Shopping, Shopping and More Shopping!

This past week was pretty boring with the exception of lots of shopping going on! I have spent the last week & weekend shopping for new clothes for the new job. Being in the transportation field for almost 15 years, my wardrobe consists of jeans & sweatshirts, so I have been having to rebuild a business casual wardrobe instead.......darn! :)

Saturday, Joel & I went to Rice Lake in hopes a finding a reasonable priced carpet cleaner due to our little Oliver not being potty trained quite yet. Did a little Christmas shopping and clothes shopping. We received very little snow, ours up here was more in the form of rain & sleet that melted immediately. We maybe received about an inch or so. That evening we attended a Lions function at The Pokegama. Back in September we had purchased some gun raffle tickets in support of the Lions and the charity & people they help.

Flash back....about 16 years. Jonathan had a eye problem when he was a wee little guy.....about 2 1/2. Most people saw it as a "lazy" eye, but it was the furthest from the truth. He had a week or almost non existance eye muscle that controlled the movement of the eye. Joel & I had 2 options to consider: surgery or bifocal glasses. We decided to go with the glasses, but didn't have the money at that time to purchase them. We were put in touch with the SSP Lions who paid in full for Jonathan's glasses. It took many years before we were financially stable, but we have never forgotten that gesture. Every year for the last 12 years,we had purchased our family Christmas tree from the SSP Lions. Yes, we could have gone else where to buy a cheaper one, but we wanted to re-pay their gratitude for helping us. Well, last year when we moved to the lake permanently, we didn't have the Lions to purchase a tree from. So, hence the rifle & gun raffle.......we were able to find a way to continue to give back to the Lions and help support their great causes.

So speaking of Christmas trees, now the Waage's need to start a new tradition for finding the family tree. So we have come up with the 1st annual cutting of the family tree! We live in the north woods and we have decided to make it a family outing & go cut our own tree. It is never to late to start new traditions. As the holidays draw near, this is when I miss the girls the most......it would be nice to include them in our new tradition.

Any how, on Sunday we went back to Minnesota....again! That is twice in a week. Our niece Courtney, is a play entitled, Home Room. It is a play about Homelessness and helping bring awareness to the community. She and the cast did a phenomenal job. After wards, We .......along with John, Joanne, Grandma Waage & Courtney went to Olive Garden to celebrate. We wouldn't have missed it for the world.....Good job Courtney, we are so proud of you and glad that you are turning your life around!! There is NOTHING you can't do if you set your mind to it. Whoot! Whoo! On the way home we stopped to do some more tax free clothes & shoe shopping :)

This week ahead is going to be spent preparing for the new job, preparing for the holidays and just being thankful.

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