Tuesday, December 9, 2008, Nashville, TN., 4:26 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Howdy!  Johnathon here.  Sorry if I haven't written; been incredibly busy, and it's been wearing me out!!  Doesn't take much for me to do that!  :P

Between practicing for our upcoming Christmas Cantata (which is this weekend and next), schoolwork, getting ready for Christmas, regular church activities, etc., I don't have much time to do much of anything.  I'm nearing the point of exhaustion!!

It's akin to "Stop the world, I wanna get off"!  :P

Well, Thanksgiving and our city's annual Christmas Parade of Lights/Tree Lighting (complete with fireworks) are now history.  For Thanksgiving, we went out to eat at Golden Corral; let's just say I "stuffed" myself.  *URRRPP*  LOL  My brother, Erick, who lives in New York City, was here; it was so good to see him, but I could tell he felt bad for me when he saw that tube sticking out of my neck and depending totally on others to care for me.  I felt bad for him having to see me like this.

My sisters Steffi, Diana, Dwerlina (and her family), Lightning (and HER family), Barbara, and Melizza were here, as were Anh and his girlfriend (now fiancee'), Thu.  Lots of people at our house; it made for one crazy, wild, good time!!  Also made for crowded conditions!!  WHEE!! LOL  It was good to see everyone again; all looked well, and it was fun catching up on the latest happenings in their lives, not to mention, playing with the cousins!

Now the house is quiet again; we get to do it all over again the week of Christmas:  Anh, Thu, Diana, Melizza, Barbara, and Dwerlina will be here.  (Lightning won't be able to make it; one of her kids is facing surgery the day before Christmas, which is a major bah humbug!)

Speaking of surgery, Jodie had hers last week; she was in the hospital for four days; she's now at home, recovering.  They straightened her feet, put pins and plates in them to hold them in place.  She's in a lot of pain, but it's getting better with each passing day.  The pins look nasty!!  YUCK!!  She's been crying a lot, probably because her poor, abused feet hurt!

Jodie, who has severe spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, was having issues with her feet starting to point downwards; it was causing her a lot of grief, so she had the surgery, so as to get them straightened.  It's a particularly brutal surgery, and it was risky for her because she's so severely disabled.  She did make it through, though, which was a huge answer to prayer; best of all, she didn't have any complications; her recovery/hospital time was smooth as silk!

The Christmas tree Lighting/Parade/Fireworks went without a hitch; lots of people came to celebrate the start of the Christmas season here in town.  The fireworks were awesome; it was the best part of the celebration; they lasted a good ten/fifteen minutes.  It was pretty short, but WOW!! What a display!!  And WOW, how NOISY!!  I had to turn off my hearing aids or I'd be completely deaf by the time the last firework went off!  LOL

Santa even made an appearance, and for the Tree Lighting, Jodie was chosen to flip the switch.  It took her four or five tries, but she finally made the connection.  It was a magical moment for her because she got to do it with Santa.  :)

As I said, this weekend (and next) is our annual Christmas Cantata at our church.  I will be singing (and signing!), and Ronee' will be singing, just as we do every year.  Ronee' will be singing "O, Holy Night"; she does an awesome job on that song, especially at the end, where her soaring soprano nearly shatters glass, especially when she hits that high note!  As for me, I will be singing "The Little Drummer Boy".  Mama and daddy will be singing too; they'll be part of the choir, singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" and "Joy To The World". 

Between the Christmas music will be little "vignettes", or small plays, about people facing different things during the Christmas holiday.  I will be in the play as well:  I will be playing a boy whose mom and dad are getting divorced; it's a pretty dramatic part, and I have been working hard to practice my lines.

Ronee' will be in the play as well:  she will be playing the part of a girl who has lost her mother to cancer, and how she misses her, especially at Christmas.

Somehow, with all these different stories, there's a strong message of the birth of Christ and how it ties in to Christmas, even today, with all the commercialism, hustle-bustle of the season, and how people can return to the true meaning if they only make the effort to do so.

In other words, Christmas doesn't have to be a hassle if you choose to believe in the Lord and accept His own personal Christmas gift of Salvation.

Speaking of Christmas, and gifts, I'm just about done with my shopping:  have a few little minor odds and ends to get yet.  No biggie.  I'll probably do that this weekend if my MD behaves itself.

So far, this has been the case.  Let's hope it continues.  Don't need any hidden "surprises" that can throw me completely off track!

Mama has been running herself ragged, between the baking, the cooking, and getting the cards ready to be mailed.  She wants to get the rest of them out before the fifteenth, which is in just six days.  She's gotten some of them out, but not all of them.  I'm worried about her; she needs to slow down!!

Daddy's been having some problems with his asthma acting up, and he's getting over a cold.  He's been sucking on the Vitamin C; he's feeling somewhat better, but he has that nasty-sounding cough that makes him sound like he's choking halfway to death!  I pray he doesn't have to go to the Emergency Room on account of his asthma givin' him fits!!

When daddy coughs, he sounds like a smoking old man!  And he doesn't even smoke!!

Well, I am going to go now.  Have to get someone to get me out of bed, help me get ready for school.  I also have to eat, take my morning round of meds.  I will write in here again soon; hopefully I will do so before Christmas (and my birthday, which falls on the day AFTER).  So the next time you'll hear from me, I'll either be hangin' on the ragged edge of sweet sixteen-hood or will be sixteen.  Gettin' old!  LOL 

Until then, this is Johnathon signing off!  Let me wish you and yours the best Christmas season EVER!!  And don't forget WHY we celebrate Christmas!!

~Love, your pal, Johnathon Irwin-Allen.  :)