Around Here: Week 52 2025

 {December 21st-27th, 2025}

Birthday gifts for Carly rolling in-
I shopped those post-Christmas sales

"If only there could be an invention 

that bottled up a memory like scent. 

And it never faded, and it never got stale.  

And then, when one wanted it, 

the bottle could be uncorked, 

and it would be like living that moment all over again." 

-Daphne du Maurier

Enjoying... very much setting up Dashy and his family this last week.  It's bittersweet doing it this year, not knowing if Carly will still believe next year. My favorite set up this week was with Carly's wolves and Santa's sleigh. Some of the setups are just my favorite! So cute!!

Giving... Carly a gift each day to make her more tolerable while she was off school waiting for Christmas. Hah! One day I gave her a mystery ball (the ones the kids love to open) with LOL dolls inside. Another day I gave her a baseball purse I had found on Amazon that I knew she would love. 

Dealing... constantly with teenage shenanigans. Not being where they should be, etc. I swear I could be an undercover investigator after raising these kids!

Attending... Josh's eye dr appointment with him so I could help him choose glasses.  

Hosting... my mom's birthday party at our house and doing our family white elephant gift exchange that night as well.  I had worked to make pulled pork for our get together and for some reason it didn't turn out, so we had to get pizza last minute.  Luckily everyone was great about the pivot.  After the pizza we had cake & ice cream. It was delicious!  The white elephant gift exchange was super fun. I ended up with a book mug (thanks Roxanne!) and everyone else seemed pleased as well!

Waking... up to Logan telling me he had accidentally taken Jack's meds instead of his own. Their two bottles both sit on their bedside table, and in the dark, Logan accidentally opened and took Jack's meds. Thankfully he's on anti-seizure meds now, so we hoped Jack's anti-depressants wouldn't trigger a seizure for Logan like they did in the past. 

Hosting... Josh's family for a Christmas Eve luncheon with hoagies and desserts. We had a great time and I was so glad we were able to get together. 

Noticing... that Logan was getting auras every time he yawned on Christmas Eve. We're just keeping an eye on him, but those meds are definitely impacting him. 

Baking... homemade cinnamon rolls with my Grandma Beverly's recipe on Christmas Eve while Josh built Carly's gift- a make up vanity with beauty lights. The cinnamon rolls turned out great, as did Carly's vanity. Me and Josh? We're the dream team!

Enjoying... Christmas day, just our family.  Carly woke us up around 8:00am and we all stumbled downstairs together to open presents and stockings. Wyatt was delighted at his RC car. Jack and Logan got parts for their cars & dirt bikes along with gift cards.  Carly got so many fun toys. Something about her being our last kid has me frantic to enjoy the last bits of her childhood, especially when it comes to toys. I know how quick that chapter closes as they approach middle school.

Napping... for four hours Christmas afternoon. I was so tired, climbing back into bed felt amazing. Meanwhile, Josh took Wyatt out to drive his new RC car. He had so much fun. 

Playing... Ransom Notes as a family after dinner Christmas night.  Josh made us ham with homemade macaroni & cheese, the kids' favorite meal, and we all snacked on special k bars and Hello Dolly's as well. Ransom Notes was fun and funny. Not the kids' fav, but I enjoyed it!

Deciding... that we needed to take Logan into the ER when his yawning auras developed into full on absent seizures that lasted up to 90 seconds. Heading into the ER with him I was especially grateful I had taken such a long nap! 

Finding... out that they wanted us to drive to Spokane so Logan could be seen at the children's hospital for his strange seizure activity. We arrived in Spokane around 5:00am on the 26th and Logan got hooked up to an EEG to be monitored for a few hours. We tried to nap on and off, but it was nearly impossible with doctors and nurses coming in and out.  One big surprise was that they gifted Logan a gigantic santa bag full of gifts for a teenage boy.  A speaker, a magic kit, a blanket, a basketball... so many gifts! It was so sweet. 

Being released... around 12 hours later from the hospital with a clean bill of health. The neurologist on call didn't seem to think Logan had been having seizures, but I believe they were. Either way, with enough time, the meds worked their way out of his system and he was all better. Phew!

Loving... the puffy pens I bought myself for my stocking. You write with them, then heat them with your blowdryer, and they puff up! It's so cool!

Laughing... at Carly reading in the bath tub just like her mama. Gosh I love that girl!

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