Christmas Blur

Well, first of all forgive me that my blog template still says "Happy Thanksgiving". Not that I don't want you to continually give thanks all year round, but it's not my intent to leave it up that long!! I KNOW how to change it but can't seem to get this lovely computer to make my wishes come true. Anyways...

Christmas this year was a blur. Seems to go by faster and faster each year. I remember hearing my parents say things such as that, but didn't understand what they meant by that until I had kids. Jack (just have to know him) was not too terribly excited about Christmas this year. He is two and a half and doesn't get too terribly excited about many things. He's my laid back child. Jace, at 15 months, was still too young to understand. So, hopefully next year they will both be able to really get it and get excited about it.

We went to Cody's dad's in Dallas a couple weekends before Christmas and had their annual extended family gathering. Crazy Uncle Pat is always the entertainment for the evening. This year we added our family to the entertainment list. Somehow in trying to be a good mom I sat both of my children down in the only fireant hill on the property in an effort to try to get their hats and gloves on. Jack began riding around on a little truck of some sort and mentioned in passing that his neck hurt. He's at the age that you know he knows what he is saying but you still can't trust that he means it so Cody and I didn't think much of it. After he said it about 5 times and I actually HEARD it then I took him in the ManCave where there was light and saw that he had 3 fireant bites on his neck! I stripped him down to his diaper (mancave is a barn that is barely heated) slapping at the ants all the while. I think that Cody and I must have began to think about 'the other child' all at the same time because we grabbed Jace and began stripping him as well at the same time. Of course Jace had them in his hair, neck, arms, legs, you name it! We took them both inside, naked (or nakey as Jack says) only to find there really wasn't any medicine or cream for them. They both did amazingly well not scratching at them or crying. They got distracted by playing with the toys and were fine. I did have some spray lanacaine or something and Jace giggled every time I would spray him! That's my Jace!

On Christmas Eve the boys and I did last minute packing and baking that morning (it was a lot more frantic than that just sounded) while Cody was at work. He got off a little before noon. He came home, we did last minute things, packed up, and made FOUR stops before we could get out of town! Who can't leave town without stopping at Target, Bryant Water Dept, Gas Station, and Chick-Fil-A right? We pulled onto Gravel Ridge where my parents live in the big city of Alma around 3:30 that afternoon. We stretched, changed, then had to leave for my grandparents house there in town. We ate dinner and opened presents that evening. The boys got a home made two-sided tool bench that weighs about 100 pounds made by my brother! It sounds kinda scary, but it is really neat. My brother is a welder, so it's all steel! It is really big so they can grow into it. Jace has to stand on a stool to reach the work table. I had the idea to paint on one side "Jack & Decker" and on the other "JAce Hardware". I think it's pretty funny!

We left there around 7:00 or so to go home and get Santa's cookies and milk ready. My dad also reads the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible every Christmas Eve to the grandkids. It's pretty precious. He asks questions to make sure that they are retaining everything and is really serious about it! The kids went to bed and, as always, the adults hung a blanket on the ironing board in the hallway to deter any wandering kids during the evening! The rest of us "helped Santa" for a couple hours, took pictures of the final products, and got in bed before midnight! We had to wake up some of the kids around 7:00 am in order for them to line up in the hallway from youngest to oldest then run in and see what they got!

After breakfast we all got ready then the adults exchanged gifts. Then it was already time to prepare for Christmas lunch. After lunch we packed up the car and drove 3.5 hours to my Nana and Pop's house where we had dinner and exchanged gifts with my extended family of around 40 people! Kids draw names and adults play dirty santa. People always get upset because they're gift is not popular or someone makes fun of it or something! Traditions.....beautiful!

That night we drove home and put the kids in bed. My parents stayed with us as well as one of my sisters kids. Mom and I got up the next morning and went to clean an office building that my friend, Ashley, and I clean each weekend. Ashley met us there. Nothing like working the morning after Christmas! When we got done there we went back to my house and we all put up all of my Christmas in about an hour! It didn't get packed up as well as it came out, but it was gone! I am blessed to have such giving parents. They give me their time, money, food, blessings, legacy, etc. I can honestly say that my parents would do anything for me.

Then we waited on my sister to pass through town and we met her for lunch then all caravanned back to Alma to my parents house. Cody and I decided to go back there for the weekend. He was going to hunt (rain spoiled that plan, darn!) and mom and I were going to work on some grant-writing. We have started a 'company' for grant writing and fundraising services.

Whew! I'm tired just writing all that. I was exhausted when we came home on Sunday night. Then, we had company come on Wednesday to stay through Saturday, January 3rd! We love our friends Zack and Crystal and their precious girls Rylee, Avery, and baby-to-be!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everybody! I pray that I will be a more disciplined person, more loving wife, and more Christ-like teacher for my boys! I also pray that you and your family will be blessed so that your cup runneth over!