(Sung to the tune of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Now if only I had time to WRITE it, we'd be in business. Ha!)

I'm referring, of course, to Tammy. What other friend would spend all day crying because you're moving away and all night helping you pack?! That's probably a slight exaggeration. I'm sure she doesn't sit and cry all day long about losing dear old me, but she has mentioned that she's had a weepy day here and there over the issue. (Me, too!) She came over again last night and worked like a Trojan (what exactly does that mean? How does a Trojan work, anyway?) for about 5 hours. She was working in the kitchen and she got all of my dishes and glasses packed up (we're living off of paper and styrofoam this week anyway), as well as all of the signs and Coke paraphanalia from the walls and shelves. Wa-Hoo! That enabled me to get Katie's room totally packed and scrubbed down. It put me far enough ahead that Tammy and I took time (while the kids were having a pizza party and watching The Toy that Saved Christmas) to have some Totino's and play a few rounds of Eternal Rummy. It's been a few months since we've had a chance to do that, what, with all the craziness. For the first time ever, I actually felt bad being 5,000 points ahead of her--simply because she is just the most amazing friend in the world and I feel like a heel blowing her out of the water month after month. She did gain about 1,000 on me last night, so that probably made us both feel better. Ha!

James has set to work out in his office and has a pile of boxes full of BOOKS, BOOKS, and MORE BOOKS stacked by the door. I think he's making pretty good progress out there.

We put an add the the paper to sell some of our furniture and such. The paper came out yesterday afternoon and we've already sold over half of what we advertized! Somebody bought our small table and four chairs (James has had it since college--we've recovered the seats on it twice and used it for a kitchen table, a computer desk, and everything in between) and the washer and dryer (--they evey agreed to let me keep it for a few more days so I'll have a chance to get some things clean and ready for our uncertain future!), and a wagon wheel they happened to spot outside. It wasn't advertized, but HEY, they offered. :-) We also sold the entertainment cabinet that we had bought from Alco, sanded down and painted green when we first moved here. We even mixed our own green for it because the green I BOUGHT for it was GREEN. I mean, like, PRIMARY green. The color of green you get in a set of fingerpaints for 1st Graders. So it needed some tweaking and we managed to come up with a tone we were happy with. ~sigh~ It's kind of sad when I think of all of the memories we've created in this place. I've managed to keep myself from thinking about it too much (being super busy helps!), but every now and again it creeps up on me. I do my best to shove it out of my mind and tell myself I'll have time to cry later. ;-) We also sold my great big clunky desk. ~sniff~ I love that desk! (There I go again!!!) But we're getting the same amount out of it that we paid for it, so it's served me well for the past four years. For free. :-) We were going to sell the changing table/dresser we bought when I was pregnant with Katie, too. That was making me sad, but we really have no use for it anymore. I feel much better about it now that Tammy has decided to take it off our hands. At least I know it's going to a good home. :-) And don't get any funny ideas--Tammy has no NEED of a changing table at this point in time, or even nine months from now as far as I know. No need to start calling her and slinging excited questions, okay?! I'm sure she'll let you all know if/when she has something grand and glorious to tell you! And I know she would appreciate your prayers that she WILL have something grand and glorious to tell you! ASAP! :-)

Okay, I'd best be going. The people are coming to pick up the entertainment cabinet today and the other people are coming to pick up my desk this morning. Then it's off to church! I think I'll enjoy church DOUBLE today. It will be so refreshing in the midst of all of this! (And it'll be great to just get out of this messy house for a little while! Ha!) Then it's home again and back to work. No rest on this day-of-rest! Ha! Actually, I may actually try to slip in a nap today. I could really use one.

I'll let you go. Keep us in your prayers--and have a wonderful, blessed Sunday!

~Becki~

No time to proof read again--just bear with me! :-)