I bush her soft fur every morning.  She has a gentle spirit, and is quite a cutie!

 Chrissa's dog, Chocolate Chip, is a Chocolate Lab puppy.  She is extraordinarily energetic, always ready for a walk.  Because of this, Chocolate Chip brings loads of energy into our house.

Below are pictures of both of them that I snapped this morning, first Sugar then Chocolate Chip.

 Look at her cute little nose!

 High and mighty Chocolate Chip (silly puppy).

 Chrissa and I are so thankful for our adorable, loyal, furry puppies!

Do you have any pets?

My Pen Pals are Awesome!

 Hi all!  Today not one, but TWO letters came for me the mail!  Here's how it happened...

 I was outside, enjoying the lovely weather by laying on a towel (and thinking that we really should get a hammock), when Elizabeth walked into the grass carrying three letters.

 "Chrissa!  When I picked up our mail, I found three letters for us!" Elizabeth happily reported.  "One for you, one for me, and one for both of us!"

"That's amaze!" I shouted.  "Let's open them up!"  I was extremely happy, so much so that I was jumping up and down!  Even though Elizabeth didn't join me in my crazy act, her smile told me that she was just as pleased as I was. 

 Quietly, my sister and I read our letters from Lexie and Melody, who live in TN, and from Libby and Marie-Grace, our cousins in NE. 

I am SO thankful for my encouraging and hilarious pen pals.  They are such a blessing!

Do you have pen pals?

A Week of Thanksgiving

Hi all!  It was so my turn to post, because Elizabeth has done the last like, three posts or something? The point is, I'm glad it's my turn!  Anyway, back to the point.  Starting today, a week from Thanksgiving, Elizabeth and I are going to try to post each day one or two things we are thankful for, in celebration of Thanksgiving!  That will be incorporated into our normal posting.

P.S. I think it is kind of sad that right after we celebrate being thankful for all that we have, it's Christmas and we just are like "Oh, I want this and that and this (squeal) that shirt is adorbs!  Mom, can I get all this?"

What do you think?

The First S.A.H.O. Disagreement

 Hello, lovely readers!  On Sunday, Saige and Julie drooped in for a visit.

 Because Julie wasn't exactly sure when they would arrive, I was busy washing dishes.  Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Saige!  I'm so glad you're here!" I greeted my friend.

"Thanks for inviting us!" Saige warmly replied.

"Where is Julie?"

"Oh- she isn't felling well, so her parents dropped me off and drove to Walgreen's to get some Tylenol or something."  Saige said.  "She'll be here any minute."

Ding-dong.

"Hello, Julie!" How are you feeling?" I asked, opening the door.

"Not so well.  I went to the doctor earlier this week, because my stomach hurt, and there's something wrong with it, so they're going to do a bunch of tests." Julie said unhappily.

"Chrissa and I will definitely pray for you." I told Julie.

"Hey, what's-" Chrissa said, walking into the room.  "Julie! Saige!  You're here!"

"Yes we are!" Saige agreed, laughing.

"Would you like a snack?" I offered.

"Like what?" Chrissa asked hopefully.

"Perhaps popcorn?" I suggested.

"Sure!"

Julie and I climbed upstairs, and we popped popcorn.

"What do you want to do?" Julie asked, snacking on the popcorn. "Besides talk, I mean."

"What if we did a S.A.H.O. meeting?" Chrissa said.

"That's a great idea!  Let's set it up!" Julie said excitedly.

Here's our official S.A.H.O. sign.

On our whiteboard, we each signed our names.

"Hey- I have a idea!" Julie said. "What if we wrote all our pen pals and made them members of S.A.H.O too!  We would have so many more members!"

"Um, Julie, don't forget that S.A.H.O. stands for St. Augustine Hang Out." Chrissa reminded.  "How can pen pals, who live in different states, hang out in St. Augustine?"

"They wouldn't be the like, official members, but kind of different, you know?" Julie explained.  "Okay, I could write Willow and Brooke, and who could you write, Saige?"

"Maybe Juliet or McKenna?" Saige said. "Oh- not your cousin." she added, seeing Chrissa's confused face.

"Well, I have my cousin Libby, my friend Lexie, and Kit P." Chrissa listed off. "They are already my pen pals."

"What about you, Elizabeth?" Julie asked, a dry-erase marker in her hand.

"My cousin, Marie-Grace, and Lexie's sister, Melody." I replied.  "Both Chrissa and I are pen pals with Kit P."

"Okay, now let's get our stationary and write some letters!" Julie said.

"Wait a second, Julie." Chrissa cautioned. "I didn't say I wanted to do this."

"Why? Don't you think it's a good idea?" Julie replied.

"Well... It's just that you're being kind of bossy about it." Chrissa said.

"No I'm not!" Julie replied, her eyes flashing.

"See, you're even being bossy right now!"

"Well, you're just being inconsiderate." Julie retorted.

"No I'm not!" Chrissa defended.  By now, both Chrissa and Julie were facing each other, glaring.

"You are just jealous that I thought of it and you didn't." Julie defended herself.

"I am not, because I think it was a terrible idea." Chrissa said angrily.

"WHAT!?  You are so mean, Chrissa Edwards!  I thought that you were my true friend!" Julie complained.  "I now see that you aren't really.  I never want to talk to you AGAIN!"

"From the way you're acting, I never want to you again!" Chrissa retorted angrily.  "Good bye!"

Julie stalked away towards the door and thew back the beach towel, and disappeared.  During their argument, Saige or I had not been able to get a word in between Julie and Chrissa's verbal fight.  So, I slipped out to talk with Julie.

"I don't want to talk." Julie resentfully said.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, I told my friend,  "Julie, you know that we shouldn't let the sun set on our anger."

"Yea, because if the sun was hitting our anger, it would make it more hot." Julie said, not really paying attention.

"You know what I meant, Julie." I told her gently.  After a moment of silence, ...

"It's all her fault." Julie started quietly, growing louder.  "I had this fun idea, and she just cut me down.  She even said that it was terrible!"

"I am sure Chrissa said that in the extreme heat of her anger, and didn't really mean it." I said. "When you are full of anger like you both were, you are liable to say mean things."

"I know.  But what am I supposed to do?" Julie asked, turning around to look into my eyes for the first time.

"Apologizing is a good place to start." I offered.

"Okay." Julie sighed.

Meanwhile - int the other room another conversation was developing..."Do you want to tell me about your feelings?" Saige asked Chrissa.

"I'll tell you this: I hate being bossed around!  Since I'm the youngest in our family, everyone bosses me around!" Chrissa exploded.  "Just because I'm younger doesn't mean they can tell me what to do!  It's rare that people listen to what I have to say." She added in a quieter tone.  Just then, Julie and I walked back into the clubhouse.

"I'll apologize as soon as Chrissa does." Julie said stiffly.   With a small sigh, my sister said,

"Julie, I'm sorry I called your idea terrible.  I didn't really mean it, I just am very annoyed when I feel like people are telling me what to do."

"Wow!  You actually did!" Julie commented, sounding surprised. "I'm sorry too, Chrissa.  I didn't mean to boss you around.  Friends again?"

"Friends again." Chrissa replied, standing up and hugging Julie, who returned it.

Relationships are like plants; they need work to keep growing.  I'm so glad that Chrissa and Julie resolved their disagreement.

Have you ever had a fight with your friend that needed to be resolved?