And It Is Gone...

So the minute the last Christmas present is opened and the paper is all cleared away... I am ready to begin taking down the Christmas decorations.  Have I mentioned that I am just a little OCD?  I am always very excited about putting up the decorations and want them up the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving.  We always go out of town for Thanksgiving so I want them up when we get home.  I don't want to come home from our trip and still have to put them up.  Also, it is a lot of work for such a short time so on the front end, I want as much bang as I can get for my buck, so to speak.  However, it all seems so "over" once the presents are finished.  The tree just doesn't seem pretty to me anymore without all of the presents piled under it and all around it.  So on Christmas Day we go to my in-laws and we are always really late getting home but the very next day I am driving my husband crazy to help me clear things out.  He usually procrastinates until I reach the point of trying to stuff the tree into the box and trying to hold it together and tape it and then he knows that he is either going to have to do it or it is going to be done wrong.. he may be a little OCD too, but not as bad as me. At this point, I desert him and do other things so he can be left to drag the box up the stairs.  Isn't that sweet of me?  And then we have to try to cram 2 Christmas tree boxes and 5 plastic tubs into a space the size of 2 adult bodies.  It isn't pretty because we are tired after days of running from house to house and eating too much and spending too much....  but once all of those decorations are put away and I clean everything up and vacuum up all the little needles, I can sit and look at my freshly cleaned house with a new appreciation and it. feels. good.

Christmas 2011... Blessed Beyond Measure!

Here is a picture of me with my family this Christmas.  The only one missing is Lindsey's husband, Jay.  His trunks are arriving from Afghanistan weekly which means he isn't far behind.  We had a wonderful time on Christmas Eve at my Mom's house.  We always try to change up the menu and this year was breakfast food which is one of my favorites!

Grandma enjoyed being with all of the grandkids and the one great-grandkido!  We always have so many laughs when we all get together!

This is my little bunch and they thrill me to pieces!  Lindsey actually looks bigger than the other two here and she should since she is the oldest but she is actually the smallest of the three of my girls!

This is me with my mom and sister. Mikayla pointed out that we were all holding our hands the same.  I guess it is in the genes.

The is my sister and her little family..  We love them so much!

And this Thomas the Train pillow pet turned out to be my grandson's favorite gift!  Very pleasing to his Nana!  :)

We had lots of great food and fun and I am just so very thankful for my family!  I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Almost a Birth Day!

I am sitting here resting.  It is late and way past my bedtime.  My bones and muscles feel weary.  Today I have wrapped the last of the presents, cleaned the house and prepared food to take to my moms tomorrow for Christmas Eve.  I have driven to the next town to pick up a pizza for dinner and back again, watched a movie with my husband and I have done 4 loads of laundry.  I have completed my Bible study as well as a little bit of exercise.  Now, I am watching my Christmas tree spin round and round on its base with its pretty lights and I think as tired as I am and as much as I would love to crawl into bed without washing off my makeup and brushing my teeth because I am just too tired.. how tired must Mary have been this very night so many years ago?  First of all the last trimester is really just not any fun at all as far as comfort goes anyway.  I can imagine that riding a donkey was not nearly as comfortable as my Camry.  No lumbar support there, no mam!  And as I sit here with my sweatshirt on and still covered in an afghan, I wonder, how cold was she on those dark nights traveling along?  She knew what was coming and had to be filled with anticipation but also as scared as any young new mother is.  We think so much about the birth of Christ as a baby being born and coming to save us all and although we hear the song "Mary, did you know?" how often do we STOP and really think about that?  About how she felt?  About her fears and concerns?  I think I would have been scared to death to be thinking that I, a nobody, would soon be birthing the King of the world...  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish to be a better mother but can you imagine the standard you would hold yourself to if you were the mother to the Savior?  Thinking about Mary and what she went through kind of makes my job seem a little easier.  We are getting close to the birth day and I am getting excited!  Although I sure do love my comforts,  I sure would have loved to have been there the day Jesus Christ was born!  Many blessings to you and Merry Christmas!