Revealed Glory: I"m getting that fuzzy feeling

I'm getting that fuzzy feeling. You know the one that comes around every year about this time. When your heart and mind are full of jingle bells and big red bows. Yes, Christmas. I'm feeling very excited about Christmas this year. I'm not sure why, becasue it will surley be a different kind of Christmas for us this year. Every year for several years we have taken a trip at Christmas instead of giving our kids gifts. We decided long ago that it was silly to spend money on gifts for them when they did not NEED anything. We decided to give them memories instead. We have taken them to Mexico, Jamaica, Punta Cana...it has been wonderful. I look forward to that time of rest and relaxation. My husband has travled with his job, being gone two weeks then home for the weekend and this was an important time for us to be together as a family and enjoy eachother. Last year it was not 100% enjoyable. The kids were a bit nasty to eachother and had a bit of an entitlement attitude. We decided then that we would not take a trip this year. So this year will be a bit tricky. Again, I do not want to spend money on the kids when they don't NEED anything. I would rather spend money on a charity or donating to other families or organizations. I think that this idea of Random Acts Of Christmas is a great idea! However...IF we have foster children in ourhome, I want them to be able to experience gits under the tree and the happiness of unwrapping Christmas morning. It wouldn't be fair to have gifts for foster kids and not my kids...so we are considering doing this...

I would really like to be doing this...

Me & the kids, Jamaica 2008

but finances and attitudes don't allow for it this year. Hopefully next year!

Things in foster care land continue to be very frustrating. It was two weeks ago when our clearances came from Springfield. I was under the impression that we would have our license shortly there after. I STILL have not had a conversation with our licensing worker about what is going on. She has yet to return any of my calls. I called again this Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday afternoon I was frustrated enough to call her supervisor. The supervisor explained that once she had the clearances she mailed them to Lincoln to our licensing agent. Then she put the whole packet together and sent it to her supervisor in Champaign. Then that supervisor signs off on it and mails it back to the supervisor in Springfield where she enters it into the system in Springfield and then we are licensed. Doesn't that just sound like craziness? You would think in the world of modern technologuy that system could be much simpler. So as of yesterday the supervisor in Springfield did not have the paperwork. As of today, I have not heard back from our licesing worker. It's all very frustrating. I thought I would have a house full at Halloween. Now here it is almost Thanksgiving. We usually get our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I am hesitant because if we do get foster kids I would love for them to be a part of cutting down the tree and decorating it. What kid doesn't deserve to be a part of that?! Our kitchen is currently in our living room because of a huge remodel so I think we will wait a bit to get our tree. I am hosting an event on December 8th, so I will have to have things done by then. Perhaps it will be after the first of the year before we have any extra kiddos with us. Only the good Lord knows.

I had to share this photo of my girls from the weekend. They spent the night at my mom's house and she was teaching them to crochet. It's about the age when she taught me. I love it. I hope to make a lot of my Christmas gifts this year. I find so many great ideas on Pinterest. This is my gift ideas board here. Pop over and get some ideas!