The week before Christmas

Wow, we have a lot to catch you up on. Things have been busy around the Murray house.

First, Monday was my last day of work. It was bittersweet. I will miss the camaraderie in the office and all those good Wyoming folks, but I know this is the best move for our family. The office had a nice going away cake and ice cream party for me, and I also got to go to the office Christmas party after work. It was a good last day.

Second, as you can see from the picture to the right, Santa came to our house. I got a call from Joe to tell me that he had just bought a Santa Suit. So we got Ella all decked out in her Christmas outfit, put the Christmas tree up, and prepared for a visit from the big guy. I think Grammy Janet, Becky and I thought it was more entertaining than Ella did. As you can see from the video, she just kind of sat there. It was almost like she knew it was Joe in that suit. The funniest part came at the end when Joe (aka Santa) couldn’t get his fake boots off. That pleather really sticks to your skin.

Third, Paw Paw came into town on Tuesday. I know Gi Gi missed him, and we were all glad to finally have him with us. For Ella he brought 5 gold dollars. It was hysterical watching her grab them and look at them. She liked that they were shiny. There are also pictures of this. We discovered that Ella really likes hearing Paw Paw sing. I was holding her and Paw Paw was singing Christmas carols. Ella just stared at him and wouldn’t take her eyes off of him. Soon Paw Paw will be teaching Ella how to sing beautifully.

Fourth, this morning Joe officially got a new title…”Deer Slayer!” Joe has been hunting since he was 12 and this morning he finally got his first deer. A big doe. He is very excited about this accomplishment and can’t wait to get the meat. Every time Joe goes out hunting I tell him that if he gets one I’ll learn to cook it. So now I have to live up to my promise and get some good venison recipes. Luckily I know my mom has a few good ones up her sleeve.

That’s about it for now. We’re heading to PA tonight to meet Ella’s new cousin, Andrew. He’s a lot younger than she is, but he weighs just as much. Ella will appreciate her skinny genes when she’s older.