Ready, Set, GO!

Christmas Day has come and gone.  The Kids claimed it to be, "THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!" (as I thought), and I woke up this morning to a complete mess to clean.  We used yesterday as what it was meant for.  A Day Of Rest.

And today it all begins.  I have to sort out things because the movers are coming tomorrow.

Oh, my!

THE MOVERS ARE COMING TOMORROW!

The holiday was great.  I had all of my family under one roof, which doesn't happen often since my parents' divorce.  I have to admit that we put the D in dysfunctional family!  But on Christmas, we were all Just Family.  And that was okay.

The kids were amazed at all of the things that they got for Christmas because Santa brought them things they didn't even ask for, like a 76-key electronic keyboard, which Miss Missy LOVES and we will be putting it to good use with some piano lessons once we are settled in Arizon... which then, I'm sure they will start hating the keyboard, but hey.

There was SOOOOO much stuff.  PS3 games and board games and transformers and Barbies and coloring books and puzzles and stacking cups and microscopes and bug catchers and jewelry...

Today I take down the tree.  I have never taken it down before New Year's.

Today I pack up all of the "takes" and separate from the things that the movers are packing. 

And this week is sure to be a challenge as hold back tears.

We're leaving out First House.  The house we have had for almost 6 years.

We're driving for 6 DAYS with 3 kids to the desert.

We're staying in a hotel until we can find a new home.

We're starting a new life.

READY?  SET?  GO!

We've Been Good But We Can't Last!

The time is passing fast.

Christmas is almost here.

I'm happy to be done with my Christmas shopping.  I think I may have overdone it. The kids have basically gotten everything that they have asked for and then some.

Santa is being good to them this year. 

But they deserve it.  I feel as if they have been good kids.  Great kids, actually.  With all of praises they get from absolute strangers, friends, and teachers, I feel like they have proven themselves to be pretty darn great kids.

Either that's the case, or I just feel guilty about having to take them out of their school and the only home they have known and move them all the way across the U.S. to the desert.  They are not thrilled about it and I feel bad about having to make them leave.  If you could have seen Cam break down in tears as he hugged The Most Awesomest Teacher goodbye... wow, we were all in tears.  Yeah, she is The Most Awesomest Teacher.  She has had CJ and now Cam for 2 years straight... not because he was held back... because she looped up to 3rd grade.

I'm pretty excited because they are going to be happy.  They didn't ask for much, and they're getting plenty.  I'm mean, they are so great that they didn't ask for much at all.  Speed stacks, mp3s (and not iPods because theu cost too much, says Cam), a BFC girl doll, and an animal habitat.  There were a few other things, but they would be happy with anything.  I'm so proud of them for being so great.

So YEAH!  I OVERDID IT THIS YEAR!

And I'm glad I did!

Where has Christmas gone?

It's been some time since I have sat down and blogged and I miss it every day.  The problem is, my days are so hectic and my life is so cluttered that blogging has had to take a back burner. 

You know what's great?  I haven't been in the bah humbug spirit as much this week.  Of course, I'm coming close to running low on money, so I'm sure the Grinch in me is sure to rear it's ugly head, but all and all, this has not been a back holiday season. 

Speaking of Holiday... Where has Christmas gone?  I can't for the life of me figure out why people have become so afraid to call Christmas CHRISTMAS???

We seem to no longer have CHRISTMAS parties.  We now have HOLIDAY parties.

Signs no longer say MERRY CHRISTMAS.  They now say HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Are we really afraid of CHRIST?  Or are we more afraid of hurting someone's feeling who doesn't believe in CHRIST? 

Christmas is about the birth of Christ, plain and simple.  You can't take that out of the holiday.  It is a celebration of his birth.  You can't have one without the other!

So to you, Dear Blog World, I say Merry Christmas, because yes I do want you all to have a happy holiday season, but remember that CHRIST is the reason for the season!