In the homestretch!

It's December 16th... almost 17th... 9 days till Christmas... Toy Bank will soon be over! We are down on donations this year. It has me slightly worried. But I think the larger problem is that with how Christmas falls this year in the calender (on a Friday) its really screwing up with my dates and how toy donations usually come in. So I am trying NOT to think about it and just go with the flow... I'll let you know how that works out.

As a way to unwind and de-stress and NOT think about Toy Bank I've taken a liking to reading blogs and signing up for giveaways and using Twitter as one of those means of signing up for giveaways. I know this has annoyed some of my followers, but really, I need the break from Toy Bank and doing something else is the only way I can turn my brain off Toy Bank and put it on something else. So I apologize, but its keeping me sane...

I will be due for a massage a good long one after Toy Bank this year.

I was able to get away for 5 days and go to North Carolina to see my Brother and his wife. They won't be coming home for Christmas, and flights were cheap, so I thought I would go out there. Its nice out there. Not much to do, but its nice. The weather is great this time of year. Not too hot, not too cold. But I don't think I will take another vacation during Toy Bank, I got too many phone calls and stuff didn't get done :-(. Oh well. I need to be here so I can stay on top of things. It is tougher being in Kingston to run toy bank, but at the end of the season its all worth it. I've encountered several feel-good stories, which outweigh the bad seeds.

I still have some Christmas shopping to finish up (personal shopping!) but thankfully its not big stuff, just little things to wrap up. I am hoping to finish before Christmas... that would be nice.

Louise has been telling me how much Dad isn't in the Christmas mood. It doesn't help that Nick isn't going to be home and that I am only going to be there for the morning before Ben and I take off for his mom's. But Louise and I worked it out that we would do a big dinner (late lunch) on Saturday so that Dad could have his few hours with us and we could celebrate some more. I hope that helps, he's def been in a funk lately. Perhaps a mid-life crisis? Not sure. But I have been trying to make sure I stop by the house and check in with the family.

WW has been going steady. I was up .2 this week, but I am still under 300. Just barely, but still under. And honestly its about the little victories at this point. One day at a time. I think being at WW during the holidays is the best thing for me. The meetings really help keep me motivated. I am just really trying to tread water until I can get through the holidays and Toy Bank.

Ben and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Well technically, I was in NC on the day of our actual anniversary, so we celebrated when I got back. He surprised me with dinner at the Wentworth by the Sea. I had made some comment that I would love to stay and eat there. Well since we went on a Saturday night and I had to work the next morning, we didn't stay, but boy did we eat. Its really a fantastic restaurant. I didn't want to do gifts since it was so close to Christmas. I just asked for a really nice card (which he did deliver on!

Last night I had to take a vacation shift off (night) so that Ben and I could cut down our Christmas tree and we could *finally* decorate our apartment for Christmas! It looks so pretty! I took some pics, I am hoping to post them at some point...

So that is the wrap up of the last week or two.... things are crazy and hectic, but I am trying to enjoy all what I can.