Christmas Dinner with the family

Unwrapping Presents on Christmas Morning

Santa Pepper

In Loving Memory

Pippen unexpectedly passed away sometime during the day yesterday. There was no warning: he was his happy, squeaky self on Tuesday. He was a few months shy of his fourth birthday and has been with us since right after Bill and I were married. Pippen will always be remembered as my sweet little piggy, who loved treats and to snuggle with me on the couch. His passing leaves me with an emptiness and a sadness that will not quickly fade.

Piggy Watch.

I had lost hope that Buttercup and Pippen were going to have a fruitful marriage and produce little piggy babies. They have been together since October, and I thought we would be expecting babies next week. But Buttercup has not been very friendly with Pippen, nor has she been showing signs of being pregnant.

Until now! Perhaps there is hope....

This weekend I let them out for a romp, and was playing with them and noticed that Buttercup was getting slightly plumper. Is she just getting fat, or might there be some babies on the way? Also, I held her for a good fifteen minutes, which is unusual for her. She is very squirmy and ticklish and can last about five minutes at the max. Maybe motherhood is making her more docile? Well, it is too soon to tell. It could be that she is getting fatter just because she is getting older, or maybe little guinea babies are on their way. I will keep a close watch, that is for sure. Maybe we will have a Valentine's Day present instead of a Christmas Day one..

Five Days 'Til Christmas!

This weekend we finished our Christmas shopping and finally bit the bullet and got new tires for the car. Who knew that some pieces of rubber would be so expensive! I enjoyed wrapping all the presents on Saturday afternoon as Bill was writing a paper. I went through two and a half CD's worth of Christmas music to get them finished. Church was very festive on Sunday, it is all decorated, with not one but two trees in the lobby, candles and poinsettias around the sanctuary, and stars hanging behind the pulpit. We sang Christmas carol after Christmas carol and then Lon's sermon was on the gift of Christ. It was a sermon that was definitely aimed at the visitors and the unsaved, but it is a very good reminder to everyone else about what is important to focus on especially this busy time of year.

One thing I feel guilty about is that I didn't do any Christmas cards this year! It was one thing that just fell through the cracks with all that is going on in our lives. At least I was still able to do cookies and presents and decorating.

Now we are just counting the days until we can travel to Connecticut for Christmas in New England. Three more days of work (that's it for the year!). Pray the weather cooperates for the drive up there and back!

Christmas Decorating

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Bill and I had the priviledge to attend an advanced screening of the Chronicles of Narnia movie that is opening this Friday. Now I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I am posting about it because you have to go see it! They were faithful to the story, and visually this movie is stunning. All the characters are very much as you would envision them from reading the books. Now make sure you all go out to see it and help them have a great opening weekend!


My favorite characters from the book always were Mr. Tumnus and Lucy. The two actors who played them in the movie version did such a great job!

The movie version of the White Witch actually improved on my idea of her from the book. She is so evil: beautiful and terrible.



Okay, I am now ready to go see the movie again.

Ahh, the holidays are now in full swing. Stress is in the air! You can even sense it in the way people drive around here, even ruder than normal. I wish that I had more time to slow down and savor all the sounds, sights, and smells of the season. We are half done with Christmas shopping, and we start the rounds of Christmas parties this weekend.

The wonder of the season has been added to by an exciting announcement--my dear friend Laura is engaged!


She has asked me to serve as her matron of honor--I am so thrilled to be a part of this happy event in her life. I love all the details of weddings; when mine was over, I missed all the planning, and now I get to experience it from another perspective. Time to study up on all my jobs as MOH--and think of themes for a bridal shower!