Pulling off a Holiday Season Miracle

Husker and I have been carefully watching our weight this holiday season.  We both added a little during the Thanksgiving period, but succeeded in dropping the added weight.  We both dutifully recorded our carefully maintained sizes on our chart on Christmas morning.  Could we make it through Christmas day without gaining? 

This morning was the evidence.  We both weighed the exact same as we did yesterday morning!  In fact, Husker has been working on his weight much more diligently than I have.  That is a difficult thing to do for someone who loves to cook and eat.  We both want to look better for Jon and Sarah's wedding late in January. 

Speaking of cooking, Husker seems to have developed an especially good feel for making a great pot of soup.  No two pots are exactly the same.  What goes in the pot is dependant upon whatever is on hand.  At Thanksgiving, there was a lot of ham left. So Husker turned out two pots of distinctly different soups, one with navy beans and parsnips, and the other with split peas and carrots.  Both were so scrumptious!

Yesterday, there was also a lot of ham remaining.  So of course, we are about to experience another pot of soup that will include some ham.  Can't wait.

We had such a good time yesterday at my son's house for Christmas.  Lots of people, lots of good food, etc.  Children playing with their gifts, etc.  Here are a couple of the highlights that Husker managed to catch.  Laura Gale is the first great-grandchild, and she is a sweet girl, too. 

Something that I did recently -- in one of my feverish moments of cleaning and organizing -- was to clean out my jewelry box.  I put anything that I thought 8 yo Laura would enjoy for playing "dress-up" into a baggy and took it along.  It was not a Christmas present; it was a little lagniappe.  It went over better than the sweater that I made for her!  Note the two bracelets. 

However, the best thing about yesterday was not the success of maintaining our weight.  It was meeting Jesse James Otto (J.J.), Shilo's new baby boy.  The youngster arrived December 14, 2010, about a week early, and it was a good thing he was early -- he weighed 8 lbs., 1 ounce, and was 21" long.  He mostly slept through yesterday despite everyone taking turns holding him and trying to get him to open his eyes.  His most wakeful moments were when his grandma Dina gave him a bath.  After wrapping him in a towel, he was quite willing to open his eyes and frown at us.  He showed his disdain for the preceding events by pooping in the towel!  Aren't babies grand?