Carmi had to work today. While I didn't, I still roused out of bed about the same time as usual during the week because I had a 'mission impossible'...to finish my Christmas shopping.

Armed with a list (in my head) and a full tank of gas, I was off to battle with crazy women pushing carts. Good news is...after 8 hours, the mission is accomplished! Bad news is...success came at a price.

Mix a dislike for shopping with an intense disdain for traffic and the stress of a looming deadline and you have a lethal combination. Right now the pain in my back is unbearable but I'm trying to look on the bright side. I don't have to shop on Christmas Eve for the first time in several years.

This is my Christmas miracle.

From China Daily...

From China Daily...

From China Daily...

Carmi and Eliana worked hard tonight putting together little Christmas presents for her preschool classmates and teachers. Eliana's job was to stuff the goodie bags which kept her busy for a short while.

We received some sad news this evening.

Carmi's mother went on a week-long mission trip to the island of Bimini in the Bahamas back during the summer. Nancy-Coe called and told us that the Southern Baptist missionary on Bimini was a passenger aboard the seaplane that crashed off the coast of Miami earlier today. There were no survivors.

Our prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones.