You Don't See That Every Day

It's almost here! Christmas is just a few days away. The question most people ask around this time of year: "Are you ready for Christmas?" Oh boy, am I ever! I love Christmas! But I don't think that is quite what the question is. I think what they mean is "Do you have everything you need to celebrate?" And in some ways, the answer is still YES. I have my family. I have a home. Most importantly, I have Jesus. But in the eyes of today's society I am not "ready" for Christmas. I have a couple of gifts hiding in the closet. The Boy and I went and cut a tree last week, with the help of the two youngest girls. All the girls decorated the tree. The lights are hanging on the fence and gutter, and they are on. But I haven't done our baking. I haven't cleaned the house for company. I haven't written the Christmas letter or addresses the cards. I haven't gotten all the gifts. I haven't made the stocking for Little K that I w...

This girl has been a swimmer since she had her first bath! It's one of the few ways she is not like her mama. Even a slip and fall into a river (and near drowning) at age 2 did not deter her from becoming a swimmer. Water is like a magnet pulling her in, whether it is cold or warm. She has competed on swim teams during various summers, and loved most every moment of it. There were a few times when we got glares from her. She was being challenged by learning a certain stroke, and looked at her dad as if to let him know she Was.Not.Happy. Thankfully she is a determined girl and overcame that challenge and conquered the Butterfly. This season is her first high school swim season. The middle school does not have a swim team, and so she was only able to swim/compete for a few weeks in the summer. But I think she was counting down the days until Swim team started in November. She found her happy place. Because she is a freshman, and because their practice was right after schoo...

We are 3 days into the month of December and yet it feels like Christmas is coming in just a couple of days! Have I done anything to get ready for Christmas? We strung some lights - have yet to plug them in. We've gotten out the boxes. Maybe I will decorate today. I've thought about the cards and yearly letter. Still thinking. I sure enjoyed having all my kids at home during the Thanksgiving break. Even though it was busy with school conferences and shopping for items we don't have time to shop for during 'normal' days, I still had fun with my minions, playing games, having dinner together (!) visiting family. And now, I am so ready for that Christmas break! Between basketball, swimming and choir rehearsals, and everyday life, we've managed to celebrate another birthday. The Boy turned 17 this week. How is this possible? I ask myself nearly every day this week, And yet, the return image from the mirror of my white hairs threaded through my head shocks me int...