One of my best days ever

Saturday, December 2, 2006, will definitely go down as one of my best days ever! This is due to gifts given to me by many people. First, Ken, Alex's dad invited Joshua to go with him and his children Alex and Alyssa to a Mighty Ducks game in Los Angeles, followed by an overnight stay at their house. Ken picked Joshua up at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday and I didn't go get Joshua until 9:45 a.m. on Sunday. I was able to enjoy those 25 1/2 hours thanks to other gifts. But of course Joshua was not suffering in the least. He got to ride the train to LA, have lunch, take the subway to the Staples Center, watch the Ducks beat the Kings 4-3, and then have a sleep-over at Alex's house. Here is a picture of Alyssa, Alex and Joshua at the stadium.

My goal for Saturday was to not do anything that came to mind as something I "should do." I went for my jog/walk, which was great on a beautiful California winter morning where the sky was clear, the the air was crisp and it warmed up to the low 80s in the afternoon. Then I was off to a day spa to enjoy a massage given via a gift certificate for my birthday from my mom Helen, sister Sandy, sister-in-laws Sandi and Renee and good friend Lauri. Now that is a great way to spend an hour! I followed that by cashing in my free frozen yogurt card and ate it outside as I read my People magazine without any interruptions or guilt. I relaxed in a bath when I got home and then headed to my good friend Sherry's shop in Fullerton for an overdue hair cut. With my new hair style, I went home, picked up the Christmas cookies I had baked during the week and headed to our Mission Committee Christmas party. It was so fun to enjoy the company of good friends without worrying about running home to pay the babysitter or chasing Joshua around Pat's lovely home. That evening I relaxed with tea while watching a Christmas movie. But my relaxation wasn't over. After an undisturbed night, I worshiped at church in my favorite 8:00 a.m. service.

The really nice thing is that my wonderful day turned into a fabulous weekend. Joshua and I baked gingerbread and sugar cookies and decorated them together while listening to Christmas music. We then started our Advent Tradition of lighting the Hope Candle, reading a devotional, singing a carol and praying together. Following that we were off to a birthday party for one of Joshua's church friends, which meant many of my friends were there too and we were able to catch up on each other's lives while our kids played. Sunday evening I had a babysitter for Joshua and so I was able to enjoy my time with our Small Group discussing the morning's sermon and then feasting on delicious food together.

Now that is not just a great day but an awesome weekend. Thank you to the many of you who had a hand in making my day and weekend so wonderful. I hope you are able to slow down and enjoy the Advent Season as we meditate on "waiting for Jesus." We are also waiting for Joshua's birthday (December 23rd), so there is a lot of anticipation in our household. Blessings.

Sheryl