Now that Sunday is finally over maybe we can get some rest. I was late for my meetings this morning because I had to go to medical and get my incision packed with gauze. Last week I had a zit that swelled to 4 inches in diameter and when the antibiotics wouldn't reduce it they went in with a knife, cut it open, and drained about a thimble's worth of pus out of it. Every morning I go in to have them stuff a shoe lace looking piece of gauze into the incision. I should be done next week. Becky wanted me to clarify that it wasn't really a zit, it was a staph infection. It looked like a huge zit. Everyone in the family has been getting them, mine was just very large and too deep to respond to antibiotics. Everyone has bacteria that lives on their bodies, but for some reason this trash infected an ingrown hair, or a knick with the razor on my face.

During church I got to watch Becky struggle with our five kids, then go off to sunbeams and struggle with someone else's.

Tonight we pulled out the Christmas decorations. We have been avoiding the project for as long as possible since we just moved and got everything put away. Pulling out several bins of Christmas nick-nacks made us both want to vomit. But when the kids start asking in their prayers that we put up the Christmas tree what can you do? We relented and pulled everything out. So far we have put up about 1/3 of our stuff, including the tree, and that seems like more than enough. Becky just asked me when Christmas ever got so out of control, I don't know, but we are about to retake control.

The other day ago Becky went upstairs and the girls had Luke decked out in their build-a-bear clothes. I wasn't too pleased that it was the ballerina outfit, but I thought the boy's grin looked good enough to post a picture here.

The kids went to bed over 1/2 hour ago, but keep coming downstairs with one excuse or another. All four are crammed into one bed, at their insistence, with a full size Doberman. Sarah just came down quite concerned because sometimes the Jake wets the bed and since Becky made chili for dinner he is indicating in his own way that she might wake up in something much worse than a little puddle. I told her to sleep in one of the other beds, but no, she doesn't want to do that.