I have 3 weeks

Actually 23 1/2 days if you start counting from when I finished my final yesterday. Yipee! I can hardly believe it. A regular mom and wife for 3 weeks. I so took it for granted before. I miss it, and treasure it more when life seems normal. So I am going to try to make life as "normal" as it can be over my vacation. Of course there is nothing normal about Christmas, but now we can have a "normal" Christmas! I am going to bake all day, with and with out my kids. They have early release and I am saving the easy things for them to make with me. Butterscotch chow mein noodles, 7 layer bars. Before they come home I am going to make a double decker peanut butter and chocolate fudge, and chocolate chip, heath, hazelnut cookies. OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH, yum. The last few years I have not handed out goodies because it seems like people are always complaining about all of the treats. Atleast my friends have compained, not specifically to me about my treats, but about the practice in general. Well, I decided the hell with it, I am giving out treats. I am in the mood. I think people say they are tired of treats because it is the popular thing to say. They appear healthy that way. Well, I think that my choir eats every crumb of my treats every Sunday because they like treats! What a shock?! So I'm doing it this year. It's festive. It's Christmas. It's tradition. Enough of that. So I realized yesterday that it was Dec. 20!!!!!!!!! Yikes. I totally freaked out. When I was writing out my check to Joan for babysitting Gracie and I wrote out Dec. 20 I thought that I must have figured it out wrong. Oh dear. It was an uncomfortable realization. So I decided that I would finish all of my shopping that night (last night). I needed to go to the mall, and was hoping I could get the rest at Wal-mart, (and of course Wal-mart, as much as I love that place, didn't have everything, so I have to go to Broulims today to get butterscotch chips, decent milk chocolate chips, and hopefully hazelnuts). It was 42 degrees when I left and humid. It felt great. Oregon weather, right? Wrong. I don't know what I was thinking. I left wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and birkenstocks. An old standby in Oregon. Well, when I got out of the mall, it snowing. And had been snowing. There was at least an in on the ground. So I shuffled to my car, and drove to Wal-mart. When I got out of Wal-mart, the snow coming down hard and it was getting deep. Unfortunately my cart was not four wheel drive. It was a challenge getting to the van. Then I had to sit in my van and wait for the defrost to defrost (ha, ha), for 10 minutes, because I was not about to scrape in the middle of a snow storm, in my hooded sweatshirt, and birks. The roads were fine, and I could see until Shelley. Then the blizzard really started. Darin would not have even cared or noticed, but for me, I was nervous. It took me 20 minutes to get home from Shelley. Normally a 7 minute trip. By the time I got home it was after midnight and my shoulders were burning from being so tense, but I was home and safe. Oh was I feeling grateful. I felt like a true Idahoan. Idahoans don't dress warmly until it is below zero, and wouldn't think twice about shopping in a snow storm. Wow. New topic. Finals. I hate tests. I hate studying. I like practicing. I am good at that. I was a wreck on Wed. night, very nervous for my math final. At 11:30 that night I was still studying, not understanding and convinced that I would fail and have to take the class again next term. I was so depressed. I can do a pity party with the best of them. I dreamt about math problems and woke up with a headache, and a nervous stomach ache. I couldn't even eat breakfast. Well, I prayed and I prayed, and I had last minute inspiration, as well as many tender mercies, and the test was easier than the study guide. I am sure I won't be getting an A, but I will not fail either, thanks to the holy ghost and love from the Almighty God. He doesn't hold back if you will show faith. I love you all. Merry Christmas!