Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

This weekend, after my son's stellar debut on the fourth grade boys city-league basketball team, we decided it was time to decorate for Christmas. Isn't it amazing how many boxes of Christmas decorations you can shove up into the attic? And we got rid of LOTs of our decorations when we moved to Virginia.

To really put us in the Christmas spirit, we baked sugar cookies. It took some time to find a Sugar Cookie recipe online that didn't need baking soda -- for some reason, we have no baking soda. The kids did a great job decorating (their favorite part) but really weren't interested in eating too many. Of course, this means I'll end up eating two dozen sugar cookies!

So, the cookies are baked and the tree is up -- but it doesn't have any decorations because my daughter (who is now feeling much better) has decided we should have a "theme" tree -- and the theme should be Gingerbread Men. The only problem...we only have seven gingerbread man ornaments. But not to worry, she has a plan. It includes a trip to Garden Ridge and several hours of crafting. Until then, we have a very Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree.

Amid the boxes of decorations deemed "not good with the theme", rolls of wrapping paper with no presents yet to wrap and an ornament-less tree -- it's being to look a bit like Christmas. Hope your holidays are more organized!

Slow Road to Recovery

Well, Thanksgiving seemed to pass by in a daze. My daughter had surgery on Wednesday -- all went well, but recovery has been difficult. If she wasn't crying because she hurt and was nauseated, I was crying because she hurt and was nauseated! Thank heaven my mom and sister got here late Wed. night -- moms are good about "swooping in" and taking charge. Nanny made sure the rest of the family was well fed and my house looks cleaner now than before she came! My beautiful niece was also here from Oklahoma and she kept my son entertained.

Monday afternoon my daughter's nose finally stopped bleeding, so she went to school for a half-day today. Tomorrow we go to the doctor to "have the splints removed" (around her I'm acting like it won't be as bad as it sounds). For now, I'm just glad things seem to be getting back to normal -- or as normal as things get for being three weeks away from Christmas!

Pretty Pre-op Toes

Say a little prayer for my daughter tomorrow, she's having sinus surgery at 8:00 am. In preparation, we had pedicures. I'm not sure if the ENT will notice, but hopefully some nurse will! These are her orange toes with yellow flowers.

My daughter's had breathing/allergy problems her whole life. Having her tonsils out helped at age 3, but the doctor says it's time to fix everything else. Her surgery will fix a deviated septum (the kids in her Bible Study group are kidding her that she's actually just having a nose job like Ashley Tisdale and saying it's for a deviated septum) and opening up some other obstructions.

My mom, sister and niece will be here tomorrow night. Nanny (my mom) said she's coming, "To rock that baby until she feels better." Yes, the 'baby' is 12. Doesn't matter, Nanny is good medicine no matter the age.

Remeber us in your prayers and go cook something, Thanksgiving is less than 48 hours away for goodness sakes!

We Have a Winner

My daughter started in her first junior high basketball game last night -- and they won. The Wildcats defeated the Bulldogs 42 - 9. She has now surpassed her mother's record of wins for junior high. Yes, for those of you who did not follow the Purple Pirates in the early '80s, we lost every ball game in 7th, 8th and 9th grade. Don't you know our parents enjoyed those three years of sporting events? Now wish us luck, we're off to the first 7th Grade Girls District Tournament this weekend. Hopefully the winning streak will continue. Go Wildcats!

It's Officially Cold Season

Well, "the crud" has hit our household. Since Saturday someone in the family has had the sore throat, head full of concrete, please let me sleep 24 hours bug. It's not fun. Even less fun is being the mom with the crud. During the lucid moments between Nyquil doses you think of everything not getting done. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful husband who keeps everyone fed, clothed and on schedule. I really don't know how you single moms do it. For now I'm off to fix toast for my son, right after I Lysol-down this keyboard. Stay away from those cold germs and have a good week.

I Was Just Trying to get a Little Work Done

Our Student Ministry is having a retreat this weekend, so my husband and daughter are off at camp. That leaves just me and the boy -- and it's college football day on ESPN, so the boy is set. Hand him a sandwich or bowl of ice cream every few hours and he's in heaven.

So I decided it would be a great time to vaccuum. I do not like cleaning the floors, so I always try to move quickly when the urge strikes! But, while maneuvering through I spied a small box under the guest bed. Not sure what was in it, I left my task at hand to investigate. It's pictures! A box full of pictures. I'm not sure why they were in the guest room...but I love pictures. And many of these were old: when Melinda and Myron lived in Florida, when my husband and I traveled before kids, when I cheered for 4th grade and my sister twirled baton for the 6th grade Purple Pirates. And there were several pictures of my dad, the Rancher.

Since he inspired the moniker of my blog, I thought he deserved a little attention. That's him, my dad, the Rancher. My sister had this photo shoot "set up" on the ranch. It turned out to be some of the last photos before his cancer returned.

Of course, he'd think this blog was another one of my goofy ideas. But that's okay -- this Rancher's Daughter is always full of goofy ideas. And lots of love for her daddy.

Now go be goofy and hug the stuffing out of someone you love.

It's a Love/Hate Relationship

In general, I love my digital camera. It's small, has a great zoom, has tons more settings than I'll ever actually use...and usually the pictures are great. But I hate the delay. You know what I mean? You push the button...not taking the picture yet/adjusting for the flash...still not taking the picture... now, now that the kids have moved - the shutter snaps open.It happened last weekend when I was the official photographer of my niece's first birthday soiree. She had her pink and blue tutu on and everything. And there it was...

the delay

the cutest shot opening her presents...delay

It's enough to make an aunt cry. Until you're scrolling through and see the shot of her typing on the old-fashioned blue typewriter.
And it's back to love for the digital camera, because we all get to say "ahh" right then while looking on the little screen.