No More Card Curmudgeon

Merry Christmas, loved ones! First, let me apologize for the ugliness of my blog! I don't know what has happened to it, but I do hope to soon transform it so that it will be more aesthetically pleasing.

Now that the disclaimer has been stated, I want to talk about spreading some holiday cheer! I have been learning a lot about giving and receiving lately, and how I have been so ungracious in these areas in the past. I am hoping to have time to post those thoughts soon. But for now, I want to talk about how I'd like to spread some holiday cheer this year!

I have never sent Christmas cards before.

(Kirby of Christmas past)

Seriously! In my 4+ years of marriage and post-graduation, I just haven't done it! I used to send them to the volunteers under my management in my former job, and that seemed to keep me plenty busy. I have trouble sending out cards without writing long personalized messages on them, and the thought of doing that for all of my friends and family seemed so daunting. I have actually begun writing Christmas letters in the past, but never completed them! The truth is, I have even judged Christmas card senders in the past. I thought Christmas cards with family photos on the front seemed to be a way of flaunting what you've got. I am truly sorry for that. I was wrong. Despite my judgmental attitude, I was still always so excited to receive them in the mail! I love mail, I love pictures, and I love seeing how my friends are doing!

I am now convinced that sending Christmas cards is a great way to tell others that you think of and care about them and it is a great way of showing your appreciation for the blessings in your life (hence the family photos on the front!). So, that is why I have given in. It also really helps that I have found a great deal on Shutterfly. Since I am writing about them on my blog, I get 50 free Christmas cards. Hooray!

I have already received 2 Shutterfly cards in the mail and I love them! (Thanks, friends!) They are currently hanging above my kitchen table (: The cards are tasteful, simple, well designed and perfectly colorful. In other words, they look fantastic! And, in about 4 months when my little one turns a year old, Daniel and I are hoping to create a photo book on Shutterfly of Felicity's first year I can hardly wait. Really, I so wanted to make it and give it as Christmas gifts, but decided to wait until we had a year's worth of pictures. And, Daniel is pretty excited about making one of these to decorate our house, whenever we buy one!

So, hopefully, if I can get busy addressing and such you will be getting something like this in the mail soon. And if you don't, know that 1) it's only because I didn't do this sooner and 2) the Clelands are wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With much love,

Kirby Lynn

Cozy Winter Nights

I've really enjoyed having several quiet nights at home over the past couple of weeks. Who ever thought I'd be such a homebody? To be in a warm house with my loves, a fire in the fireplace, Scrabble on the coffee table, Christmas tunes in the background, soup in my belly....it's just been precious beyond words. Here is what some nights at our house are looking like:

So special.

Love to all and Merry Christmas!

Kirby Lynn

November for the Clelands

I seemed to experience every sort of emotion to the fullest in the month of November. I cried tears of joy at Felicity's baptism, sobbed (many times) on Thanksgiving after Sully was badly injured by a pit bull, and had a good bit of anger and confusion in the middle. Anger because I have never seen so much urine in my life as I did this month! Sully and Felicity seemed to be out to pee all over everything (okay Felicity was not out to spite me, but Sully was!), and they just about succeeded. Then, we found overnight diapers for Felicity and Sully seems to be getting the attention he so desperately wanted, so the problem has been solved (: Deep down though, the urine was not the issue, but it was more like the straw that broke the camel's back. However, the camel's back is now recovering and doing much better (:

The confusion came from wondering what to do next? Where to turn? I was abruptly discharged from physical therapy so that I could do it on my own time and had some bad physical pain right about that time, so that left me feeling quite alone in my journey with pain. But, I am extremely overjoyed to say that I have had little physical pain for the past week. God has not only given me relief from pain, but I have also gotten some clarity regarding my pain and caring for myself. It has been amazing beyond words. I can't thank God enough.

So, rather than being too wordy in my review of the month, I will show some pictures and hit the high and low points of the month:

This is a terrible picture. Forgive me. It's more of a reminder of what we did than anything else. Daniel and I had a perfect date up in Blairsville where we did some apple-picking, shopping, eating, and lots of talking and driving. It was so refreshing to get out on a sunny, beautiful, perfectly Fall day. Thanks to Gigi and G-Paw for taking care of the little one and Sully!

I always look forward to Saturdays, but usually end up missing Daniel and feeling the tiniest bit disappointed on the 2 Saturdays a month that Daniel has to work. Though sometimes Felicity and I stay at home and get work done, some days we make fun plans. We had no fun plans the first Saturday in November, so we went to the park! I really should have taken advantage of the neighborhood park much sooner. Better late than never! Felicity absolutely loved swinging on the swingset for the first time! Can't you tell? Above, she is clapping out of sheer excitement!

Felicity and Sully became friends with 2 brothers we met at the park! They loved petting Sully and even helped push Felicity while I was tending to Sully. I also enjoyed talking to their mom, who has 4 kids and fully understands the woes of motherhood!

Thinking baby. The little girl winds down after lots of swinging.

The Big Fight

Sully ran free on Thanksgiving morning (he has a history of getting loose) just as we were about to drive to Auburn to see lotsa Clelands. He entered the territory of 2 pitbulls and got in a fight with one of them. If you know Sully, you know that he is pretty tough for a small dog. But, he is still a small dog. So, needless to say, he didn't fare well though he did put up a good fight. He came home on 3 legs with blood all over the place. (Let me clarify: he still has 4 legs! It's just that one was injured. The blood was from the bite wounds) For a little bit we wondered if he would make it. I am so proud of Daniel for acting quickly and making decisions that proved to be spot-on, though he was emotionally drawn into this emergency case. He and my father-in-law took great care of Sully and brought him out of shock and to a point where he could begin to recover. Sully is now acting like his crazy self again with only a few little hindrances! Hooray! Gosh I love that dog!

Though I was initially very very upset over Sully's injuries, I ended being more upset when the owner of the pit bull angrily came looking for the man who had kicked his dog. That man, of course, was Daniel. He did the kicking in an effort to break up the fight. Daniel's mom and I got down on our knees and prayed that this situation would smoothly work out (thanks Gran- I was a mess!). Things really couldn't have worked out better. Daniel and his mom visited the dog owners once Sully was a little more stable, and the man's wife and Daniel's mom ended up hugging and sympathizing with one another! The pit owner didn't seem to mind having a veterinarian do a free house call, either!

The patient and the doctor. Tired after a couple of rough days.

Pitiful pain med Sully.

Thanksgiving Festivities

Caring for Sully slowed down our holiday plans, but we still fit a lot in. We spent a couple of days with the Clelands and still traveled to Auburn to see more Clelands after Sully's big fight. We had planned to spend 1.5-2 days with the Mardis family, but ended up just getting doing a day trip to visit them. However, it was great to have some quiet time at home with them, since we are usually on the go with the Mardis fam! Sully's recovery also allowed us to decorate for Christmas during Thanksgiving weekend! To the best of our recollection, Daniel and I have never decorated that early. It was especially fun now that we have a baby, a house, and a more realistically sized Christmas tree!

I will always hold a special place in my heart for the 4 foot tall tree my parents loaned us for the past 4 years. However, it is fun to have a more "grown-up" Christmas tree this year!

Love them and love this. What a special time. So precious.

Well my honey's almost home so I'm going to tidy up and get ready for bed. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderfully frigid December and Christmas season.

I know it's a bit early, but I can't help it:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love y'all,

Kirby Lynn