We got an earlier than usual start on the holiday season this year. We had to start early because of a special event. It was the realization of a vision we had all the way back in 2009, when we were still house shopping. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for Tammy’s family.

Since the Fam was coming to see the house (some for the first time) we had to get it all prettied up and decked out. We put up our Christmas decorations the weekend after my birthday, two weeks before Thanksgiving.

Now, me from a couple years ago would’ve thrown an absolute fit over that. “Christmas starts AFTER Thanksgiving!!” I would’ve said. And, yes, that’s still true. But, maybe I’m getting soft in my old age. Maybe Tammy is wearing off on me. (Her iPod has been known to play Christmas music in June.) But, in my own mind I’ve realized that we’re so busy during this time of year that I don’t really get to enjoy “the season.” So why not start a little early and have some more time to take it in?

Thanksgiving was a huge success. The meal was fantastic. The company was great. A good time was had by all.

Immediately after Thanksgiving, rehearsals started for the Christmas musical at church. The show is pretty easy. I don’t have a ton of lines. So there’s not been much stress about the show itself, but the rehearsal schedule has been kind of a grind. I posted about our holiday traditions.  What I didn’t mention is that many of those traditions have been sorely missed so far this year. We missed the Parade of Lights in Grapevine. We haven’t yet been to Holiday in the Park at 6 Flags nor the light show at Joe Pool Lake. We still haven’t watched most of our traditional Christmas shows together. (We did squeeze in “Elf” on a Sunday afternoon.) And now, we’ve got a previously unscheduled Wednesday rehearsal, so I’m going to miss the Middle School Christmas party.

I’ve been in (and even directed) a lot of Christmas shows. I know there is a huge time commitment. I believe that no show is worth doing unless you do it well. I understand that Christmas shows are a great outreach. And I have to admit, we’ve had a lot of fun putting this show together. But I really do feel that this will be my last Christmas show. I’m not giving up theater. I still love it and there are plenty of other shows to do. But Christmas time is just too precious to me and my family to spend half of it at rehearsal.

Having said that, I hope that everyone will come out and see the show next Sunday (12/11) at either 9:20 or 10:50 at Glenview. And if I don’t see you to say it in person, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas!”

Merry Christmas from the Ladd Ginger Bread Village!!

(If you’re reading this via Facebook, click here to see the actual post on my blog, where the video below actually works!)

As traditions go, Christmas is the “coop duh grassy” (stupid French). Christmas lights, trees, stockings, caroling, the gifts, the food, the poorly animated TV specials from the 60’s… the list never ends.

And even in my little family of two, we have a wealth of traditions and it seems to grow a little each year. Such as…

– Putting up the tree while drinking egg nog and listening to Christmas music.
– Getting a new themed Christmas ornament to commemorate some event for the year. (This year’s is a yellow ATV.)
– Going to the drive-through light show at Joe Pool Lake.
– Watching “A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (Boris Karloff and Jim Carey).
– On Christmas morning, we deliver miniature stockings with candy to the people who have to work (Starbucks, Waffle House, etc.).

Please share some of your favorite (or least favorite) Christmas family traditions in the comments.

And now, here, my faithful SYNS readers, is this years traditional Christmas music video, “Oh Holy Crap!”

Yeah. I’m sick. I hate being sick.

I had a great time last weekend playing laser tag with the yutes. But I’m pretty sure that during that time I 1) picked up some cooties and 2) strained my back… again. It is possible that I caught the cold from Tammy, who has a sinus infection, but there is no question that I did something during laser tag, although I don’t know what, that threw out my back.

Tammy and I scored tickets to what turned out to be the best Cowboys game in years (Cowboys 44, Bills 7). The tickets were relatively cheap for a Cowboys game, but still expensive enough that we were not going to let a cold and a sore back keep us away. We had a blast, carefully limited our cheering, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. In the past, walking, getting vertical, has helped my back pain. I can’t say it helped this time, but I survived Sunday.

On Monday, the cold and back pain both set in for the reallies. I stayed home from work and slept most of the day. Tuesday I managed just over half a day in the office. Today (Wednesday), I’m feeling pretty good. Maybe 70%. I’m pretty sure I’ll make it all day in the office. Tammy and I will both stay home from church anyway. We don’t want to spread the cooties and we need avoid any new cooties until we are well.

Also, I’m excusing myself from my morning walks this week. I know it looks bad to have an excuse on the first week of a resolution, but it can’t be helped. It would not help my cold to be out in the cool of the morning. And, besides, I walked more than the week’s quota on Sunday alone.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Once again, I find my blog sadly unattended. Poor poor blog.

And what’s worse is I haven’t really been that busy. I’ve just been distracted. I’ve spent way too much time on Facebook and YouTube (mostly YouTube).

So, what’s to be done? I have a thought. Yesterday was my birthday. Most people make resolutions on New Years Day. I’m going to make one right now. Actually, I’m going to make several.

1) For the next year, until my 39th birthday, I resolve to visit YouTube and Facebook only after 5:00 PM on weekdays. Yeesh. This is going to be really hard. Ok. So I’ll allow myself 30 minutes during lunch. Strictly 30 minutes. How does that sound? Good? Oh, and posting via my cell phone doesn’t count.

2) To replace this bad behavior, I’m going to bring a book to work and read during the down times (project compiling, waiting for debug builds, etc.). As such, I resolve to read all of the Chronicles of Narnia this year.

3) I’ve already started this one, but I resolve, for the next year, to get my lazy butt out of bed early enough so I can walk around the block at least once in the morning before breakfast at least four days a week. If this goes well, I hope to increase the amount of exercise and shed some of the “prosperity” around my middle.

4) I resolve to turn my 1 year Revelation curriculum into a short Bible study, around 8 lessons. Maybe less. (This has been on my ToDo list way too long!)

*Sigh* Ok. This is going to be really tough. I might need some help to stay accountable.

This is the first trail Tammy and I have ridden above tree-line: Pomeroy Lakes. It’s only a few miles round trip, but it is a real butt-kicker. Check out the video to see why. (Clicky Part 1!Clicky Part 2!)

I stayed up late last night and finished the first video from our Colorado trip: 717 Divide Trail Ride.

Yes. We have returned from a grand trip to Colorado. Yes. There are oodles pictures. Yes. There are a plethora of videos. I’m working on it. I swear. Check back here in a few days and I’ll have something up. Honest. I’m trying. Give me a break, would ya?!

Here’s a teaser, to placate you for a bit.

I was about to head out the door to work in Colorado Springs. I turned on the TV to check the weather to see which coat to wear. (Colorado weather in September is tricky.) Instead of the weather, I saw a massive fire in one of the World Trade Center buildings. I had just enough time to think, “Wow! How are they going to put that out?” when the second plane hit (live). My mouth fell open and my knees went weak. I sat on the couch just like that for the next three hours or so. When I finally got to work, it was so eerily quiet. In Colorado Springs there are *always* several planes in the air and contrails crisscrossing the sky (US Air Force Academy and two USAF bases near by). But that day, there was nothing. Just clear, blue, silent skies. It was like the whole world was feeling the same silent shock I was feeling.

Where were you? What’s your 9/11 story?

And for those who have asked how much I paid for my new laptop, the answer is: Less than this amazing Packard Bell with it’s unheard of 1200 MB hard drive. (Hey. Psst. Hey, 1996. Guess what? It’s called a “GigaByte.” It’s the next big thing!)