A crazy, crazy December!

Well, now that Christmas and New Year's is officially over, and I have a free moment to step back, all I can think is... "What the heck just happened here??? Did I just completely fly right by my most favorite holiday and time of year?!?" Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. I did what I vow never to do every year... and that's to let my Christmas shopping, wrapping, cooking, etc. pile up on me, so that I'm so consumed with running around and checking things off, that I don't have a spare minute to do the things I really love to do in December. Like baking (no fudge or lemon-poppy seed bread, and my ingredients for the peppermint bark candy I wanted to try are still sitting on the counter), cuddling on the couch with warm apple cider or hot cocoa, actually sitting and watching the snow come down and enjoying the white Christmas, watching my favorite Christmas shows and cartoons with the kids (no Rudolf, no Frosty, and I missed The Grinch, my favorite!!! No Christmas Story or Polar Express! Another favorite. And I've always wanted to watch The Scrooge which I've never even seen, and didn't see again this year). No, along with a few doctor visits for Luke's pesky ear infection that won't ever seem to go away, just trips to the mall, Kohls, Penney's, Herbergers, Target, Wal-Mart, being stuffed away in my bedroom with endless wrapping and credit card bills I can't really afford. I didn't get a chance to send out Christmas cards (thank you to everyone who sent us cards) or even take that fantabulous picture of the kids in front of the tree. In fact, I hardly have any Christmas pictures at all this year. And obviously, I didn't get a chance to update Luke's blog or wish any of my fellow-blog and CaringBridge friends a Merry Christmas and I didn't get together with any good friends I hardly ever see (sorry Sherrie... tea and crumpets in January?).

So... it wasn't quite the Christmas I had planned, but even after all the busy-ness and regrets... there are a few important things to remember that made Christmas wonderful, like it really was. Luke remained quite healthy and happy, all my kids were healthy, Jon and I both have our parents (while both my parents were grieving the loss of their moms this Christmas), everyone stayed safe with all the snow and terrible driving conditions, my family was together and no one had to spend Christmas in the hospital, including my nephew Patrick, who was able to come home for Christmas. So while I hope it's a lesson learned for me to not let things pile up on me that way (I'm starting my '09 holiday shopping now!), I think the most important lesson for me is to take the time to treasure the most important things... health, safety, family and friends. Good words to try to live by not only for Christmas-time but for the entire year to come as well.

Here are some of the few pictures I have from December. Enjoy and have a very Happy and Blessed 2009!