in between

Christmas lingers around our house. 

It's always hard to say goodbye to the extra joys of the season.  So we still have our tree up, still have our stockings (and goodies!) laying around and our new games in and out from under the tree.  And we haven’t done much around here lately.  Well, I take that back.  We’ve done plenty of playing and lounging and snacking and laughing and napping and well, more playing.  We've taken walks, we went to the movies, we took the kids swimming, we've had friends over to play.  Ryan's worked on the 4Runner, I've run a few errands.  We've just been enjoying our "in between" week.
I always feel a little out of sorts for the week between Christmas and New Years; like life isn’t quite normal until after that big ball drops.  The kids are home, Ryan's usually home, and real life is just kind of on pause for this week.
So we're just enjoying our time.

And getting ready for the New Year... planning for the dinner party, excited for houseguests.  :)

I do have pictures... and the deets of our gifts this year.  I'm excited to share them.  

Just maybe not till life gets back to "normal". ;)

christmas eve

The thought that's been most running through my head all day?...
I cannot believe it's Christmas Eve already.
Seriously.

******
We are so blessed and as excited as we are for this beautiful holiday, as many times as my own kids have said today, "I cannot WAIT for tomorrow!"... other kids have been on my mind. Kids who may not be with their moms or dads this Christmas... who may not have a "family" or any kind of a Christmas at all. Kids in foster care, kids in orphanages, kids on the streets. Kids who don't know joy, or peace or happiness. My heart is full of prayer for them this weekend. Such a beautiful holiday for us, while for so many it may not be and it humbles me to think of them.

******
We did a little baking this week which resulted in lots of goodies that we don't really need to actually consume around here. So we packaged some up tonight and piled into the car after dinner to deliver treats to various people... we ran some by Savannah's teacher's family who just moved into a new house around the corner from us, we went to two fire and police stations, dropped in a open all night gas station and gave some holiday cheer to the guy stuck working Christmas, and finally dropped our last package of goodies off with a corner Contributor guy.
I'd like to say it was a magical evening of glad tidings, comfort and joy, and that we were all uplifted, but in reality the time in between our stops was filled with siblings annoying each other in the car, fighting and a little parental yelling thrown in for good measure and I for one returned home feeling quite discouraged. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes, you know?
Peace on earth, goodwill to men indeed.

******
I don't have a fabulously cute Christmas picture or an especially profound holiday sentiment to share, but here's the snapshot I slapped on our Christmas card and I will tell you that I am looking forward to these couple of days of nothing to do but Christmas... family time and new pj's and ham and fudge and donuts and gift giving and stocking stuffing and delivering more Christmas goodies to strangers and a twinkling tree and excited children and an obnoxious puppy and snuggles and new games and way, way, WAY too many cookies and The Christmas Story (no, not the movie) and the quiet peace of knowing the Real Reason for the season and relishing in the way that gift was given so many many years ago.








And we wish all the same for you and yours.
Merry Christmas!

this week's numbers

number of Christmas cards received: 29
number of packages received: 2
number of packages shipped: 2
number of packages shipped late so they may not won't even make it before Christmas: 2
number of Christmas cards sent out: 62
number of Christmas cards still sitting on the table to address and send out and may not won't even make it before Christmas: 14
number of hours spent in class/on foster care homework and paperwork: 6
number of dollars spent at the grocery store: an absurd one
number of Christmas movies watched: 4
number of Christmas cookies made: 3 dozen plus a tray of bark
number of Christmas cookies still on the agenda to make: 5 dozen plus another tray of bark
number of pieces of Christmas bark I've eaten: 2 dozen. or so.
number of beds in front of the lit Christmas tree last night: 2
number of kids up at 4am this morning in front of the Christmas tree: 2 plus a puppy.
number of ibuprofen I took this morning: 4
number of projects I'd still like to start finish: 4
number of days before Christmas: 2

Why did it come so fast this year??

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

Or the busiest.
I haven't meant to abandon ship over here... I've just been overwhelmed with life lately.
I'm not sure who's brilliant idea it was to do all homemade gifts this year.
And I'm also wondering who's brilliant idea it was to bring home a new puppy in what's turning out to be pretty much our busiest month ever.
Or who's even more brilliant idea it was to cram in the mass of our foster care training hours (and paperwork wrangling... never underestimate the paperwork wrangling!!) in December.

I REEEEAALLY need a pause button this week. Or an extra 48 hrs.
Between taking care of a new puppy, finishing up Christmas gifts to mail out, figuring out teacher/busdriver gifts, third grade homework, classroom activities -for both kids!- every single day this week, an extra baking project for school, holiday parties, assembling and mailing out Christmas cards, cheer practice, basketball practice, small group for church, and not one, not two, but THREE nights of foster care classes for us grown ups this week (plus a load of homework and a binder full of paperwork to complete!)...
I'm a little swamped.
And pooped.

The kids are done with school Friday morning.
I'm hoping I can breathe by then.

The good news is, if I survive this week, we should have all next week to relax.
And cram in all our Christmassy activities! Ryan and I have his work Christmas dinner to go to this weekend, and maybe Sunday we can do our annual Christmas light drive and donuts. Then I hope to spend the week napping, making cookies, do some good samaritan/holiday cheer type outings with the kids (take a salvation army bell ringer hot chocolate, tape change to a vending machine, christmas goodies to fire station, etc), build a recycled "gingerbread" village, finish up the kids' Christmas shopping/gift making, camp out in the family room and sleep by the twinkling Christmas tree lights and snuggle up to watch all the Christmas movies we have backlogged on our dvr.
I can't wait.

already one of the family

Clementine joined right in our traditional Sunday evening family movie night.














She got herself right down in there on the movie pillows giant pillow pets the kids drag out for each movie and wasted no time getting comfy. She actually watched the movie (The Smurfs this week) right alongside the kids for awhile, but obviously didn't make it through. Sleepy baby!

Puppy definitely found a new favorite though... our Tiny girl loves SJ's giant kitty and has been trying to claim it for her own bed ever since, despite the comfy actual giant pillow of a dog bed we bought her. ;)

introductions please

Everyone, meet Clementine...





















Sweet Clementine.
Aka "Tiny"





















Who is not really so tiny at 10 wks old and already 25 lbs.
















The kids have been asking for a dog for three years straight and their wish finally came true today. They had no clue when we left the house this morning that they would be coming home with a new best friend.



(in the car on the (long) drive home... still a little shell-shocked)
















We haven't yet known her 12 hrs and we love her already. :)
Welcome home sweet girl!

it's friday!

This middle of the afternoon Friday I am:
feeling... so excited for this tomorrow and the surprise we have in store for the kids!!
wearing... jeans, white tank and dark gray sweater/shawl thing
wanting... Ryan to get home so we can go get our Christmas tree this evening
needing... to get off the computer and get out to meet the kids off the bus
eating... just polished off a rice krispie treat!
drinking... water
thinking... about how fun this weekend will be
loving... that it's December

How about you?