coming "home"...

well, my bro, sis-in-law, and nephew Atticus are on their way home from Africa. They've sold or given away most of their belongings, and shoved the rest into 60-lb duffel bags to come back with them. And Monday evening they'll be back in Bloomington to be met by a family who is both sad for the way things ended in NE Africa, and elated to have them here for Christmas.

I imagine it will be a hard time to come back to the US....smack dab in the middle of "stuff" season, where we have an abundance of crap and spending and excess. I feel like Todd and I have done a better job this Christmas not going overboard, not using credit cards, and not giving in (yet) to that parental instinct to buy "just one more little thing" for the girls. Last night I told Todd that I think part of our success this year is that we haven't been at Wal-Mart this season. (I'm not doing a total wal-mart ban, but I'm trying to be more aware of other businesses who might carry the same products) Anyway, I'm pretty sure that staying out of walmart has helped me not do the "just one more" shopping...I mean, you're surrounded by everything you could ever think of wanting....it's so easy to just throw things in your cart, thinking, "oh, someone could use this"....

I don't know if my kids get this, but Todd and I are so sold on the quality time idea of Christmas....we had an awesome day with the girls yesterday....staying in our pjs till noon, cleaning the upstairs of our house together, watching movies on the big red couch, cooking together.....I'm actually enjoying Christmas this year instead of stressing out about whether or not people will like what I've gotten them.

okay, I'm rambling....this isn't a very interesting post, sorry.

Oh, and my husband took me to see Pride and Predjudice last night...very romantic...I highly recommend!

and the Steelers play the Vikings today....Dave, we'll be thinking of you as your team gets CREAMED!!