Mini Update and Christmas Eve

I've been meaning to update you all but I've been busy with taking Miss Jess to school, picking out new glasses, taking her to her peds cardiology appointment, taking Brandon to the orthodontist, other mandatory "Mom" things as well as last-minute Christmas shopping. I guess that last run-on sentence was an up date in itself. hehe... Here is an update on my previous post:

Come to find out, Karl had in fact fixed the oil leak but since he had added so much oil, the excess was running off and that's why it seemed to be leaking like a sieve! There hasn't been any more leakage that we can tell and Justen checks the oil every day... the level is still way above the full line so we are happy about that! I hope it's ok for it to have too much oil!

The package I mailed to my friends arrived safe and sound and both families were able to receive it in time for Christmas. What a relief that was to me! I probably shouldn't get so stressed out about things like that but I am just so concerned about one family - which happens to be Paige's family. I have posted prayer requests about her here before and unfortunately she still doesn't seem to be doing any better. She doesn't qualify for a heart transplant due to some other medical issues so those need to get cleared up so she can receive a new heart. Her strokes have left her still unable to talk or really move much and it's unclear how much she is able to understand. She is breathing on her own and makes slight progress but this is very hard on the rest of her family. So please continue to keep Paige and her family in your prayers.... she has been in the PICU since September and her brother is staying with grandparents - 4 hours away from where his mother stays with Paige in the hospital. Paige's dad has to work to support the family and keep their insurance so he leaves during the week and tries to go visit his wife and daughter on the weekends.

I took Jessica to school for about an hour on Weds. Her class had their Christmas party then and she really wanted to go. We are talking about having her graduate this spring. Since she isn't able to hand large crowds or long ceremonies, we are going to have a private graduation ceremony for Jessica and include her classmates, teachers and family. She will be allowed to go back to school to visit whenever she wants but that's about all she is doing now - just visiting on occasion. One of the teacher's assistants suggested that we do this before she (the TA) retires at the end of the year. I got to thinking that we should do it while Jess is still able to participate in something like that.

I'm about to fall asleep here and I think I hear Santa's reindeer on the neighbor's roof, but one last thing: We had a lot of family come to dinner at our house tonight. We had ham dinner, singing, guitar playing, violin and piano solos vocal solos and duets, clarinet solo and the reading of a unique version of a Christmas classic: "Twas the Night Before Christmas - Spanglish style." Since all of my family (myself, my sister's husband and my brother's wife) grew up in the Northern part of Mexico - and we live practically on the border to Mexico, this poem seemed appropriate. My brother who now lives in CA read it to us. I thought it was quite cute and many of you will "get" it too.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring - ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?

Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,
While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,
To bring all children, both buenos and malos,
A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose un gran grito,
and I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero,
Came dashing along like a loco bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
Were eight little burros approaching volando.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre,
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:
"Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto,
ay Chato, ay Chopo, Maruco, y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo,
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea.

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lively regalos,
None for the ninos that had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone como el viento,
And I heard him exclaim, y ¡esto es verdad!

Merry Christmas to all, ¡y Feliz Navidad!