A Surprise Visitor

I never thought I'd be this kind of woman, but if you had walked in my front door about 20 minutes ago, you would have found me standing on a living room chair, clutching Lulu in my arms and peeking around the corner to see if John had caught the MOUSE that has been burrowing around in my kitchen this week! As I was putting dishes and tea towels away this morning, I opened a drawer and saw a "flash" of grey ... and found nibbled oven mitts and such. Then I opened another drawer a few minutes later and saw a suspiciously similar "flash" of grey in that one as well. EEEK!!! I am not normally this freaked out by mice, but seriously! So I made John come home from work and as he pulled out the second drawer, there in living colour was the culprit, clinging to the back edge of the drawer, tail high in the air, peering around my kitchen. BLAH!! I just about screamed. And then I backed into the dishwasher and almost knocked the rack off the shelf. Then I climbed up onto the aforementioned chair.

John was not enjoying himself either. When he had finally caught the thing with a wooden spoon and a cardboard box, he opened the back door to throw it out (it was climbing up the edge and trying to escape so he had to act fast). But Toby the terrier was sitting right there on the back porch when he opened the door and so John just had to make a mad flip with the box and hope that Toby would be true to his terrier-heritage and go chase it unto its death.

Toby forgot he was a terrier. He usually does. He sat and looked on serenely as Stuart Little turned tail and ran between John's legs straight back into the house and down the stairs to the basement. Where he is now hosting a party and proposing a toast with all his little friends..."To the Hollingsworths. And to Toby the terrier! What wonderful hosts they are!" They are completely unaware of the four sinister mousetraps waiting silently in the laundry room for them.. And the batch of poison sitting in my pots'n'pans cupboard. As well as in the attic. Enjoy your party, little rodent friends. We WILL get the last laugh.

Introducing Lulu

I actually talked John into surprising the kids with a PUPPY on Christmas morning! Here she is, in all her cuteness....Lulu Hollingsworth.

In John's arms on the ride home

In Ben's arms after the grand "unveiling"

In Emma's arms ...
You're getting the idea, I'm sure. Lulu doesn't spend much time on the floor.

And here is Lulu's biggest fan ... Aunt Holly.
There are not enough hours in the day for these two
to get in all their cuddling.

Welcome to the family, little lady!
We love you already - but please stop waking us up at night. :)

Let's Celebrate Jesus!

This is not meant to sound super spiritual or pious. I hate it when things sound like that. It's just that as the years pass by, as the Christmas memories accumulate, the more I see that really and truly He is the One who gives meaning to the celebration. He is the greatest gift, God come to our planet to be one of us - the Saviour who loves us, longs to know us and have us know Him. He understands us perfectly. He should - He created us! He paid the price for our messed up ways when He died on the cross and now He offers His forgiveness to us as a free gift.
As much as I cherish the family get togethers, the joy on my kids' faces as they open that "special gift," the heartwarming music and the twinkling lights on my tree ... I am falling in love with Jesus more all the time and I would celebrate Him with or without all those trappings. And not just in December.

Merry Christmas to you!

O come let us adore Him.

Solid Advice

“Don’t worry about genius and don’t worry about being clever. Trust rather to hard work, perseverance, and determination. The best motto for the long march is ‘Don’t grumble. Plug on.’

-Sir Frederick Treves

I have no earthly idea who this guy is, but that seems like pretty good advice to me. Plug on! As I tell my kids all the time, "it builds character." (Much eye rolling usually follows.)