$150

Last Friday night our Sunday School program hosted an auction for the missionary fund. It was catered by a local business and guests brought something to be auctioned off with all the funds going to the charity. There were things there from home decor, professional services, handmade tables, paintings to vacations. I donated one photo session limited to six people. With my photography business being new and all I was nervous it wouldn't sell at all. To my surprise it went for $150! I was shocked!

Here is the certificate I provided.

Anyway, we bought a handmade cherry cutting board for $55. It's gorgeous. There was a weekend at a condo in Destin, FL and had we had time to think about it a group of us could have big together on it, but it happened so fast we didn't have a chance. Oh well, maybe next year. We had a good time though.

We are all so excited for Christmas to get here. Every night Anna Kate does or says something that will make Jeff & I think 'oh man, she's going to love that (insert specific toy or item that applies here)!' We want to give it all to her now! I think she's in for a pretty big Christmas this year. So far she's got the Rose Petal Cottage with the sink, oven, washing machine and nursery furniture. She also has a Fisher Price kareoke system with two microphones and sing-a-long cartridges. (You plug it into the TV and it puts the child(ren) on the screen. She is such a diva and I know we will be subjected to many, many, many hours of 'Anna Kate in concert' for years to come.) She also has the Baby Alive Magic Potty doll. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I bought it, but Jeff has already given me the sole responsibility of cleaning up any 'mess' she (the doll) makes outside of the potty (again, why did I think this was a good idea?). She has a couple of board games, Barbie and her swimming pool w/ accessories, two books, a computer game and a co-worker of Jeff's finally found that Bee Hop toy/game we were looking for in Atlanta, but the rest seems to have slipped my memory. Suffice it to say, she has plenty.

Jeff's Christmas gift from Anna Kate & I came Monday evening. UPS delivered it at 8:30 that night. It must have been shipped directly from the manufacturer so Jeff saw what it was all over the box. Well obviously it's out of the box and ready for installation now. It's a Sony home theatre surround sound w/ HD DVD system. He is so excited!

My Christmas gift came last Friday. I knew what it was because I picked it out, so what was the point in letting it set there in the box for 3 more weeks? It's on our bed now and looks beautiful. I hope to get enough Christmas money to purchase the throw pillows and some coordinating drapes for the windows.

Well, that's all for now. I plan to upload some video of Anna Kate singing some of her very own singles. She has us announce the following before she comes out on stage (the hearth), "Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the girl who is going to sing and dance for you!" and then we have to clap and yell for her..........such a diva.