Oh, What a Weekend It Was!

Sometimes you just have a pretty spectacular weekend and this one goes down in the books as just that. Friday night I went to my work Christmas party. It was low-key but fun to hang out with co-workers outside of the school setting. I laughed way too much and ate way too much good food! Yesterday morning the boys were thrilled to find that our elf, Shooby, had brought them a gingerbread house kit. They got right to work in building it...and eating all the contents. Last night we went to the Christmasville Spectacular at a local church. They incorporated Christmas carols, a live nativity scene, a petting zoo, hot chocolate and Santa all into one night. It was a pretty amazing night, one that I have grown fond of as a Christmas tradition. This morning the entire family woke up early because P and I ran the Tiger 5K. It was his first 5K and he was nervous. But he runs a *much* faster mile than me so he wanted to run the course on his own. I prayed him through the entire thing as I ran about a mile behind him the entire way. When the Finish Line came into view, P ran out from behind the gates to run across the finish line with me. It gave me chills when the announcer said both of our names as we crossed together. It meant so much to me to have him run this 5K with me. Once we got home and cleaned up, we finished putting up Christmas decorations (Rob has been sick since Thanksgiving Day and just started feeling human again this weekend). Rob climbed up on the roof to hang lights for the first time since we got married....and I may have swooned a little. Tonight we ended the weekend with a homecooked meal and E's best friend ate dinner with us. In between all the fun stuff I ran errands, did Christmas shopping and took a nap. That, in my opinion, makes for a pretty spectacular weekend!!

Socially Awkward

I have always been a social butterfly. My elementary school report cards even say so. But as I have gotten older I have changed. I still like getting together with friends. But I prefer a handful of friends getting together rather than going to a large party. I guess it's because, over the course of the past year or so, I have realized how socially awkward I have become. The filter doesn't always work from my brain to my mouth and I say really dumb stuff. Or I don't pay attention to who is around me and say something that I immediately regret. Or I'm not fully listening to the conversation and give an odd response to the conversation at hand. One thing that is difficult for me is accepting compliments. Before Rob and I got married, I had a roommate that used to say, "When someone compliments you, just say 'Thank you' and let it be." It's hard for me to do it, like I am not worthy of a compliment. The other night a co-worker/friend gave me a compliment about teaching. Instead of just saying "Thank you", I immediately listed my credentials for her. Who cares what grades I've taught? It was nice that she noticed my ability to teach multiple grades and I should've just accepted her compliment for what it was.
Last night I had my staff Christmas party. I know most of the staff by now but I was still nervous about saying the wrong thing. Of course, I put my foot in my mouth twice while my principal was within earshot. Rob said not to worry about it but that's stuff I overanalyze to death.
Because of things like this, large social settings can make me nervous. I worry too much about what people think about me and I already know I talk too much (thanks to my youth pastor's wife from my teen years). So I have prayed about it and do my best to think before I speak. Most of the time, when I'm in a large social setting, I just clam up so I don't say the wrong thing or talk too much. I've come to accept this though because I've prayed about it and have tried to learn from different situations. I can only do what I can do. I'm human.
But I make no guarantees the older I get. One of these days I'll be one of those old ladies that offends everyone with my opinions. Such is life.....HA!

