This has been a crazy couple of months, especially December. I know everyone is busy in December, and I'm not completely sure why I've felt so busy, but I have. Maybe it's because I've had to take Taylor to work every day and then pick him up, so he sort of messed up my schedule. Maybe it's because Jake has been off-track since Thanksgiving. It always skews things when there is someone else in the mix. That's good, blame someone else. I know--lame.

Generally by the week before Christmas I've made several batches of caramels, licorice, suckers and fudge. I usually even throw in one or two batches of peanut brittle. Well at Thanksgiving, Arlene wanted some candy, so she made fudge and I made the rest--even tried my hand at divinity. Arlene didn't think anyone would want the divinity or the peanut brittle, but they were the first to disappear. I haven't made a lot of divinity, but I think it turned out okay. You whip it until "it loses it's gloss." Holy cow, what great instructions those are. So specific. I whipped, looked, checked the gloss, whipped some more and finally thought, okay, just another minute. I should have stopped then. The first couple of pieces were beautiful and then the rest were a tad bit "imperfect." But they still tasted good. After Thanksgiving, I kept thinking, okay this week I'll make candy. My first batch was the Sunday before Christmas. So very lame.

Hmm, that "lame" word seems to be my theme. What's up with that? But that Sunday I did made a batch of caramels and licorice for Corky to take to work. They turned out okay. It always drives me crazy that at least one or two batches of something simply doesn't work. Same this year. My friend Emily came over on Tuesday and we made candy. She stirred, I added, I stirred, we checked temperatures, tasted, stirred, guessed it was done, and a couple of times, it was! I made more candy after she left and made more the next day. I had to throw out one whole batch of caramels--never set up--and one batch of licorice--it was too sticky. I guess that means it didn't really set up, either. Tasted good, was just way too sticky to wrap. I still have raw spanish peanuts for another batch of brittle. I think I'll try that this weekend--it is New Year's you know. Quite often I'll make another batch of something for New Year's. It seems that even when I make a ton of candy, we only get a taste here and there because it all goes to neighbors. I think tomorrow is supposed to be a good weather day, so I could try the divinity again. Did you know it doesn't work well when it's a snowy day? And, don't set suckers outside to cool if there's too much moisture in the air--they remain sticky. That's my hint for the day.

Tomorrow is a special day. I am really excited because Taylor is going to the temple. This part has come really fast for me. I loved helping him fill out the paperwork, get his shots, look for some clothes and the little things for the mission--like a little clock, shoe polish kit, stuff like that. But today we went to the Distribution Center to purchase new undies. It just kind of hit me that this is really, really real. I know in my heart and in my head that my son is going on a mission, and part of that is going to temple. This just seems so "grown up." He turned 19 last week, and he's really doing this.

I talked to a friend the other day who has a missionary, also in Brazil, who commented how cool it is to have a son worthy to go on a mission. I feel the same. I have expressed that feeling to Taylor; I hope he understands how wonderful that is. There are so many young men who are unable to go because of worthiness issues, I am truly grateful that my son is in the "ready to go" category.

I love all of this getting ready business. I know I'll have many blubbering moments, and have already had some, but this is truly what he needs to be doing, and I'm so happy that it's happening!

So, did you all have a wonderful Christmas? We did. When I was a little girl, Arlene and I shared what Mom calls "the middle bedroom." For those of you who know, it was Grandpa's bedroom. Actually, we all shuffled around quite a bit and at one time or another, I was able to call each bedroom in the house my own. But when we were, as Luan called us, "the two little girls," we lived in that bedroom. Luan was in the lower room, Ron and Lynn downstairs, and Mom and Dad in the other room, the one where Mom is now. On Christmas morning, Ron and Lynn would creep up the stairs at about 4 a.m., quietly get Luan, and then come and wake up Arlene and me. We would all crawl down the long hallway to get Mom and Dad. We'd surround their bed and wake them up. I don't remember being sent back to bed, but we got up in the dark of the night to see what Santa left. Grandma always made us pajamas and invariably there was a pin left in at least one pair. We'd open presents, ooh and ahh and then put on our new jammies and go back to bed. I think Mom stayed up to get the turkey ready. I remember that thing having to cook for the whole day.

One year I do remember Lynn and Ron set the clocks back and it was really only about 2 or 3 in the morning. I kind of remember an unhappy Dad and being sent back to bed that night. Poor Mom and Dad--they had probably just gotten into bed! I know this year it was 2:30 when I finally was ready for my bed. Way too late. There have been prepared years when I didn't have to do any wrapping on Christmas Eve after the kids when to bed, but probably more years when I was not so prepared. Once again, I blame it on having two boys at home! I do have to say it was kind of difficult to do much shopping with Jake by my side every minute. I do enjoy him, though and wouldn't trade him for anything.

The strangest request from my house to Santa was, of course, from Jake. He wanted a turtleneck. What's up with that? We all looked at each other and wondered what planet he came from. But good old Santa found a turtleneck, green, just for Jake. Matches his eyes.

You know, it's kind of strange because when you have big kids and little kids, you forget sometimes what things are important to the little guys. Jake is 9 and is still quite a believer. In his letter to Santa, his final line was, "I love you, Santa." When we went to visit Santa, he was practically shaking he was so excited. I have to remind myself how magical this is to him still. Even Dante wrote a letter to Santa. It was kind of funny because I heard him talking to Jake from the next room. Dante asked, "Jake, can you read cursive?" "Yes." "Can you read all of the letters in cursive?" "Oh yeah, I can read them all. We're up to "f" at school." Made me chuckle. Dante wrote a letter to Santa in his very best cursive. He's 12, but just like Ralphie from "The Christmas Story" he wasn't about to take any chances. And we never come out and say much about Santa. When the kids have asked, we just tell them, when you stop believing in Santa, he stops bringing you presents. We will get you some, but he won't. They've never said much else about the subject.

I am so excited because I got a Blendtec blender. Of this I need to take pictures and show what this baby can do! We were in the market for a wheat grinder, since I have been buying wheat and have no way to grind it, and Corky did some research and decided it would be more fun to have a heavy-duty blender that also grinds. Saves space and does more than grind wheat. I've made some killer smoothies and banana liquados (I don't really know how to spell that--it's what Corky calls them, but I can drink them!). I'm excited to try it out and see what veggies I can hide in a smoothie for Jake. He loves fruit and smoothies, but not veggies. I'm going to stick a carrot in the next one to see if he notices.

Moni got her wisdom teeth out yesterday. Poverina. She's actually doing very well--she barfed up the Lortab so she's afraid to take any more. She's just had ice packs and today we gave her some ibuprofen and Excedrin. She was crying and moaning yesterday and just like the goofy kid you've all seen coming home from the dentist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs The nurse asked her why she was crying, but she didn't know. In the car on the way home, Moni was trying to talk to my through sign language. I didn't have that class. I was worried for Corky when I left for work, but when I got home, she was awake and not fussing or anything, even with no pain killers. What a trooper. Totally unexpected from her parents, who are very happy with her good sportsmanlike attitude! Way to go Mo! (Corky was stuck with cleaning up the barf, though. Thanks doll.)