Lilah has been singing "Deck the Halls" for about a week now.  She is so ready for Christmas to finally get here and I have to say that I am, too.  Today I'm going to get the dough made and chilling for sugar cookies and tomorrow Mom is coming over to attempt candy-making with us.  Turtles are on the agenda and no one has ever made them but Gram.  In fact, I can only recall one time when I actually watched her make them, so we only have a handwritten index card to go by.  That one time was really special because she made a few that were only caramel and nuts since I asked her to.  That's just the kind of Gram she was.  Mom sent me a text last night telling me she had made strawberry bread and that made just a little sad for a second.  But, Mom said sad was not allowed, so I didn't go there.

It's been a hectic first few days of Christmas break.  Wednesday I tied up loose ends on the girls' shopping with my friend Sara who tied up loose ends on her boys' shopping.  We had a plan; we executed the plan; and we even stopped for nourishment along the way!  I felt a little guilty leaving my kids at home with strict instructions not to disturb their sick father (sick to the point he went to the doctor!), but that shopping wasn't going to finish itself.  Our three gift rule is great -- until I start worrying about stockings.  Let's just say this years stockings are very good and probably overstuffed. 

I was also preoccupied Wednesday with my sister's surgery.  I didn't go on the day of the surgery as she had Mom and Rawlon and Rawlon's family there that day.  Instead I went up Thursday so Mom could come home.  You might remember that after Cora was born, Anna suffered a collapsed lung.  That collapsed lung led to some visits with a pulmonologist and several tests which revealed "walled cysts" all over Anna's lungs.  One was of particular concern as it was the size of a grapefruit and had moved when the lung collapsed, causing her heart to shift its position a little.  Needless to say, they had to come out.  There was no worry of malignancy, but the doctor felt that if her lung collapsed again, her heart could move again and that would cause a new set of problems.  This was a pretty invasive surgery and recovery has been tough.  Hopefully she will go home today.  I got to spend Thursday afternoon loving on my sweet niece who is the best baby ever!  She is so good and she is entering that smiling phase and trying to coo.  That little mouth gets to moving and every now and then a little coo will come out.  Sweet, sweet, sweet!