I'm Really Trying

 I've been trying to get back to blogging, I really have.

The hard part is that I like to talk about my day, what I have been doing...

These days are filled with my mom.

Her estate, bills, insurance, condolences and questions...

Last week I spent three hours with our attorney, who also was a high school classmate.

I spent one whole day tracking down papers and records.

I spent one whole day with my brother, packing up the kitchen.

I used to call my mother every evening, chatting for an hour...

It was easy, this is not.

Moving on...if you have been here for any length of time, you know...

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year!

I love Christmas so much that I offered to send my kids to their respective in-laws

for all other holidays just so I could have my entire family together for Christmas eve.

It's been a tradition in my mom's family as long as I can remember.

We cleaned and mom and my aunts baked.  We decorated and planned...

We sang, oh did we ever sing!  We waited for the nightly news and 

the announcement that Santa was in the area!

This year, this might be the first time we won't be doing this...

So many things standing in the way...

Hit me like a ton of bricks...

I can't wrap my head around adapting...

My gifts are bought, not wrapped.

My decorations are finally down from the attic but not unpacked...

Teagan and Locklan came yesterday and decorated the tree,

Oh my, what a mess that is!

It's in the middle of the living room floor.

Only one tree...

Only ONE tree!

One tree must mean it's almost Christmas...

If you have read this far, here's a reminder that even though we're all nuts, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Back soon.

Over Full

Yesterday started out rough...

I took the wrong check book to the bank...

Took the wrong amount of cash out...

Burned the ham...

Had presents to wrap...

Yelled at Ron...

Stressed that my patio was messy...

Had family coming at 5 for a dinner that was burned...

Ron went out and bought another ham...

I put it in the oven and sent him to pick up my  mom, an hour away...

Andy  and Ashley and kids got here early, I wasn't dressed!

Then...it was Christmas eve...

Ashley carved the ham while I took a bath...

The kids entertained us...

Tony and Mindy came...

Vicky and Jamie came...

Michael and Catherine came later when Michael got off work...

We laughed and ate, we ate and laughed...

The kids opened gifts and played...

~sigh~

I love family time, and it's no secret that I love Christmas...

Last night just before I fell asleep, as I was watching It's a Wonderful Life for the 845 time,

 I got this text...

~double sigh~

I'll Buy My Own

Came across this on Facebook...

I don't know if I ever shared it or not, but I insisted my boys 

let me pretend that they weren't pretending to believe in Santa until they were...

Probably in junior high!

Seriously!

Well maybe not junior high...

But a long time!

We had a  Christmas Eve routine, Mark would read them a Christmas Story and then

as soon as I heard them all snoring, I would go back downstairs and do my 

Santa Magic.

Santa, the elves and occasionally the reindeer would get into mischief

of some kind, write a letter to the kids and drop off presents.

One year Santa snuck into the bedrooms and sprinkled sleepy dust on everyone.

Mark had a tough time forgiving me for the glitter that lingered for months!

One year the boys took so long to fall asleep that the reindeer got into a food fight on the front porch...

Yes, I threw grated carrots all over the front porch...

I still wonder what the passing car driver thought as I put on Mark's size 13 boots and made footprints in the new snow on the porch roof!

The letters were always the last thing I did (at 3AM) before heading to bed...

Just a recap of the year...a reminder to keep their rooms tidy...

Now there are grand kids.  

I can sleep on Christmas Eve,

and let my kids work Santa Magic...

I got off easy, now there is Elf on the Shelf...

I only had to do one night...

As far as believing...

Even though I know that Jesus is the reason for the season...

I'll still buy my own underwear

Oh my!

I got these photos from Andy and Ashley the other day...

 

They were at the tree farm...

 

The same Christmas Tree farm Mark and I always took the boys to when they were young!

 

 

 

 

Other than the fact that Andy used a chain saw,

it was so much the same!

 

 

 

When I saw this photo of the tree on the back of Ashley's jeep I did say oh-oh...

 

 

But Andy's spatial perception has always been good...

(not like his mother who once got a school bus stuck on a

 bridge that was at the bottom of a steep hill )

 

So I was shocked when he sent me this photo...

 

and told me that this was taken AFTER he cut 12" off!

 

 

Oh well!?!

'Tis the season!

 

Getting there!  Locklan is getting excited and so am I!