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Merry Christmas!

Tried to order Christmas cards this year and my coupon code would not work. Instead of paying $6, I would've had to pay closer to $60, so I decided that this would be a year I would just do my greetings online. Jake had a black eye at the time and we aren't all looking in the same direction, so maybe it's for the better anyhow.

The Ernst 5 wishes you all a very, Merry Christmas! "T'was a humble birthplace, but oh, how much God gave to us that day! From a manger bed what a path was led, what a perfect, holy way!" Thank you God, for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ!

Skin Color Unhappiness

Oh, I am falling so behind in my blogging once again. And I was doing so good for a couple of months. I will play some catch up when I get a chance, but today is quite busy, as will be tomorrow. But this conversation with Claire on our ride home from preschool was too good for me to risk my bad memory losing it. Just a bit of info to let you know why she said what she said...there are many families from Sudan in the building she attends preschool in, as they have ESOL classes upstairs. Many of them have preschool aged children, therefore Claire has become friends with them.

Claire: "Mom, I want to be black."
Me "You mean you want the color of your skin to be black?"
C: "Yes!"
Me: "But God made you with lighter skin."
C: "But I waaaant to be black!" (on the verge of having a little hissy fit about it).
Me: "Well, I'm sorry but we can't change the color of your skin."
C: "Yes."
Me: "How? How do you think we can give you black skin?"
C: "With black paint."
Me: "But it will wash off when you take a bath."
C: "But I want to paint me black."
Me (picking my battles): "Ok, we can paint your hand black sometime soon."
C: "And my arm and my other arm and my legs and my belly and my face...all of me."

So, don't be shocked to find pictures on here someday of my blond-headed Claire with "black skin."

An Interesting Journal Entry

*Taken from my written journal December 9th, 2010*

"Something just happened that, to my knowledge, was a first. Dan fell asleep during a Colt's football game while I stay up to watch it! Crazy, I tell you! This is the girl who couldn't stand football just a few years ago. I tell you what, Dan has slowly infected me. Thankfully, the Colt's won against the Titan, 30-28. This is a very good thing, considering Dan proclaimed to the Facebook world after the last game that Manning should be benched. They are 7-6 now. Yes - I am even impressing myself with my football facts! *And now I can name many of the Colt's players - not just five.* For fun, let's see how many off the top of my head at 5 minutes till midnight. Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Jacob Tammie, Gary Brackett, Edgerrin James, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney, Adam Vinatieri, Austin Collie, ? White, Reggie Wayne

*A couple of years ago Dan's standard for me being a true Colt's fan was based on if I could name at least 5 players. I passed the test!*

Losing My Mind

Sometimes, I feel just like Kevin (our pumpkin man who comes to visit every year) in the above picture. Especially today...with all the nose wipin' I've done with Claire yesterday and today, I now, am feeling yucky. I was supposed to meet a friend at Panera this morning. I completely forgot. Doh...I hate it when I do stuff like that. Even when I am well, though, sometimes I feel like I have the memory of someone twice or more my age. It is quite frusterating. Any tips? I'll take them. I even had the Panera meeting on my calendar...I truly do blame that on me not feeling well though.

Anyhow, here are some late pictures of Kevin coming to life again. We had Ashleigh's help this year with stuffing him. A good time was had by all. And now it's already time to say good-bye to Kevin until next year.