Seven Quick Takes (vol 4)

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This is my fourth Seven Quick Takes. Have I really been doing 7QT for a month?? Wow, time flies. I hope you all are enjoying getting to read little snippets from my life.

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icing the cookies was intense!

Advent Goal wrap-up:

Attend mass each Advent Wednesday: We were 2 to 7 minutes late to 3 of the 4 masses. I tried.
Read our devotional book at dinner each night: We were going strong until my birthday weekend when we went out for dinner two nights in a row (to my husband's work functions). So we were successful for two weeks.

I took cookies to the office staff at church (and also sent a lot to my husband's work too).
I made a homemade gift for my husband that he will open Christmas morning (and you will see next Wordless Wednesday).
I did not find time to make the felt Advent wreath for baby G...maybe next year.

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Another one of my Advent goals was to take hot cocoa to Salvation Army bell ringers at the mall. I was trying to perform an act of generosity, especially to those who are themselves volunteering to stand out in the cold. Many also open doors and wish you a Merry Christmas as well! But....my plan failed. Miserably. Ugh. My husband and I bundled up the baby, put on a Christmas CD, and drove over to a McDonalds by the mall. We got some large coffees & fancy hot chocolates to share. We drove to the mall....there were no bell ringers by the JCP door I had planned to start at! We drove to the doors outside of Dillards....no bell ringers there either.
"WHATTTTTTT is going on???" I thought. I quickly googled, "why are there no bell ringers?" I found out that the Salvation Army does not have bell ringers on Sunday.
It was coincidentally Sunday. I was so upset.
First, my good deed was spoiled. Second, we spent budget money on coffees and hot cocoas that we didn't need...if they weren't going to be given away. Third, the baby was crying in the background. Suffice it to say, "no good deed goes unpunished" was definitely resounding in my head on the way home. We are hoping to re-try giving bell ringers a hot drink while in my hometown.

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Tonight we are at my parents, and are having the second annual holiday taco night with my mom's best friend's family. I grew up with the two daughters. One is a year older, and the other a year younger than me. We played soccer together, and went to school / church together. My mom's best friend has always treated me like an extension of their family; including helping with our wedding reception and showering us with gifts for the baby. The older daughter lives in Alabama and the younger one is attending med school at Vanderbilt. Having this holiday taco night is a nice way for us to catch up...and this year they will be able to see baby G, rather than my pregnant belly from last year!

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When G was born in February, I was really excited that she would be 10 months old for Christmas. I was thinking how great it would be that she could be much more involved for her first Christmas than a little baby. The bummer? I haven't been able to find many 12 month "First Christmas" clothing options...because the majority of "first" Christmas babies aren't in 12 month clothes (although, any baby born from 12/26 - 3/31 is probably in 12 month sizes!). So, G has a pretty Christmas dress and a generic Christmas outfit to wear during the day....but nothing that says, "My first Christmas." Maybe I'll make a sticker for her to wear.

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Speaking of G being a big girl...she just turned 10 months old yesterday. I'm in shock of how much food she eats at mealtimes now. Look at her cute little dinner plate! {She's still nursing the same amount, too}

Cheese, Green Beans, Rice, Pears

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I asked for a new pair of running shoes for my birthday (a few weeks ago). My kind and generous husband took advantage of year-end closeout and used his Christmas bonus to buy me some! They were delivered to my parents house today, so I am now the proud owner of a pair of blue/pink Saucony ProGrid Guide 4. These are the light stability shoes that I need, according to the running shoe store we went to whilst training for a half marathon in 2009. Did I ever run that half marathon??? No. I tripped on a stick and fell during a 7 mile training run. I stupidly got back up and tried to finish running. It made it a lot worse--I couldn't walk the next day and recovery was tough. I had an MRI on my knee, an X-ray on my ankle, and did 2 months of physical therapy for my ankle (all while we were in school and had expensive insurance with a $1500 deductible). I probably need to have surgery on both, but can't really do it now with the baby. So for now, I just stick to 5K or lower runs.

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