Recap

December is half over, didn't it just begin yesterday? It seems like we have been busy with something each moment. I love Christmas... the tradition and the beauty. It feels so special - set apart from the rest of the year.  I admit that this year there have been a few times I asked myself "WHY am I doing this..." why am I putting up all these decorations when in a few weeks I will just have to take them all down... why am a making another batch of goodies - heaven knows I do not need these in the house...... I should be doing laundry anyway.
It feels hard this year - doing all our normal Christmas things on top of school. new baby, selling house, and job changes. But I am doing it anyway - because their faces light up each time we do something, and they spend hours at the Christmas tree asking for the story behind our special ornaments. Because when cookies are baking you can't smell the poopy diapers and after dinner He smiles when there is something new. It's worth it.
Although I still wonder about Mama in her kerchief and when she found the time to settle down for that long winters nap....
It took me so long to get the tree decorated this year that the girls decided to do it themselves :) 

 

 

I admit - I was tempted just to leave it like this. 

We didn't

(A kiss the baby break)

Our sugar cookie day

   

a little singing makes the cookies bake faster.

 

 

     

A and her BFF singing in the Christmas program  

Getting snuggly in the car with treats to go see the lights.

 

 

 I think when I look back on this Christmas - "C's" first, and our 9th. I will not remember that I almost fell asleep in the car that night or the dull headache I have had all month or that I got behind on everything and no one got a Christmas card. I think I will remember that everyone had fun with the effort that I made whether it turned out the way I wanted it to or not.