Christmas & the like...

Wow, it's been almost a year since I opened this journal... how the time has flown -- and unfortunately my life still isn't much different. But besides that...

I went Christmas shopping yesterday to buy some gifts for my family and a couple of my friends. I normally like to spend a lot on the people that I care about, but ... this year I have the possible impending doom that I may not have any money after the break -- so I'm trying to spend wisely. Finding something special that I know said family or friends will love or making something that I hope they will love.

I decided just to buy my Dad some cooking stuff since he loves to cook -- and also a book that I heard him mention on tuesday night.

I got my Dads girlfriend something for the kitchen and a really pretty pair of earrings.

I got my Mum a pair of earrings, and will buy her something else but I'm not sure what else.

I bought my stepdad a novelty sized box of maltesers and want to get him a book light so he wont annoy my Mum by keeping her up with the lamp every night.

I will buy my neice a Guy Sebastian or Young Divas cd. I haven't decided which one.

I am going to frame a really gorgeous photo of my Grandmother and I at my brothers wedding for her gift and some scented candles.

I bought Valan -- hahaha... yeah right Val, as if I'm going to write it here :P

I am making Penny a "box of me" we had a joke a long time ago that I would make a box from paper mache and paste pics of myself all over it and put inside of it, things all about myself. I joked with Mum that I would make a cd of all my favourite songs -- me singing them!! haha. We also have this joke that we have a pet/friend called Phlegmy that I hoicked up and kept in a vile from when I was sick. Phlegmy has a top hat, a pipe and tips his hat in agreeance when he likes what we are saying and uses words like "touche" and "magnifiscent". I haven't figured out a way to create a real phlegmy, but I will! I'm also going to give her Paris Hilton's album (as a joke).

I bought gifts for my 6 yr old cousin and 6 yr old neice Brianna & Charley earlier this year. A bunch of Mr. Men books and stuffed teddy bears. I love giving kids books. I wanted to give them "Where The Wild Things Are" which was my favourite childhood book, but then I figured that it's gonna be a movie soon -- so why bother?

I have a 13 year old boy to buy for. Any ideas?! I thought of just giving him money ... I decided I will make some earrings and a necklace for my 16 yr old cousin. I haven't seen her in years, and I figured it'd be the most simple thing to do -- I also bought some candles for her as well. I hope she'll like them anyway.

I dunno what to buy for my brother and his wife, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I have a couple of other friends that I want to buy something for, but I already mostly have an idea of what I want to get them (if I haven't got it already) so I'll see what happens.

Since I am going to be spending from the 23rd til just before New Year with my Dad and none of that time with my Mum, I felt horrible... because my Mum will be spending Xmas alone since my stepdad always shoots off to his parent's house and leaves my Mum at home (family issues w/ my Mum) and she can't go to her sister's because of work on Boxing day... I suggested to my Mum that maybe around the 18th, we should do an Early Xmas. We should set up a real tree, do the decos, have an Xmas dinner, sit around stuffing our face, and watch Xmas movies... She seemed to really like the idea so maybe we'll do it next week.

I am looking very forward to going to my Dads new place. He lives about a 5 minute walk from the beach now and I love the beach. It has been so hot in Sydney and I can't wait to go swimming every single day. I was at his house last September and I was swimming then. In contrast, where I am living now is absolutely freezing still. We had the heater on today and it's the second day of summer. Pathetic.

I am also looking so forward to spending time with my friends and my cousins. I can't wait to take photos and hang out and even take video. It'll be heaps of fun.

Anyway, rambled on enough here. I'm going to make a concerted effort to get to church tomorrow. I realised today how long it's been since I've gone to Mass and how it's actually adversely affected my life. I deserve to be kicked up the butt. I stopped going to my weekly church group too, but that's because the group finished for now (sad :() ... I've had other things go on that's made me take a step back as well, but there's no excuse. At the end of the day, I love Jesus, I want to follow his example, I want to be a good person, I want to sin less and I want to know His Word backward and forward... And I want to receive the Eucharist as often as possible ... and it's not happening from my bedroom.

No wonder God hates laziness.