Kayla got brave today and got her hair cut...she lost 8 inches!!! She is donating it to Locks of Love, but is still not sure she likes the "short" version of her hair! I keep telling her it will grow back, and be much easier to comb and wash this way. Rather like Becky with her new red hair, it is just hair. Both of them are the same people they were before, the short hair will grow longer and the red hair may go back to blonde. But, if neither of those things happen they will still be the same goofy girls they always were...their new looks just take some getting used to!
December 30, 2008
Becky will find out if blondes or redheads have more fun...what do you think of the new "do"?
Everything is back to normal, at least as normal as it gets at my house! Christmas is over and all the celebrations are done too. The decorations are put away for another year (most of them anyway) and the wrapping paper and fancy bags have been picked up and thrown away. Brian has gone "home" again and soon the girls will go back to school. After this week the work week will return to full time again too. I love Christmas, but I also love it when all the festivities are done with. It is good to go back to a normal routine, where you know what is going on every day and it is the same every week (almost). There are always things to look forward to and now that Christmas is over we have new things to anticipate...concerts, college visits, braces coming off, graduation. Life is good at the Josephson house!
if you make a funny face and mom has her camera, it will be captured for all eternity!
s
Merry Christmas from my elves to your home! We hope Christmas finds you happy, healthy, warm and filled with the spirit of Christmas. We wish good luck, love, happiness and many blessings for your New Year! Love, Dan, Kathy, Brian, Becky, Kayla
The weather outside is frightful...literally! The windchill is -35 and the snow keeps blowing. Dan has gotten stuck twice on the road between our house and the highway and has been scooping it on a regular basis. Brian just made it home, after having to be scooped all the way up the road. I sent Dan to the truckstop to get some milk because I am beginning to think we are going to be in this house until the snow melts in the spring!
Becky applied to Loyola University of Chicago last night...she has her heart set on going to college in Chicago. This is a liberal arts college and has a much higher rate of acceptance than Northwestern, so it is a very good possibility she will get in. But, she is also still considering University of South Dakota and maybe even University of Kansas (where Brian applied and is hoping to get in). At first I was concerned about how this small town farm girl would handle living in the big city of Chicago, but then I thought more about it and realized she would probably adjust just fine. After all, she went to New York and handled that fine (without an adult around to help) and she went to Washington DC and made lots of friends in just that one week. Becky is not shy and not one to sit in a dorm room and never go out...she has always been a social butterfly and a big city is probably just the place for her. Besides, in order to go into musical theatre she would have a better chance at internships in Chicago and future job opportunities. Now my biggest concern is not having a chance to visit the campus before she decides to accept admission (if it is offered). I want her to be in a place that is safe and that she likes...I tell her she can't choose a college based just on the city. But, like I said before, Chicago would have more opportunities. I am torn...of course the final decision is hers, but this is really tough on me. I hate the idea of her not being able to come home except for holiday breaks but I love the idea that she is pursuing her dream education in her dream city. When I had kids no one told me how hard it would be to let them grow up and move far, far away.
Winter wonderland! We leave the garage door open a crack so the fuzzers can go outside to do their business and still come in to stay warm at night...this was the result this morning!
So I am in need of one more Christmas present for Becky...I had one picked out but now it will not work (don't ask). I have asked her for ideas and of course she has none! She did show me a poster online that she really liked but by the time I order it framed, because they won't send it unframed, and add shipping it costs over $75...sorry Beck, but you are not getting a poster for $75! I have suggested books...no time to read; movies...none she hasn't already seen or already has; jewelry...only wears class ring and certain earrings; college stuff...doesn't want practical stuff for Christmas. I am out of ideas and quickly running out of time! Help!!
I have been a good girl this year (doesn't everyone say that?) so for Christmas I want:
1: Brian to get into University of Kansas, get a part-time job and decide what he wants to do with his life.
2: Becky to get into whatever college she decides she wants to go to and get lots and lots of scholarships and financial aid money.
3: Kayla to continue to try new things (she is succeeding at all she tries!) and keep being less and less shy.
4: My parents and mother-in-law to continue with good health and be around for many more Christmases to come.
5: All my family to be happy, healthy, have enough money to get by, and to know that I love them all.
I promise to continue to be good and I will leave you milk and cookies by the tree.
Love,
Kathy
Kayla tells me I need to blog, not just put pictures on, so here goes a kid update.
Brian: University of Kansas has gotten all the paperwork they need for him to transfer there but have not yet made a decision on his acceptance. The other day he called and said he was considering joining the Peace Corp...that was a big surprise! There is a meeting about it later in the month so he is going to go to that and there is also a man that has an office on campus that he can go talk to about it, so I told him to check that out too. When I talked to him last night he said he is for sure going to wait to do anything definate with it until after he has settled in at KU. I would like him to finish college first, but since he is an adult now it is his decision.
Becky: Still waiting (impatiently) to hear from Northwestern University. They are supposed to make their decision by Monday at the latest, so she should hear sometime next week. Of course she has been busy with school stuff like Show Choir and Jazz Band plus finding time to get some speech practice in. Tomorrow both Becky and Kayla have a wrestling meet to cheer at and have to ride the bus there...which leaves at 5:45 am...oh the agony!
Kayla: Went to the orthodontist yesterday and found out January 27 is the big day...she gets her braces off! They have to do it in Sioux City where the main office is, so I am going to take a vacation day and we will spend the day there. After the braces are off they have to make the retainer so we have to go back to the office a few hours later...good excuse to spend some quality mother-daughter shopping time! She too has been busy at school with basically the same stuff that Becky is doing. No school today so while Becky goes to speech practice Kayla "gets" to help Dan load hogs.
So that is what has been going on at our house (and in Ames)...not too much exciting!
Naughty or nice? You decide!
Today I got to volunteer at Santa's Castle here in Storm Lake. Every business that is a member of the Chamber of Commerce has a day that they have to provide workers for the castle when the school kids come through for tours. We had three pre-school age groups come through and it was so much fun to watch them! Every little thing was so amazing to them and then when they got to the basement and Santa was there...holy smokes was that awesome! Santa scared a few of the kids when he "hohohoed" but most of them sat on his lap and talked to him. Only one bad part of the morning was when a little boy got sick all over the floor, I felt so sorry for him because his mom took him home and he didn't get to see the castle. This year the theme is "The Nutcracker" and there were nutcrackers everywhere...over 300 of them! Everything from little tiny ones about an inch tall to ones that were taller than me! I remember taking our kids to the castle many years ago and the same decorations and animated displays are there now...it was fun to see them all again and have the time to walk around and look (in complete silence) before the kids came. Now, since we had the annual Vespers supper at church last night and I have gone through Santa's Castle, the Christmas season has officially begun.