Getting Life on Paper

Can we just chat for a second.  I have about a million things I need to get on paper before I forget, so this might get a bit rambly...I know, not a word, but just stay with me.

First, I have lived to survive what I like to call 'Hell Week.'  Remember that week from college?  The week right before finals?  Or was it only referred to that at rebellious schools like ASU?  All my other siblings have, or will graduate with their undergrads from BYU and, you know, they might not use such vulgar language in those parts.

But Hell Week.  It is the week following my all-night shopping on Black Friday when Christmas is in full swing & the first thing on everyone's list?  Their Christmas card!  I've survived.  And dare might I say, I survived it well...all things considered.  And by survive it well, I mean I think I only had one blubbering breakdown on the phone with my mom...which may or may not happen weekly anyway! Not too shabby considering I busted out 25+ different card orders/designs plus my own, threw in a huge wedding invite suite, had the flu {due to my shopping extravaganza}, am a pregnant emotional wreck anyway & you know 2 kids, dinner, carpool, dr appts, 1 missing husband {working on his MBA}, a big night for my church calling & I'd say we all survived just dandy.

And it feels delightful to have it behind me.  Although, I'm loving all your cute faces this year.

And while I call it Hell Week & at moments it really did feel like I was being pulled in 100 different directions, there were some really great moments within all the crazy.

Some favorites from the last 10 days:

- Scoobs and his friend jumping on the trampoline in 60 degree weather in just basketball shorts.  Their shirts were discarded on the lawn while they practiced their super cool tricks.

- The Lady.  She is my little pocket friend.  She is always happy to run errands & be involved in whatever I am doing.  Met my mom at Toys R Us the other day to help her figure out some grand kid gifts & the Lady about bowled her over she was so excited to see her...as if she hadn't seen her the day before.  I don't know about you, but I could get used to that kind of greeting.

- Scoobs and another friend discarding their shirts on the trampoline, so they could 'tan'...again in 60 degree weather.  I have no idea where this is going or where it came from, but I will keep you posted on how that turns out.

- Elfie.  Our elf on the shelf...really, I love this little guy.  He's built marshmallow forts, blown bubbles with our gum, left reindeer doughnuts for breakfast, left footprints in powdered sugar & scribbled notes on chalkboards...he is keeping us all on our toes! {It was painful to not clean up those footprints all day...}

- The magic of Christmas.  Betwixt emails & card designs, my kids are filled to the brim with Christmas excitement & it is amazing.

- Scoobs askes daily for me to give him a gift...it is a certain something he really wants & he begs me to just go buy it, wrap it & give it to him...as if it is Christmas today.  He's got a lot of me in him on this one...I'm sitting in new Christmas jeans as we speak!

- The Lady has picked up on it and lisps quite regularly, 'give me a prethsent.' It's so cute, I have a hard time not doing just that.

- Santa caroling...The young men & young women {ages 12-18}in our neighborhood have a tradition of caroling on a huge flat bed trailer with hay & a Santa on a stand in the back of a truck - seriously the set up is amazing.  I'm talking Santa raised up on a platform in the back of a truck with a microphone, lights & speakers driving through the neighborhood with 60 kids on the trailer caroling.  They came last night & I may have gotten a little teary at the magic of it all.  Hearing Santa yell my kids names & seeing their faces light up...well it is all pretty awesome.

And I'm so happy to enjoy it all...Hell Week included.