International Charges

Don and I had some fun last night in the UK. Except we didn't. However, somebody half way accross the world got ahold of our credit card information and charged up a night on the town. They had a very nice dinner at some place called Haskell's for $100. We're hoping they at least tipped the waitor well on our behalf. And they also visited the touchtone store probably for some prepaid phones. Such an interesting global and technological age we live in that we can steal from people on the other side the planet and all it takes is a little bit of information. Big Kudos go out to our credit card company who spotted the charges right away and called us before any of them went through. I guess something just didn't seem quite right that we could be having dinner at the PF Changs in Sherman Oaks and then a few hours later sipping tea with the Brittish???

Christmas Preparations

Don and I won the get your Christmas Tree up the fastest contest. It is a contest right? We had the tree up by noon on Friday and decorated the same day. It took me three separate trips to Costco to get the tree skirt, garland, and stockings but I also found a few Christmas presents in the mean time so it all worked out. You have to try hard to create Christmas here. Since it feels like summertime, you wouldn't know what time of year it was without the decorations, music, and holiday treats that go with it. I am loving my christmas tree right now.

I recently learned that my 3 1/2 year old neice can type her own name on the computer. She can't write it yet but she can type it. It's so hard to fathom! I'm amazed by the miracle of it. I hope I can get a live demonstration next time we are on Skype together.

Don and I head home to Oregon in three weeks for Christmas. It will be the first time we've spent Christmas with my family since Don and I have been married. It will be my first Christmas with Amber. And it will be the first time Kristy, Terri, and I have all been home together for the holidays in even longer than any of the above. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I hope Mom and Papa have a really big tree to accomodate all of the presents we will be bringing for Amber.