CHRISTMAS IN REAL LIFE

This is the only way that I can come up with to explain our Christmas this year. It was simply crazy, and I was too tired out of my mind to care. Thus a real life christmas. Nothing magical or out of the ordinary wonderful about it-but hey, I'm okay with that. We have just simply been too busy with life to even care that Christmas had come. With Randall serving as theBishop, our lives are now busier than ever and I am trying to adjust to the single life. LOL(its actually going really well, just completely exhausting!!!) Then on top of that I decided to volunteer myself to sort of head up the Ward Christmas Party just 6 days before it was to happen. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. The clouds of insanity must have parted for a breif moment when I decided that it was a good idea. Well, 5 hams, a no go Santa, an impropmtu Nativity, and countless hours at the church later, it was a success. I was exhausted but not done yet. 3 days later Abrianna had surgery, so we spent the entire day at the hospital. By then it was only 2 days until christmas and their were still last minute presents to buy and my entire house to clean. Usually I am such a fanatic about christmas making sure that all the halls are decked with just the right decorations, wonderful goodies fill the kitchen and of course presents perfectly wrapped under the tree. Christmas is such a magical time of year and I love to make it extra special for the kids. Perfectly planned FHE nights about the Savior, cookie plates to all of our friends, and a Polar Express party for the kids. Of course we would attend a Christmas concert, go to zoo lights, decorate our tree together and frost yummy homemade sugar cookies.

But this year I just decided to admit defeat and move on.

None of those exciting things happened. Not one. It was so bad that my mom actually had to come over and decorate our tree the day before christmas!!!! Now we had gotten the tree 2 weeks before but just simply had not had the time or the energy to do anything with it. I actually thought maybe we should just leave it bare to remind us that in the grand scheme of things, it really isnt that important. But nonetheless I am grateful to my angel mother for saving our poor sad tree. I actually even hired someone to wrap all of our presents this year. And you know what, it was the smartest thing I have ever done. What a relief it was to not stay up all night on Chritmas Eve. I think I may do this every Christmas. Why do I tell you all of the things that I have completely failed at this year-well for the simple fact that, IT'S OKAY!!! Some days and even the grandest of holidays are just plain crazy, rotten, frustrating, exhausting, ordinary real life. There will be other years to deck the halls, years when everything goes just as planned, years when your heart is overflowing with the spirit of the season-but until then just sit back, breathe deep, laugh a little and enjoy your REAL LIFE!!!!

The only picture of me at Christmas this year. Parker took it as we were wrapping last minute gifts. Hey at least it's one picture!!!!