Christmas Traditions

At our staff Bible Study this morning the theme was family traditions and whether we carry them on or not. It got me thinking about so many of our traditions over the years- some that we've kept and some that we've abandoned. I think, hands down, my favorite tradition started a little later in my childhood (maybe even after I became an adult??). Every year, after the presents have been opened and the Christmas meal has been cleaned up, an adult (usually my mom if she's with us) will hide the German pickle somewhere in the Christmas tree. Then it becomes a free for all for someone to find it. The only rule is you can't knock over the tree and whoever finds it first gets a prize such as a gift card or cash. It's a tradition that my family loves and one that the boys have come to love as well. When we were unwrapping Christmas ornaments a few days ago they got so excited when they unwrapped the German pickle because it's a tradition they love. Another tradition that we started later in life, but I love as well, is on Christmas Eve. We would go to a church service then we'd eat dinner at In-N-Out Burger and drive around to look at Christmas lights. I love the memories of those special nights. We now live across the street from our very own Griswald family so we don't have to go too far to look for a lot of lights. Last year I didn't appreciate their over-the-top Christmas lawn décor. But this year I find it endearing because it reminds me of looking at lights with my parents. Another tradition that we had was that we got to open one present early. As an adult, I have figured that this was probably rigged because we always opened clothes/Pjs. But my brother and I loved getting a sneak peek into what would come.
Some traditions we have started as our own family, blending childhood traditions. On Christmas Eve, after the Christmas church service, we gather as a family and read about Jesus's birth. We also read "Twas the Night Before Christmas". I wasn't sure if the boys really like this tradition but both boys have been reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (the original and Cajun versions) in anticipation of Christmas so I guess they like it better than I thought they did. We also started the tradition of the elf on the shelf. The boys love waking up to find the elf's crazy antics...or the little gifts he's brought.
Some traditions have died out over the years for whatever reason. My family and I used to get together with other families in the church and go to the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. I have no doubt I grumbled about this (especially the year I got sick eating way too much homemade peanut brittle), but now looking back that, that was a fond time in my childhood. I cherish those memories we created with friends. My parents have a tradition of the "Orange Man" coming after the tree is up and fully decorated. I've heard the story behind it but it's not a tradition I've cared to carry on with my family. (Maybe because I'm not a huge fan of oranges??) When we first got married, Rob and I would get excited for eggnog milkshakes to hit fast food joints. We got them quite often and compare which place made the best one. But I can honestly say that I don't think I've had one since moving to LA. Once again, I don't know why that tradition stopped but I miss it.
Traditions are important for a lot of reasons. I am glad I have been able to close my business (It was officially dissolved yesterday!) in time to enjoy the family traditions that we enjoy this time of year. I know that things can get crazy with Christmas shopping, parties, baking, events, etc. But I am so happy that I have learned how to slow down over the years so I can enjoy the traditions that are important to us. I want the boys to look back over their childhood Christmases with fond memories because of the tradition we enjoy each year.

(I am really tired and it's been a long day so please forgive any errors as I'm too drained to really edit it.)

Christmas Tree

Earlier this week I realized that I was able to blog every day in November, despite it being our busiest month of the year. So I am going to continue to be intentional about blogging more often.....

I've never had an artificial tree. I love the smell of a real tree and I love that a live tree is one-of-a-kind, just like people. The problem is, is that I like to put the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving but they usually die before Christmas. But, I asked around (ie I posted it on FB) and was pointed toward a local nursery with a great reputation. So, with shorts on since it was 80+ degrees out (there should be a law against buying a Christmas tree when it's above 60 degrees out) we drove to the nursery to find the perfect tree. The employees there went above and beyond in helping us find a great tree for us. Rob couldn't go with us because he's sick but when we brought the tree home he was quick to cut off the bottom and help me get it in the stand. I think I was a little overzealous when I got the tree because we usually get a 6' tree and this year our tree is around 8'. It takes up so much of our living room but Rob said it's one of the best looking trees we've ever gotten. While the tree was "settling", the boys and I finished decorating the rest of the house. E hounded me to death about when we would decorate the tree because he was so excited. Finally, after dinner, I pulled out the lights and started stringing them around the tree. We didn't have enough white lights so I had to run out and buy more. Even after getting another 100 lights there's still a few inches at the top of the tree that are lightless. But, depending on the angle you're looking at the tree, you wouldn't notice. Once the lights were up, we pulled out the ornaments. I have to say I'm envious of people that have those perfectly put together trees, the ones that look like they belong in a magazine. But, watching the boys look at our ornaments and talk about each one and the memories it holds is priceless. Once they start talking about how special each ornament is I forget that our tree will never grace the cover of a magazine but that it is indeed perfect for us. Case in point: last year I had bought some really nice stockings so they would match and look classy in front of our fireplace. But, P got upset that his stocking that his Gee made him wasn't up. So once again our stockings are mismatched but they hold memories and that's part of what Christmas is all about. I love this time of year- the memories we reminisce about and the memories we create. Our tree may not be perfect with its crooked topper and lightless sections but we put it together as a family, creating more memories and I love it!

