God loves Jesus. Jesus has a birthday. God loves a party. Also, He loves sushi. I'm certian of it.

So kids, the holiday season has just begun. I'm spending the entire day filling out Christmas cards, party invitations, making menus, putting up the tree, and doing laundry. The planning process is in full force.

My junior high girls will be here on the nineth to make many sugary treats and watch a fun Christmas movie or two after school. I think Kathy wants to make it a sleepover, but I think she keeps on forgetting that I work Saturdays, which will probably give her a reason to lecture me about communication again. I'm really good at communicating with everyone else but her and John. The girls and their parents are never confused.

On the 17th, I'm having my first home party with my sister and a handful of our friends. I'm more excited than a puppy with a new playtoy! Kristin's making sushi, and I figure we'll make something lovely for the less venturious paletes. I don't know if we'll do egg nogg, seems like a complete mis-match with the menu. I also don't know that I want to do liquor in general. Still teetering on that issue. There will be many sugary treats made out of unprocessed ingredients. People should walk away with their belts on the floor, bay-bee.

I also need to have an official housewarming party one of these days. I may wait until January - which reminds me I have a family bowling night to plan for January also.

I'm going to St. Louis for New Year's! Kristin, Lori, Erica and I are going to try to sneak into a swing festival. Should be a grand old time! I'm so excited. I finally get to use my UNITED vouchers from last Thanksgiving. My adrenaline's pumping just thinking about it.

And this, my friends, is what you might call: The high point. If life would plateau at this point, I think I could be okay.

Just testing out the new digs. I got them to go with the new life I've been expirimenting with.


Seems I have a life when I'm on vacation. Or at least when I have Saturdays off. I've been setting up my house and dealing with the squirrls. Let me tell you, the yard took three days and could still use a little more tending to, and the squirrls have taken to spending all day rummaging through the gutters to find any hidden walnuts. I think I'm going to have to write a horror novel based on squirrls. It'll be great and make me millions. Yard work and squirrls as horror? Genius! I've also got my room in some sort of working order, although the bars I'd bought to hang my clothes on have both busted. Yarr.

I went to the Joslyn Art Museum on Saturday like I did back in the good ol' days. The Picasso exhibit was there and I have to tell you that - holy crap - that man really loved the nudies. I mean, I knew he had a lot of nudes in his paintings, but the collection from his grandmother was about 80%+ NUDE. There were a few things from his bullfighting period and a couple portraits - which were completely respectable and lovely. Oh yes they were. He also appeared to me to really be into acrobats and circus folk in general. I never knew. I was never explained any of this when I was in school art classes. It was all about cubism and his blue period. I guess you really can't explain his obsession with the naked female body and odd obsession with animal genitalia and rape to 5th graders without turning them completely off his good stuff. Someone probably has an explination for this that I'd be happy to hear, but golly, I know what I saw.

I've been spending mucho time with my sister. I think the endorphins from dancing have really helped our relationship. We're going to try the Charleston class on Wednesday again and see if the class goes this time (the class was cancelled the last two times we've gone). I hope it does, it's been nice being off my butt and moving around, and nice spending so much time with my sister. I don't know if y'all know this, but I have the best relationship with my sister. I get along with her better than I think I get along with anyone in my life. I think it's just because we get each other, and we appreciate how silly our serious sides are. Not to mention we genuinely like each other as much as we love each other. So yeah, I just appreciate her and wanted to voice that somewhere.

I have a double lot. We started raking and clearing flowerbeds and cutting down rogue branches. My dad and I counted the walnut trees in my yard. Officially there are 14 and they all need to be cut way the hell down. Not to mention all the friggin lilac bushes that are going to kill me come spring.

I had squirrls yelling at me all day because we were invading their territory. The mailman and one of our neighbors, Chuck, told us that no one had touched the yard in at least TWO YEARS. No wonder they were racing back and forth across the lawn. They were trying to protect their territory.

So far, we've cleaned up about a third of the yard and that was 6 hours of work. I pulled a muscle in my arm and nothing I've taken has done anything to quell the pain. At. All. I've been crying tears it hurts so bad.

And I have to start the process all over again tomorrow. Ugh.

Well kids, I'm 25 now. I have a house, I have a car, I have a job, I have many things. It's more than I think I ever thought I could have. I am in complete awe of where I have been led, good and bad, and I can't wait to see what else is on the agenda. For everything I have though, I'd gladly replace it all for heaven.

It is my party and I will cry if I want to.

I'm learning the Charleston tonight. Kristin has been encouraging me to go dancing with her a little more often, so she talked me into taking a class with her. I'm terrified. I know. I shouldn't be. I'm just too "two left feet." I am.

Two weeks until the big move, kids.