Working For a Bank Can Be Fun! (Or how I spent my Christmas "Vacation"...)

My job description has definitely changed over the years, but that last little bullet point never seems to go away.

* Other responsibilities as needed.

Given that, here's what I've been working on in my "spare time" this past month.

And yes, I gave it the ususal 110% percent. Literally...

Deposits Simplified

: )

And just in case anyone was wondering if I really had anything to do with this...

There I am in the back on the right... working the boombox.

And then being bossy...

But unfortunately, the "editor" decided to leave everything of me on the cutting room floor... *sigh*

Merry Christmas to My (growing) Family...

This is strange.

Living out here in the middle of nowhere and all, I mean. Not that Grand Rapids could ever be considered to be out in the middle of nowhere exactly or anything... but without any family here for the past 10 years or so, it sometimes certainly feels like it!

Anyway, I know this greeting is kind of lame because I am capable of so much more when the weeks leading up to Christmas haven't been quite so crazy, but for this year it'll have to do. At least we all survived the latest apocalypse, right?... and so I guess that's a good thing! And for that I am grateful!...as I am grateful for each and every one of you!

Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers daily!

I love you all so much!

Welcome To Our World...

Lochlan Bradley McKee

MEANING: (Gaelic) "Warrior From The Land of the Lakes" - The Vikings plundered Ireland in the 9th and 10th centuries and the native home of the Norwegian invaders was known as Lochlan "land of the lochs." Lochlan became a popular name and was generally given to boys that had fair or red hair – a tribute to their Viking ancestors.

Hopefully he'll never plunder Ireland!.. but red hair would be interesting.

Personally, I think he looks exactly like Jade!

And I think being born on the 25th was perfect because:

• His birthday will coordinate really well with my every other year travel plans.
• It will be a really easy and special date to be able to remember.
• He is destined to be 'bonny and blithe and good and gay'... (Sunday's Child written in the 1800's :)

Cannot wait to meet this little guy!

And not to be sacreligous or anything... but I just thought, in a way, that this song might somehow fit in here.

"Welcome To Our World" ~ Sarasota, FL ~ from LAST NIGHT.

A View From The Tour Bus...

Not that I was there or anything...

Clay's Christmas Tour launched last night in West Palm Beach, Florida. Here's the view from his quarters this a.m. in Sarasota. At least he's up!

So be sure to check out your local venues!.. even if you DO happen to live in a cold place. You would think it would make more sense to start north and then go south. I mean travel-wise, right?

At any rate I'll be missing the whole dang thing this year. But at least I have a lovely new screensaver. : )

Photo courtesy of Twitter @clayaiken.

One Little Thing At a Time...

In regards to getting rid of things that is...

It's overwhelming sometimes... thinking about moving. There are just too many things that need to be done with this house and yard first. But if I start now and do just a little tiny bit every year I think I'll eventually feel comfortable that I'm handing a decent and un-junky piece of property over to somebody else.

It's been a LONG road.

But today took a big huge piece of the weight of my back. I mean deck.

I've been dreaming about this moment for years!

Bye Bye Hot Tub...

And thank you Dwight!

And so does all this make me feel a little bit sad???

You betcha! But anyway...

Next on the agenda?...

Bought a new cover at Godwins today.

Now I just need to figure out how to get those rusted screws off of this old one and get the new one attached. I had planned to ask Dwight if he could do it, but after that (more complicated than expected) Hot Tub disassembling fiasco it just didn't feel quite right to ask my friend from work for any more "Honey Do's."

Eventually.

Five!!!!!

And Alive!!!!!

Happy Birthday Miss Jade!

Happy Birthday Rachel Mae!

Two!!

Going on...

...Timeless

You'll have to click on the pictures to get the full effect...