Magic

If there was one word to adequately describe our Christmas break, without a doubt, it would be "magic". And if there were one photo to precisely depict the joy we encountered, my pick would be this one:



I love the expressions on each face. Pure joy in each set of eyes. Unbridled exhilaration sweeping down that snow covered embankment. Being kids. Enjoying life. Letting go.





I'm in a bit of a funk tonight. Nothing terrible, just a bad day, generally. So, I turn to my computer, my photos, my babbling words. I need to feel the happiness that reflection brings. I need reminders of beautiful moments and photos that shout at me to snap out of it.





I reflect on how grateful I am to have been able to have an entire two weeks off of work over the Christmas break to spend with my babies and travel. Holidays are anything but relaxing and I'm sure that many would agree that 99 times out of 100 you return to work needing a vacation worse than you did before. Still, it's all so totally worth it in the end. It has been magical.



This holiday season we checked off our list all the requirements for a magical Christmas. We baked cookies, we wrapped presents, we wrote letters to Santa, we exchanged gifts, we sprinkled reindeer food, we snuggled in by warm fires, we traveled. Travel proved to be a bit more difficult than usual due to weather. But oh, the beauty of it all. The entire trip to KY was so picturesque around every bend. I could feel B's frustration level rise at times as I would beg him to slow down a bit so I could snap a picture.













Although the weather did make for interesting travel (we ended up stranded in a hotel on Christmas night with only Doritos and a few slices of Angel Food cake B's mom had sent with us for supper!) the weather also made for backdrops straight from a painting scene. The snowy scene called for sleds. So we obliged. And when I say we, I do not mean just the littles. I mean even the thirty-somethings that forgot they weren't 50 pounds lighter and 20 years younger. We all took turns and forgot just for a while that we were adults. It was...magic.








Snow pictures are always a favorite of mine. Everything sparkles and appears so clean, like the snow is there to cleanse the earth of all the dirt and grime. Kids are all smiles while playing in the snow and it's almost impossible to get a bad shot. I ended up with somewhere around 400 pictures over the Christmas break and I dare say half of them were made while playing in the snow!








About a fourth of my pictures were Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrations. We celebrated Christmas Eve with B's family. It's always a celebrated success when we can get everyone gathered for one picture. And the fact that everyone's eyes are actually open is just the cherry on top.






*This is what Christmas chaos looks like!*

Santa visited KY with a few small gifts and left a note explaining that the rest of the presents were waiting on the boys at home. That made leaving a bit more bearable. We returned home and went straight in to the next round of family gatherings with my brother, new sis and nephew arriving. We partied for a week straight. Everyone was sick off of junk food. We had a party for Tennessee's big Music City Bowl game and all dressed in orange and white. Any excuse to have a party and eat junk food and wear orange! We suffered another heartbreaking loss but we have high hopes for next year! Go Vols!




My brother and his crew stayed through New Year's and partied with us like it was 1999--er, as much as a bunch of old, worn out folks can! Jason and Paige and kids came in for New Year's also. Enter more junk food and party spreads. But we can't help ourselves. We LOVE New Year's. We love our annual group photo. :) And we love adding newbies to it! We go all out, complete with party hats, glasses, party blowers, confetti and sparkling juice. :) Magic.















When the partying is over and everyone has returned home you can't help but collapse on the sofa with a half-hearted smile. You're semi-broken inside from the loneliness that overwhelms you when your loved ones part but you're also partly glad to get back to normal routines and more low-keyed days and nights. But you're 100% sure that if you had the choice you'd do it all again. After all, who can resist the magic?

Randomness

Just a few random thoughts:

Tonight my head is spinning from all the thoughts that are swimming around in this muddled brain of mine. Tis the Holiday season, after all. I guess that's what this time of year does.



Among all of the list making, cookie baking, present wrapping, crowd-fighting, and party-going, the regular every day things are still there. There's still laundry piled up, kitchens to clean, bills to pay and 9 to 5 jobs. It's a lot of pressure to keep up with it all. If we aren't careful it could all easily spin out of control.

So tonight I break from it all. I sip hot chocolate from an Elvis mug (because everything tastes sweeter from an Elvis mug!) from beneath my favorite, fuzzy warm blanket. It is bliss.



Lately there have been a lot of days that look like this:



Days that are filled with gray skies, rainy windshields, and heating units that do not shut off. So we did a lot of hanging out in the comforts of our own four walls. We caught up on laundry, did lots of snuggling, and lots and lots of playing. Sweetest thing ever was seeing my boys run to get their Toy Story bucket and hearing their version of the movie played out in my own living room.






We didn't let the weather keep us from enjoying our small town Christmas parade. We met friends and huddled beneath blankets while listening to our childens' squeals of delight as the tinsel donned tractors rolled by. Complete with the Pig from Piggly Wiggly. The finale: Santa riding in on the fire truck. We love it.















We also ventured out last weekend and surprised the boys with a trip to Nashville to see ICE! and to the Opryland Hotel. We enjoyed the ICE! exhibit, meandered around Opryland for a few hours and then headed to our hotel for a night in with pizza. It was just the five of us and it was so enjoyable.











