My back is sore but my heart content. In spite of minor setbacks (the kitchen cupboards are not
hung due to slower-than-predicted-drying stain), we are making progress. The
bathrooms at the new house are scrubbed clean and towels are hanging on
racks. There is a great big tree standing in our dining room,
overlooking the living room and waiting for this evening's decking of
the halls. I have re-organized children's clothing because, believe it
or not, we've been living out of suitcases for so long, I had summer
clothes to put away in boxes and winter clothes not yet retrieved.
Lightbulbs are in lamps, books are on shelves, and shades are hung at
windows. In fact, if you ignore the mound of boxes along the walls of
the dining room--all waiting to be emptied into kitchen cabinets--the
house looks rather settled! Daniel even hung my Christmas wreaths (all
10 of them!) in 20* weather.

Up until now, I haven't really been "feeling" pregnant, other than
being tired. But today as I lugged boxes around and bent over bathtubs,
I fully and completely knew the reality of being 35 weeks along. What I
can't understand is how pregnancy seems to make one weaker. Why is it
that I'm struggling over boxes I was easily moving around only three
months ago?

At any rate, we will eat dinner shortly and then make the quick drive
down the road to our house with the kids, where we'll decorate our tree
and open a few early gifts. While Christmas shopping last month, I
picked up some books that wonderfully tell the Christmas story and,
since we didn't own any like that, I bought them and have planned on
wrapping them up and giving them to Gabriel and Bronwyn early in the
hopes that, as we read them, they will begin to understand what all
this celebration is about. Tonight we will again return to my parents'
instead of sleeping in our home (one can't really hang out too long in
a house that doesn't have hot water or a functioning kitchen), but our
tree will be beautiful and we will have shared our first evening of
"living" there.

I just wish I could share this home with all of you.