update & my Christmas organizer

Remember when I wrote about my foot yesterday?  I really thought it was tendonitis, like I've had before.  I wore a boot to church on Sunday because I thought it would help, and it seemed to, until Sunday night, and I had the worst pain ever.  That's the whole reason I went yesterday.  Well, it's not tendonitis, it's actually a stress fracture.  I have never broken a bone in my life, so it seems fitting that at the ripe age of thirty-eight (almost thirty-nine) that I would do this.

I was reading a book while waiting in the examining room yesterday, because I never leave home without one, and the picture on the left will be my view for the next four to six weeks.  I go back in a month for another x-ray.  I am thanking God that it's not worse and that I am in a boot and not a cast.  That would be so much worse.

After the doctor's appointment, we all went to my mom-in-love's house to help her decorate for Christmas.  She and my dad-in-love don't feel that well and were out of town over Thanksgiving, so we thought it would be fun to go and help them.  The boys got all the stuff out of her attic, then we unpacked the boxes and got to work.  We finished with everything but the tree by dinner, then we stopped to eat pizza, then did the tree.

This was Noah and Crash, resting by the light of her tree.  Isn't it beautiful?  I wish I'd gotten a better picture of the tree, but you get the idea.  Do you know that I have never met an ugly Christmas tree?  I think they're all beautiful and unique.  Graham and Drew weren't with us after dinner.  Graham's friend girl asked if he wanted to see a movie with her and her family, so he and Drew took Mimi's car and came to The Ville to do that.  Graham dropped Drew off at home afterward, then he went back to their house to spend the night.  I'll get him back sometime today.

And now, about my Christmas organizing notebook.  My friend asked me to share about this sometime ago, so if you're reading this, Shea, this is for you.

I started to take a picture of it, but I forgot.  All the binder is, is just that~a three ring binder that says Christmas on the front.  Inside its pages are dividers: quiet time, gift lists, recipes and traditions that the boys want to do this year.  The quiet time section is where I keep my scripture writing pages.  The gift section is where my lists are of who we buy for, along with ideas of things to get them.  (I also keep a running note on my phone and then transfer it to the binder.)  In the recipe section are recipes that my kids love: no bake cookies, reindeer noses, things like that.  In the traditions section is where we will plan out things to do this month, like baking for the fire or police department, or making cards.

So simple, but brilliant.

It sounds complicated, but really, it's not.  I know it's not for everyone, but it helps make my December easy and smooth, leaving little to forget.

And just for fun, check out my new coffee mug!

While at my in-love's house yesterday, my mom in love was drinking coffee out of a cute mug and I complimented her.  When I said what I did, she opened her cabinet and pulled this one out for me.  She knew I would love it when she bought it, so she went back in and got another.  She wasn't going to give it to me unless I commented on it, though, so we had a good laugh.  She knows me well.

Well, this post has officially taken all day long to write.  I'm about to go sit and read my Christmas book.  Love to all!