December 28th

It is almost the end of the year and I thought I would type a post to catch up on the end of the year before we are starting the new year.

1. I am planning on taking two classes online through the University of Alaska starting in January. I have not taken classes in almost 2 years and I really feel the need to get back into the groove. I am picking two upper division psychology courses. I am really looking forward to this choice.

2. We were able to be in Anchorage from the 20th (got there early, early Sunday morning) until late on Saturday night which got us back into Burbank on Sunday around 9 am. We could have stayed another week but Rainey is in a movie camp all this week and it is a really good experience putting together what she has been learning all fall  into a movie with other kids. Not much to say about Christmas except for - I did not get to see Adrienne at all- which was so hard I could hardly bear it. It was cold, dark, dreary and depressing up there AND we have way to much house..... I was very happy to get back to sunny California.

3. I spent most of my time cleaning, cooking, entertaining Rainey's friends, wrapping, shopping, cleaning....She had friends over on Tuesday and Wednesday - on Wednesday I rented a party room at Bouncing Bears and invited ten people - ordered pizza -snacks - soda etc and let them go wild for three hours. She then  had friends over on Saturday for the afternoon before we left for the airport.

4. Rainey cleaned up on Christmas morning. Pretty much enough said on that subject. :) The living room was a disaster on Christmas day and the next day but we got it put back together on Saturday evening.

5. I had the family Christmas Eve party - I had the great idea  of going out to Big Lake to get fireworks to shoot off that night down by the lake. I figured that since we were not going to be there on New Years Eve we could have them on Christmas Eve but we were cutting it close to everyone arriving and so I was in a rush when I got back to get things out for the guests. I also missed seeing most of them :) being the hostess with the mostess and all !!!!

6. I am a bit distracted typing this because Rainey's new doll -Talking Cayla is talking and talking and talking and it is pretty distracting :)

7. Rainey and I are reading the first book in the Trixie Belden series. She is really enjoying the book so far. Rainey is an incredible reader.

8. I will be back up in Alaska for book club in January. We are reading Return to Cold Sassy. I think Diana said we are having chili for our meal.

9. We did get to have Pepper with us the whole week and Rainey really, really enjoyed all the time she had to play with him.