Cookies- I am coming!

8 Days until Christmas, and I think we are ready! All the gifts are bought, wrapped, and stored somewhere safe. The tree has been decorated for some time, the Nativity set is creatively rearranged about 5 times a day (thanks to the kids), and tomorrow is the last day of school before the kids are OFF for Christmas break (!!!). I finally got around to Christmas baking today. So far I made Honeyed Pecans, Chocolate Almond Brickle Bars and Rocky Road Clusters. I am hoping to make Russian Tea Cakes, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and Chewy Coconut Cookies before I go to bed. We'll see how that goes. I don't want to get stuck in a rut where everything is the same every year, so these are all new recipes. Randall said of my Brickle Bars, "These are surprisingly good!" I'm not sure what to think about that one, so I'll take it as a compliment!

John finished his final and did well. He only has one semester until he is a registered nurse! I can't wait- this will open the door to so many opportunities for us. John is going to immediately start on his Bachelor's degree program, and in January I will begin again with my nursing prereqs. I took a year off from school while I worked. I love being a stay at home mom, but my youngest is in second grade. I am not needed at home while the kids are in school. I am looking forward to being on campus again and stretching my mind. I never thought I'd say this in my younger years, but I like school! I love working towards a goal and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a job well done. I feel this way about being a mother too, but I need something to do that's just for *me*. I have dreams of doing travel nursing with John when we are both older, or of going on some sort of humanitarian mission where we can put our skills to use. Not having any more babies isn't the end of the world- it's the beginning of a new world that is coming more into focus and is beginning to sound more exciting.

Guess that's it for now. I'm not sure what I am doing with this blog or who my intended readers are, or why I am even writing things down, but it is what it is- and right now it's a tool to procrastinate baking cookies and cleaning the kitchen. So goodbye, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Cookies- I am coming!