1. Advent

Well, yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent. It's a really big deal here, so Katie and Nicole and I got together and lit the hope candle. Then we played crib, which was really very hard because we don't have a board. I rigged up some sort of board using Excel and it seemed to work okay. I can't believe that it is almost December, can you?!!

I am actually in the process of trying to get ready/psyched up for Christmas. It's a little bit hard when I don't really feel like I have anything to look forward to. Mom is hoping to send off a package, but I don't actually know if it will get here on time. Nicole is thinking about asking some relatives if we can visit around the country and see them, but I'm not sure what happening with that. And, worst of all, Katie is going home for Christmas and won't be back until mid-January, and Nicole leaves for Sweden on December 27 and won't be back until mid-January. So I'm all alone. I'll have to ask around and see who else is hanging around so that I'm not competely alone. Anyways, this was not supposed to be a pity party for me! The point is that in my quest to get myself psyched up I bought some stuff: I bought a little Christmas tree and an advent calendar. The tree is pretty cool. I actually bought him a couple of weeks ago and I have been keeping him alive. He even came with some decorations, but I took them off because it was too early for that. I think I'll put them back on about the tenth or so. The advent's calendar is the single coolest advent's calendar I've ever seen. It's made by Kinder. It has 6 Kinder Surprise Eggs as well as some Happy Hippos and Schokobons and stuff. Super excited for that!! I saw one at the store that had 24 Eggs. I should go back and buy that one. I can use it as a countdown calendar until my friends come back; then the toys can keep me company. *Sigh*