Expecting snow on Christmas day!

When we first moved to Albany, the people we met here insisted it almost "never" snows here in Albany. They weren't telling me the truth! We are expecting snow on Christmas Day, depending on the weather that's coming in from the north bringing some super cold air our way. They said it should drop down to the valley floor! We've been here for six years and it has snowed at least three of those six years! Emma is excited as she said she wants to make a snow angel. We took her to the mountains last March and she is definitely a snowbaby. She loved it and cried when we said we had to leave to go home. How nice it will be to play in the snow and then go in the house and have some hot cocoa! YUM.

Most people will be off on Christmas Eve. Not me! I'm the only one working at my office. I'm going to be there for just a little while, though so don't feel sorry for me. It'll be nice to have the entire "house" to myself and do some of the tedious "filing" and other stuff that never gets done on a timely basis! Then the family and I will head off to an early Christmas Eve mass. It will be nice to be able to sleep in on Christmas Day. We traditionally open our gifts on Christmas Eve, but since Emma's come into our lives, we'll be opening her gifts on Christmas Day or we will never get her to bed. The hubby and I will probably open our gifts Christmas Eve after the little one has gone to bed.

OK, for those who have received our Christmas letter and want to know -- did Emma visit Santa this year? After talking about it for weeks on end, we went on Thursday to our local mall Santa. I told her she had to visit Santa or he wouldn't know what she wanted for Christmas. She actually agreed to stand in line! Then she slowly walked up to him. She stared him down. Then sat down but quite a bit away from him. I moved her a bit over to him where she told him point blank that she wanted a vacuum and a dolly stroller. Then she said she was done. Of course, we tried in vain to get her to smile for the camera, but no such luck. I can't wait until she's old enough to help me vacuum. She has been into a "cleaning" frenzy lately -- I hope it lasts...yeah, right.

Presents are not quite wrapped up yet at my house. The cookie baker has finally stopped production now that Costco employees have gotten their "share" of cookies. I don't intend to bake anything for at least 2 days.

I've been watching Martha Stewart Crafts show on DIY. Even she is into stamping and scrapbooking. I crack up laughing when I see one of her segments on the topics. :) Her craft line is quite spendy but available at Michael's. I will be SO HAPPY when the Michael's is built in Corvallis. I hate driving out to Keizer since they closed the one in Salem when that one opened. It is so out of the way; I won't go unless I really have a desire to look for something specific. With two scrapbook stores closed here in town and the one left that doesn't stock my "style" of papers, etc., I am so glad that Salem is only a stone's throw away. If I wasn't with Stampin' UP! I would go crazy. At least I can purchase what I need.

So how much online shopping have you done this year? I bought at least 5 gifts online and had 3 of them sent directly to the recipient. I am going to do more online shopping next year. I almost had a stroke on Thursday when I went to our tiny mall here at 10 am and couldn't find a parking spot. So not worth shopping late in the game. We have a new Kohl's which has great deals. If they have what they advertise in your size and color. I have gone several times to find that things are so picked over and no sizes or colors left that I want. Thinking they'd restock by the next week, I'd go again and find out that nope no sizes/colors restocked. I have already lost faith in that store. I'm ready to call the store manager and say, "dude, what's up with your store?". Enough complaining!

I've done the house cleaning and laundry and now just have to straighten out the art "studio". But not tonight. I need to stamp some cards! So off I go -- have a great night and hopefully I'll post more before Christmas!

Laters!
J-