Family Fun

This was made from a liner you could use to start plants.
WowieZowie! The snow is coming down, I have a kitty warming my feet and I am not even upset that I am not ready for Christmas! I am sort of ambivilent about the whole holiday this year. There is too much drama with Spence's girls and his ex's issues! I just wanted everyone to try to enjoy one another on Thanksgiving, and look what that got us.....rudeness, tears of pain, anger and resentments. The dynamics of those three girls is so unhealthy, it makes me so thankful for the way my two girls are so close to each other.

This whole step-mother thing is no picnic, and don't get me wrong, I never thought it would be. I did, however, think that since they were 18, 19 and 21 years old when we got married, that it might be less work...HA HA HA HA HA!!!! I have a very good relationship with the two younger sisters, Viorica --> and Mari, who were adopted at four and five years old from those horrible conditions in Romania and came with their own special issues. It's not that we haven't had a couple of bumps, but I am very happy with the way we communicate and treat each other. They don't call me mom, but they do call me friend, and trust me...what a gift! Mari calls me EVERY day just to talk, and Viorica calls often and comes over at least once a week.

Then there is Kristin, the oldest and adopted from Korea as a baby, who was the only child until the youngest two came, and I don't think she has ever gotten over that or the divorce for that matter. When we see her, it is like I don't even exsist. I try....I REALLY TRY, but I just don't make the cut in her world. I have pretty much just let it go, but when the holidays come around, it does stress me out. This Christmas we won't have to deal with it though, because after Thanksgiving's rude behavior and meanness towards Viorica, Spence called her and left a message saying that it wasn't going to work out for her to come over to our house for Christmas, and that they needed to talk. I wouldn't have done it that way, but this is were the step-parent thing really comes in...I have to let him try to deal with his kids his way. I suggest the parenting skills and core beliefs I have about unconditional love, and try to soften his views of these things...and that is all I can do. *sigh*


Okay....I'll try to regain some Christmas cheer and show a couple of my favorite ornaments! This is an ornament that Grace made for me in about 1st grade, of her comfort and joy...Beary Bear.

This was my first ornament! I received it in 1974 when I was Honored Queen in Job's Daughters. The 2nd was a gift from a coworker.