This has been a fun and crazy holiday season. I have always been really big on all the traditions that we used to have, this year not so much. And as Eddie and I were rushing around after Christmas Eve services I figured out why. When I started all of those crazy traditions, we were a very secluded family with no real friends and Church family. Now? We are so blessed that we were not even able to attend everything we were invited to. We have so many people that we love in our life now, I don't need to fill up our lives with the same old thing. We are filled up and I LOVE that.
We had several highlights, first in my mind was the Christmas Eve Service, we had a blast in Kids Kanyon but the best thing was having a special needs child curled up in my lap...what a feeling. And as I sat there I seen the love that Lena has for Tobey, and that is amazing to me. Seeing like a 100 kids excited about Jesus' Birthday was such a blessing. Then we attended the second service. Sam did awesome on his service, which I expected....seriously he is the best Pastor ever. The band did great, very moving. But then the icing on the cake....Eddie played Trombone!!! The guy plays like 13 instruments, and this was the first time I ever saw him play. I didn't think I could fall in love with the guy anymore, but I was wrong.
We headed home, and had Ramen noodles (so not my style...I was tired) and I made an overnight casserole while Eddie helped Santa set up gifts. We went overboard, like big time. But we have had some tough Christmases and I have been planning a big Christmas since the beginning of October. Eddie and I had wine out of Halloween cups (they had bats on them), and settled in for our long winter's nap. Notice they say nap, because kids don't sleep much that night. We were up 4 hours later, watching the kids tear the heck out of our house.
After gifts, I went back to bed and then made breakfast for Eddie's family. Had Christmas with them and then it was time to make the big Christmas Dinner (no one even really eats that dinner, they want to play).
We then vegged out the rest of the day, and played Minute To Win It with the kids. So pretty relaxing day. Nice.
I am actually in shock the kids vacation went so fast. They go back on Tuesday, too soon. We have had a lot of fun. They have been cracking me up. I honestly think that I may have the coolest kids. I know, everyone thinks their kids are the coolest....I do think I would win. Melody and Emily have started posing like "Tebow". They have no idea who he is, but they look adorable. Edwin came up to me yesterday and blew on me. I was a little surprised and asked him why he did it...he told me it was the Holy Spirit. Tobey has pooped several times on the toilet, he does great if he is only wearing a T-shirt and a smile...not real appropriate for real life, unless it is at Wal-Mart (whoa, did I just go there?). Olivia got sea monkeys, I am getting stressed out because they don't give you enough food. Do you order more, or just let them starve? What is their life expectancy? I didn't think about all of this when I bought the stupid things. Now, I have like 50 more mouths to feed. And then that is another thing. How big do they get, do you buy a tank for them? I should have thought about all of this, and got the guinea pig that I wanted. They don't need purified water and leave me with a fear of the unknown. Ok, enough of that. Alison and Lena have made a few appearances from their rooms, since Christmas. I got them DVD's and movies they can watch in their room....and that my friends, is how you deal with teenagers over the holiday's.
So, now we are heading New Year...we are going to have a junk food fest Saturday night and I got the kids party hats and horns. And then they can open their crackers. I did not get confetti this year...not regretting that decision one bit. We have talked to the kids about what their resolutions, but they also need to tell us how they plan on reaching their goals. I would like for them to write out a plan and show the steps....we'll see how that goes over. I think setting goals is so important for them to learn motivation. I don't want to raise kids that feel like they are entitled, and the world owes them something. I want them to see what hard work and taking chances can do for them. Eddie and I learned that the hard way....and that my friends is one of my goals, to raise upstanding human beings...not matter what you think may be against you.
We have had such an amazing year, some awesome...some sad. We went to Disney and that was a blast, we moved, Eddie got his promotion, I started a new job, the kids started going to amazing schools, Tobey said new words and we got some scary medical info on another kid, we got a Durango, and realized that car payments really are not fun. I turned 35 and did not die, Eddie threw me an amazing party. Lena went to her first date and dance, and I did not panic. Alison has a boyfriend, and I am panicking. Edwin has found God and seeing God through his eyes have been inspiring. Olivia has come out of her shell and we found out that she is an athlete, go figure. Tobey told me that he loved me, and I cried as hard as I did when I found our he was Autistic (I am tearing up now). Emily is going to big kid school and is being reigned a genius, and Melody went to pre-school and is loved be everyone there. I went to Chicago and renewed my faith in Christ (I evened raised my hand during worship!). I celebrated 15 years of marriage with the love of my life and still madly in love with the dude.
Looking over the last paragraph, I can not believe how blessed I really am. And I am nearly giddy for 2012...I think it will be another amazing year...it will have to be to top Disney!
Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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