Aaahhh

I LOVE this time of year. My Grandma instilled a love of Christmas in me very early on. I get pangs of sorrow every year, but it is still my favorite. I miss her. This year is so great. My kids are a little older and they really seem to get it...the true meaning of Christmas. I love that. A lot of adults don't get it and my 6 and 4 year old seem to. I love watching my daughter struggle because she is DYING to give her brother his gift because she knows that he will LOVE it. (And he will...she knows him!) I love watching my son struggle with wanting to buy his sister everything he sees because he loves her so much. I love that we spent over an hour this morning reading Bible stories by the fire with the tree lights on. One of my favorite things this year...I LOVE the sound of my son singing Christmas carols to me. He is still small enough to have just a bit of a speech impediment and the sound of him singing is so, so precious. The other day, on the way to his school, he said to me, "Mommy, I know that Jesus loves us and that He died so we could live." And I believe that he does know that. It brought me to tears and warmed me to my soul. For a family that does not make it to church hardly ever...my kids know God. I do not believe that it is anything I have done. I believe fully that they were born with this love and knowledge...I just did not squash it. We pray, we talk about God, but they know things beyond what we have discussed. It is cool...and creepy. I feel extra blessed to have these amazing creatures who are so spiritual.

We just had a "tea party" with hot chocolate, marshmallows, whipped cream with Christmas sprinkles, little Christmas cookies and a candy cane for stirring...it was fun. We watched Year Without a Santa Claus...I love this time of year. I have to keep this short though...Kennedy wants one more Bible story and we have GOT to get to the toothbrushes!

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Yeah...I keep not posting again...sorry

We stay pretty busy over here. It does not lend itself to blogging. And even when we are home, to find a quiet moment to type my thoughts without interruption...well that just does not happen. There are 2 kids and a husband over here! :) One day it will be quiet and I will have lots of time to myself...and I am quite certain that when that time comes...I will cry EVERY DAY! My house will be clean and my laundry will be done AND put away in the same day and the groceries will remain somewhat consistent...oh, what a sad, sad day it will be. I do not look forward to it like some people do. The idea of my babies growing up and leaving me paralyzes me. I like having them around. They are funny and chaotic and unpredictable and too loud on occasion and messy as all get out, but man, do they fill my heart! I scarcely recall a time before I was their mother. I feel like I should get to celebrate with Kennedy every May 16th because the reality is...we were both born that day. She breathed her first breath and I became a mother...someone completely new. I remember both of us breathing that first breath together. It felt a little like the end of the Grinch...I am quite certain that my heart grew three sizes that day.

Wow...you just never know where a train of thought will take you when you finally do sit down and type. The Christmas season makes me incredibly sappy. I warn you...it will likely get worse. I will, at some point, type a lot about Grandma. She taught me to live Christmas time fully. It is only right that I spend some time telling you more about her. Have I mentioned that she was AMAZING?! There are not words...really. She was that good. Ask anyone.

I must now go and dress the girl. School time is upon us and her mother was busy typing. Oops.