I am going to make it my goal next year to have Christmas shopping done by July 25th. I think it loses out on the spirit of Christmas to drag in on the 23rd or the 24th like a steam engine late to a major stop or something.

We are actually done. I could run to the store for something...I can't remember what. So, I won't. I went today and it wasn't horrifically bad at Wal-Mart, believe it or not. I just needed some buttons. I ended up with an armload of stuff (I refuse to push a cart through Wal-Mart; the last time I did a wheel fell off). I got to the register and tossed my arm load down at the self-check out and Becky called asking for one more thing. I gathered it all up again and picked out the thing she asked for. I came back, tossed it all again and checked out. When I got home something was missing and it wasn't on the receipt so I must have dropped it somewhere in between tossing, gathering and tossing again.

I would like to ask Jesus to forgive me for letting things get too hectic for His birthday!

I made little donkey cookies today to give out to people with the story of the Legend of the Little Donkey. It's a story about the donkey that carried Mary when Jesus was being born in Bethlehem which was also ascendant to the donkey that carried Jesus for his Triumphant Entry. It's just a story. I thought it would be a good way to proclaim the wonderful News of His birth.

We made cookies with Melanie and Timothy. Timothy had so much fun putting "sprinkles" on the cookies. I think he called Doug "grandpa" when we arrived. Their new puppy, Ginger, piddled when we got there, or had just piddled.

Have a wonderful Christmas Celebration! Try not to let things get confusing and think of Jesus and how wonderful it was when the Angels came to proclaim His birth! I know how exciting it was when my grandson arrived but the angels were thrilled to know that God's plan of salvation was beginning when Jesus was born!