While walking around the Opryland Hotel, their bear mascot? (did anyone know the Opryland Hotel had a mascot??) was mingling with the guests. The biggies weren't afraid of him at all but my little, well, lets just say he was glued to his dad from that point on. My goal was to get a good shot of my three boys for a Christmas card, but after that stupid bear showed up, I could have just put my camera away. It made for pictures like below. I swore if I saw that bear again I'd punch him in the face.





But just look at this place. I don't know of a more beautiful hotel anywhere.



In other news, Timmy the Elf has arrived. The first night, Jag was absolutely terrified of him. I felt bad that I had traumatized my kid over what was intended to be a magical part Santa-land. He's overcome his fear for the most part, as long as Timmy promises not to show up in his bedroom; however, Rhett won't let us so much as reach for the Elf. He literally shakes when we walk near him. What are the Holidays without a little terror, right?? And let's be honest. This little guy does look like he's up to something, huh?



At least Timmy showed up in time to witness our kids' great big hearts when it came time to shop for a less fortunate child. Each year we meet up with some friends and eat supper and shop for an assigned child. Our kids enjoy it so much and usually want to buy out the store. May as well put a big red bow on Walmart and have it delivered to the child's address. I love that these kids have such big hearts.



Perhaps I've rambled on for long enough. My eyes are tired and feel like they have sand in them. A clear sign that my bed is beckoning me to slip beneath that warm down comforter. Perfect for an 18 degree night. Sweet dreams.

Writer's block

Some days it comes so easy to me--this sitting down and blogging. My fingers flow along the keyboard and the words seem to almost magically appear. Not lately. I sit and stare at a blinking cursor while my fingers wait for their opportunity to pounce, creating the most beautiful blog post in history. Yet, it doesn't happen (and probably won't in my life-time). The cursor just blinks.

Two or so weeks ago I started thinking and analyzing factors that could be hindering my ability to string words together in some sort of fashion that was even a tiny bit interesting to read. What is it? Why is it so hard lately? Sure we stay busy and on the go but that's really no different from our every day norm. Work is hectic and it seems there is always much to do, but still I've always tried to find a quiet time to write. Why is it so different now? Today came my answer. That figurative light bulb illuminated in my head and it all became clear. There. Are. No. Words.



No words to describe what a beautiful Thanksgiving we shared. Being surrounded by family that means the world to us and more.



No words adequate enough to ever thank our creator for the precious little souls who have been added to our family this year.



No words big enough to applaud these two women--the matriarchs of our family--for sacrificing, teaching, training, playing, loving, disciplining, adoring the generations following in their footsteps.



No words to describe the hysterical laughter shared between mom, daughter and future-daughter/sister as we embarked on our first Black Friday madness excursion. All. Night. Long.


*Can you feel the excitement?? We had our game faces on, baby!*

No words seem to fit well for moments when the whole family is gathered in one room with about twelve different conversations circulating, TV blaring, littles jumping on the air-mattress begging repeatedly, "Watch this!" me, standing in the background, and with the click of my camera trying to preserve these moments, knowing the camera is really not needed because these moments are permanently etched in my heart, you know, for safe keeping.



No words can describe it. No words can do it justice. But you know, in the midst of all the craziness, that this is what it is all about. It's about the little moments that blended together make lives. Lives that are full and blessed and so stinking great that, at times, you will think your heart just can't hold any more. It is on the verge of spontaneous combustion.



Life's little moments are about announcing to your kids in the middle of an afternoon rainstorm that it is precisely the perfect time to make an impromptu trip to the blessed land of Toys R Us. It's letting them walk around in the freezing, drizzling rain to get yet another use out of that $4 umbrella.





It's about finding the silver lining to any looming cloud.



It's about little giggles and funny faces.



It's about made up card games and cookies straight out of the oven.





It's about pulling out the Christmas decorations and going through each story tied and connected to each ornament. And they all have one.





It's about standing back and watching little eyes sparkle as they search for the perfect place for the ornament in hand.





It's about looking for the little, ordinary, every-day moments that go unnoticed. It's the packing lunches, kissing boo-boos, bed-time stories, late night cuddles, afternoon phone calls. It's please and thank-you and I love you's that come out of little mouths that melt the heart. It's the lit up eyes and giant bear hugs. These can be some of the most beautiful moments your memory will ever own.



It's about the noisy times, the quiet times, crying on a loved one's shoulder or hysterical laughter. You know, the kind that comes from deep within where your eyes are fully closed, nose crinkled, belly convulsing.





It's about appreciating every good and perfect gift that has been given from above. It's about praising God for all that He has given and continues to give. It's about being thankful--not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day. It's about teaching others and showing them how to look for the little blessings of life and sharing gratitude and thankfulness with them. Because no matter what we have or do not have, we are so blessed. I try to remind myself of that continually. I'm one thankful and blessed girl. I hope you're noticing your little blessings today.