Day 30: Our Savior

I decided at the beginning of the month that I would save the best for last...our Savior. I realize that He is the Reason we have so much to be thankful for! He has blessed us beyond my wildest dreams. I do not take for granted that He blessed me with a wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally and will fight for us because of his unconditional love. I do not take for granted that He blessed us with two wonderful boys who bring so much joy to our lives. I do not take for granted that He has blessed us with a roof over our heads, all the amenities and more material possessions than we'll ever need.
I also do not take for granted that Jesus was sent to Earth, to walk with men and women for 33 years before He gave His life for my sins. In all my humanness, I can't wrap my head around a lot of things in the Bible. But I do know that God has created a mansion for me to spend eternity with Him because I chose to accept Him in my heart and live as He requests. I am so incredibly thankful for His sacrifice, His unconditional love. I am thankful for all that the Lord has blessed us with and I can't wait to spend eternity with Him. Our Savior is, hands down, the best Thing I have to be thankful for!

Day 29: Our Youngest

This guy is a miracle in a sense because I was struggling to get pregnant. It was our last attempt at getting pregnant and we figured that at some point we'd have to explain to P why he didn't have a younger sibling. Thankfully, I got a call from the doctor's office that I was in fact pregnant. Our youngest has been giving me a run for my money ever since. But you know? I wouldn't have it any other way! He is quick witted and has us laughing continually. He is strong willed and marches to the beat of his own drummer. He has taught me that there are other ways to deal with a situation because he is so stubborn. But, although he can be stubborn, he definitely sees things as black and white. He's quick to spout off the rules to anyone who is breaking them. He is our all American athlete and loves playing every sport he can. Not only does he play them but he dominates them when he put his mind to it. Just like his older brother he, too, loves music and wants to start taking piano lessons soon. He doesn't love reading but he still maintains straight A's without really trying. He enjoys doing homework even though it's not mandatory this year. He is like me and doesn't really like watching TV....unless it involves hunting, fishing or sitting on his daddy's lap to watch something. He is also a cuddlebug. But he wants it on his own terms. He constantly wants me to hold him when we're walking into a store and can't wrap his head around the fact that he's almost 7 and way too big to be carried. He acts tough but gets his feelings hurt easily or gets scared during a movie. He has struggled with sleeping since he was about a year old until recently when we got him a weighted blanket. Now he sleeps soundly and wakes up much happier. He is passionate about hunting and loves going to deer camp with Rob. There are few other places that he'd rather be than in a deer stand with his dad. He idolizes his older brother and does everything he can to get P's seal of approval. He is VERY quick to share anything and everything he has with his brother. He loves playing with him and gets his feelings hurt when his brother shuns him. He is an excellent eater and eats just about anything that is put in front of him. I love that he has such a diverse pallet. In fact, I love everything about him. I am thankful that the Lord created E to round out our family. I can't imagine life without him!

Thankful: Extra Edition

I was not looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. It's not my favorite holiday to begin with but I do love having people come to dinner to celebrate holidays together. This year it was only the 4 of us so I knew it'd be a quiet day. But, despite it being a small Thanksgiving, it was a great day. We started the day with a family game of football. The boys named it the Turkey Bowl- me and P against Rob and E. I thought it was going to be a blowout because I know very little about football. But the boys were patient with me and P and I only lost by a touchdown. (P encouraged me....and laughed at me...several time during the game.) After the football game, P and I went for a run to prepare for the 5k we'll be doing next weekend. The weather was so beautiful that I sat by the pool and read for awhile before we made dinner. We decided against turkey this year since E is the only one who really likes it. So Rob and I tag teamed making a nice, but small, meal together. I loved that no one cared that we used Christmas napkins or didn't drink our beverages out of glasses. No one cared that we combined Tupperware and fine china for our serving dishes. Everyone just enjoyed being together. After we cleared the table, I hit a few Black Friday sales. We closed out the day by me reading the book "Elf on the Shelf" to the boys, in preparation for our elf showing up in the morning. It was a great day, much better than I thought it'd be. It was the perfect combination of relaxing, family time and creating memories. I am thankful that we enjoyed the entire day together. Happy Thanksgiving to our friends and family!