Winter Wonderland? Holidays Away from Home and Christmas in Retail...

I'm sitting in a warm house on my roommate's Mac with a day off of work and SNOWED IN.

Ok, not completely, just til they plow the stupid alleyway in the back. My little tiny Ford Aspire will NOT get out - Kriss's truck barely got out. I haven't tried, but looking at the situations back there I see no point in trying -- I'm completely having trouble walking to the backyard.

Yeah, I am TERRIFIED of heights and HATE winter weather. And where does God call me to? The Idaho Rockies.

Life goes on as normal here. Pastor Craig and Sister Andrea have moved in to the satisfaction of everyone as far as I can tell. The lone one voter who voted against them has not spoken up since -- we don't know who it was. The kids are SO happy that they are here. They love Pastor Craig so it works.

By this point, I am almost done with my very first Christmas season in retail. Now this is not a crazy spot for Christmas -- our busy time at Office Max is Back to School -- but it's been nuts enough. Though last night, it was fun -- we were putting together display chairs and cracking jokes, and such. I love working with a group of geeks even if I am constantly tired from all the stuff I try to fit in a week.

In the meantime, life goes on. I'm sick of Christmas music because there is NO religious music on our MUSAK station and so we hear the same stuff OVER AND OVER AND OVER. One night, in my four hour shift, I heard the song "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" FIVE TIMES.

Yeah, I was annoyed. Last night, I was sooo sick of it that I was singing "Fine Fine Line" from Avenue Q and "Once Upon a Time" from Brooklyn to try to combat it in my head. Of course, Josh, one of my supervisors was half singing "I'm the Pirate King" from Pirates of Penzance... Just two lines, but enough to make me giggle.

keeping busy is good. Trying to make my own traditions is fun -- Kriss and I are going to listen to a bell concert tomorrow night. And I'm making a French Toast Strata and then we are making an elaborate breakfast for Christmas morning.

It's rough though. I'm missing Kaylee's first Christmas. I'm missing Joel and Zeke and Zach and their Christmas gifts. I miss my parents, my grandparents, my brothers, my sister, even all my in-laws...

But I cannot trade what I have here. I know as Jeff Siscoe put it once, the best example that I can send my nephews and niece is that their aunt follows God's will even if it is difficult. I have to remember that.

I'm a missionary. And that is where I belong.