I think that's proof that the holiday season really is the busiest, most hectic time of the year. No time even for a quick blog post, year after year!
Of course, NONE of my posts end up being "quick" ones, lol.
This Holiday season was no exception. It seemed like we had a million things going on. And then, RIGHT in the middle, Matt and I took off for 3 days to Vegas. We just couldn't resist the chance to get away with friends and play. Being gone in December was crazy - and we paid for it when we got back! - but well worth it. We went with two other couples and had an awesome time. December seems to be the closest thing Vegas has to an "off" season, and the hotel was cheaper than we've ever booked it.
Becki took the kids, and although Tessa was fine, Asher had a hard time with us being gone. He cried..so I cried..more than once. Of course, he was finally nice and settled in by the time we got back. 3 days is a somewhat awkward time frame for kids, I suppose. Just not quite enough time for them to get used to being somewhere else before they come home.
One wonderful thing the trip did for Matt and I was to give us enough time away from the kids that their Christmas-induced-hyperactivity wasn't so grating. By the time we got back, their excitement was cute again! And Asher, especially, missed me so much that he was the worlds sweetest child for at least a week after we came home.
Just two days after we got back I stopped at the library to pick up a book that was on hold for me. I left Ash in the car, since it was cold and I was in and out. As I walked back out to the truck, I could see him in his carseat, watching me, with a huge smile on his face.
When I got into the truck I said to him "what are you grinning about, funny boy?"
He said "I'm not!"
I said "you are! Grinning is another word for smiling. What are you SMILING about?"
He said "Oh! Just because I love you! I missed you SO MUCH! I'm glad you are home."
Melt my heart.
The trip set us back in some areas.
I had signed up to work at a craft fair here at Suncrest. I've been making full, twirly skirts for girls, and decided to sell some. I did one back in November, but the traffic was very slow and I still had several left over, so when they announced another fair I signed up. Of course, I still had to make a FEW...
The fair was only 4 days after we got back - not much time to make them!
Plus Christmas jammies for the kids and little fabric bags for brownie mix for my neighbor gifts...I spent a lot of time at the sewing machine for a couple of weeks!
One of the kids Christmas "gifts" this year was a playroom in the basement. Matt and I (okay...almost entirely Matt) have been working on the basement for a long time. I decided about 6 weeks before Christmas that I really wanted to focus on a playroom for the kids down there. They need somewhere to be with their friends when we have friends and neighbors over, and their bedrooms are just too close to the main areas of the house.
So I set a Christmas "deadline" - and Matt made it happen - despite the trip. He worked downstairs a lot of nights after coming home from work - and never complained about me being a crazy slave driver. Such a good husband <3
The carpet was actually laid on the 28th of December, but close enough! The playroom was done (enough*) for them to use it on New Years Eve, while the grown ups partied upstairs :)
(*The playroom is actually still under MY construction - although all of Matt's parts are done. My decorating should take at least as long as the actual BUILDING of the room did...because that's how I do things, lol)
Back to Christmas...
(forgive the rambling nature of this post - it's been a long time since I blogged and I'm clearly out of the habit!)
I tried to do lots of fun things with the kids, especially while Tessa was out of school.
We got together with friends to decorate Christmas cookies and went sledding and had play dates.
Our time was pretty packed with activities!
On Christmas Eve we went to a family party at Becki's house. After that we met friends (the Beckers) at a Methodist Church for their Christmas Eve candlelight service, which was beautiful and which the kids loved.
After that we had a nice, relaxing Christmas Eve with the Beckers - playing games and hanging out and eating way too much food. They live right next door, so it's amazingly convenient, and their kids are great friends with Tessa and Asher, so everyone has fun. It was a really nice night - even though Tessa did get inadvertently hit in they eye with a foam dart during a nerf gun war.
(in Christmas Jammies just before bed on Christmas Eve)
On Christmas Day the kids slept until 8:00! Another good reason to keep them out late playing with friends on Christmas Eve :D
Tessa's big Christmas gift this year was another American Girl doll. She wanted a My American Girl - one that's supposed to look like her. The doll has an online world that Tessa can play in - she loves it. She also got several accessories for the doll, including a larger storage cabinet to keep all of her doll stuff in. Fingers crossed that it helps her be at least a little bit organized!
(promise she was a lot more excited about it than she looks in these pictures)
Asher is still little enough that he doesn't have one *big* Christmas gift yet. His toys are still pretty inexpensive. Lots and lots of race car stuff. This is NOT a love he is outgrowing, lol! I expect him to love cars and trucks forever :)
He also got a skateboard with all the pads - he is very excited to use it! He played with it in grandpas big driveway for a minute on Christmas day, but hasn't much since then. I keep saying "no" when he asks. This is a scary tow for me! I want to be right with him when he really starts playing on it - and that's not going to happen until it's a good deal warmer!
We saw Nana and Grandpa and Joey and Becki and Colby and the boys on Christmas, of course. Nana and Grandpa got Asher the Hot Wheels 6-lane race track for Christmas and everyone was excited to see him open it. I suggested that they buy it before Thanksgiving - and then almost immediately regretted doing so. I wished *WE* had gotten it for him! He absolutely loved it, of course.
Christmas afternoon we went to Grandma and Papa's house for dinner with the family. They were very generous with Christmas gifts, as always, and we had a very nice time. The highlight of the night, though, was Jessica and James announcement that they are expecting a baby this Summer!!! I am so very excited for them and can't wait to find out boy or girl and to have a new niece or nephew.
Tessa and Asher didn't act overly excited about he news, but they must have been! Just a few days after Christmas I told my mom that Jessica was pregnant - and she already knew. Tessa had told her. Same thing happened when I tried to tell Becki. Tessa is (of course) hoping for a girl...but I'm hoping for another boy :) Either way, the baby is sure to be gorgeous - Jessica and James are very cute people!
So that was our Christmas.
Another wonderful Holiday season, all wrapped up. And (whew!) are we glad we have a whole year before it comes around again! It will be here before we know it. I'll try to blog once or twice in the meantime :)
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