Crazy Busy

The last few weeks have been jam-packed! Thanksgiving was very nice. It ended up that it was just Kevin and I with the girls at home. It was great. This was my first year making the turkey and all the fixings. Everything turned out great! The turkey was honestly one of the best I have ever had! (But just because I made it of course...) I couldn't have done it without Mom's help though! After NUMEROUS phone calls our turkey day was a SUCCESS! (Except for the rolls that collapsed!)

The weekend before Chloe played at Autzen stadium where the Oregon Ducks College Football team plays. It was so exciting! It was an incredible experience for all the kiddos. They even were on the big screen! I can see it now... CHLOE MALMSTEDT the first woman to play in the NFL!!!! Anyway, you can tell I am one proud mom.

With our ever-so-failing economy it was just a matter of time before we would be impacted. I guess I just didn't want to admit it. Kevin was laid off for a week after Thanksgiving and will be again for 2 weeks through Christmas and New Years & we have also been told it could amount to even more after that. The school district I work for is also making cuts. We have been forced into a major budget reduction. The district will not be receiving a school improvement fund (over $672,000). The budget forcast for 2009 - 2011 is even worse. I am hoping and praying I will keep my job. So far all district admin will lose 5 days. I would much rather have that than anyone of us losing their entire job! District wide cuts will be made, it is devastating for our community. Cottage Grove is a small 'everyone knows everyone and their business' kind of town, so this is going to be painful for a lot of people.

So with the lack of income I have taken up a new hobby! I have been making holiday wreaths. A friend of ours that runs the pet store in town has them on display for me. Yesterday I sold 4 and one last Saturday when I dropped off the first batch! I have made a total of 15 so far and display about 4 to 5 at a time at the pet store. I am looking for more places to display them. If they continue to sell, I only hope I can keep up!

In the meantime we will be taking it day by day and hoping for the best. I am looking forward to Christmas with the girls. Chloe asks everyday how many more days 'til Christmas and we love showing Jo Christmas lights as we drive by them. Jo should be a lot of fun this year! She LOVES Elmo, when ever she sees him in stores or on TV she flaps her arms at her sides and almost hyperventilates! Josie's favorite word is NO! Everything is NO! She is a little terror! She has already (just shy of 14 mos) mastered the limp move! You know when you grab a child by the hand and then their legs go limp and they just kind of hang there???? Yep, we are really in for it with this one!

Happy holidays!