Just More Stuff for You to Read

So, I think I'm almost finished tweaking my page now. I would like a more creative-looking header, but don't know how to achieve that. Any suggestions?

Christmas was good. We got to head up to Arkansas for some time with the fam. I didn't get to see CBB, which bummed me out. But next time, Court. Or my new fab-o BFF Rachel! CBB, please tell her she has now been immortalized on my blog.

But we did get some good time with my parents, brother, sis-in-law, and nephew, as well as with Elizabeth. The kids ate up some Grandma and Pappa time, and I ate up (way too much) some good home-baked sweets. We're talking tiger butter, fudge, hard candy (cinnamon), chocolate pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and magic bars. OK, so I don't go so much for the pecan pie or the magic bars (I don't care for anything with nuts or coconut), but let me tell you, few morsels were left when all was said and done.

The most interesting part of our visit: spending the night in my sis's-in-law haunted house. I wanted to do it, and let me tell you, it's creepy. It's also got no heat in it at the moment (they're doing quite a bit of remodeling to it), which made for a potentially chilly evening.

Let me back up on this one:
My sis-in-law has owned this house in Benton for awhile. It's big, and it's old. And haunted. Right now, she, Matt, and Trevor live in Matt's cozy little thing on Canturbury. But they eventually want to move into Lisa's place; thus, the remodeling. I'd taken a tour in it before, and loved the deliciously creepy feel of it. It's just fun to be in and pretend it's haunted. But then that stuff starts getting into your head and you get a little freaked out. So Lisa and I started talking about all of us piling in there for a sleepover while BW and I were up for Christmas. BW's allergies wouldn't allow him to stay in it, because all of the work has stirred up quite a bit of junk. But that didn't stop me from taking Noodle and Chicken Nugget over there, and we all piled up on some air mattresses and sleeping bags and plugged in a space heater and watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and drank hot cocoa and ate cookies and popcorn and M&M's. Elizabeth was there, too, with her digital camera. So before settling in for the night, we took a tour of the house and took pics all around and got lots of orbs (which Matt said was dust floating in the air, but it was more fun to call them orbs). I only got freaked out once in the night, when the space heater went off and came back on all by itself . . . spooky . . . till I realized it had a thermometer on it.

Also fun to note, for those of you who have had any dealings with me and my bladder issues: we stayed in an upstairs room (the house has 14 rooms all told, including living rooms, etc.) and the working bathroom was not only downstairs, but downstairs and all the way on the other side of the house. Man, I held it for as long as I could before waking Elizabeth up in the night and having her walk me down there. I was too spooked to go all by myself!

So before we left for Christmas, I got a call from a principal from one of the schools to which I'd applied. He offered me a contracted position! I'll be starting Monday. It'll be teaching 9th grade English. I am still pinching myself! I don't even know if I'll really believe it till my name is down in ink on that contract. Oooooo . . . can this REALLY, finally be happening!

I think we had a great year. We did. We had a great year. And we have a good life. Beautiful kids, wonderful marriage, and a lot to be thankful for. I'm still just trying to make each day matter. I was thinking about Christmas gifts, but really, we got some great gifts even before Christmas. We added Baby Butterbean to our family, and he's been a joy and a treasure. All the kids are growing and are happy. BW and I are happy (and growing, but not up - hope to take care of that in the coming year). My mom, myself, and three of my children were spared from harm this summer. We also were able to be part of a beautiful wedding and to welcome my new sis-in-law to the family. Yeah . . . it's been a great year.

Much love to all of you.