Merry Christmas

From our house to yours we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Making cookies for Santa...

 Every year we look forward to Daddy making his home made potatoe soup. It cooks all day and after we go to church on Christmas Eve we come home and get to enjoy it! Yum yum. This is one tradition that has lasted for 13 years.

 Thanks Chef Terry!!

 Then after we eat...we let the kids open gifts on Christmas Eve. We do it the slow way...So we start with the youngest child who gets to open one first, then we keep going. I love this tradition because we get to see what each person gets and the expression on their faces is priceless!

Every gift that Gracie got she would say "I've never seen this before" LOL, it was so funny!

 My awesome 14 year old...hanging back to wait to open his next gift!

 This was one of the hits of the night..A new kitchen!!

 My sweet Amanda...

A million dollar smile!!

How and when did my son get taller than me?? It is crazy really crazy how the years go by so very fast. Bailey is my hugger..always always has a hug for me!! He will be taking his driving test this coming Tuesday..Yikes!!

 We all do this right..putting the gifts together..Get out the tools!!

 We have to remember Mom's home made peach pie too..

 By the end of Christmas Eve we can't forget to put out the cookies for Santa!

The kids woke the next morning to see that "Santa" had come to the house. Gracie was especially excited to see a big Princess castle tent. I don't think Santa realized how it would take up the whole living room.

:-) Then later that afternoon we joined my brother at his home for a great Christmas dinner. Usually in the past we get out the china and have a candle light dinner here. We are still going to do that, but on sunday instead. My brother and his wife were great hosts! Im so glad for the invite and the time we got to spend together. The kids all had a blast spending time just playing and creating sweet memories..(more pics to come of Christmas day)

 

my snow bunnies..

Like the awesome big sister that she is ..Amanda takes Gracie out to play and go sledding in our yard. We have had plenty of snow this winter that is for sure. Ok, not as much as some of you I will have to admit. Christmas vacation starts soon for my kids..this thursday to be exact and I can not wait. I am off for two weeks from dance classes and very much enjoying my time of not having to be somewhere! I am going to completly enjoy every minute being home. Last weekend I got most of my christmas shopping done and feel a little ahead of schedule, but then again Christmas is in 5 days. Yikes! Let the traditions begin!

A new season of life..new job....big adjustments

This week has been a big week..and a very tough one to say the least. Yes life could always be worse. (that is the part of me that always thinks no matter what I really have no excuse to complain at all!!). But for us right now..things are not exactly easy. Lets face it, change is not always easy.  Terry has been in his new job now for a week, and now starting week two. He was a little choked up after leaving his office here after 15 years. He invested allot of time and heart into our community and I believe he sure made a difference. As I drive around I am reminded of some of the great projects he did here to make our town look much better! I know it was hard for him to say good bye and yet at the same time he has said he has been ready for many years for a job change change. He is ready for more advancement and opportunity, and not to have a appointed position any longer!

This leaves our whole family with many changes to get use to. I think for me the biggest thing is that my husband will be gone many more hours than what we have all ever been use to. I will worry about his travel each day. He will spend 15 hours a week on the road just driving from work to home and that is if the conditions are good.  I will have to learn to leave it in God's hands because there is certainly nothing I can do about it. Your probably wondering why we do not move there right? We just never planned on that being a part of his job change. 

My heart breaks for a couple personal reasons. We seriously had a great schedule for so long, we both new it. I miss the schedule we had. We could not have had it better as far as flexibility of him being home by 4pm each day. We are a couple that loves to be together. Lunch dates and all.  Am I good with change? I guess my answer would be ..no not when the change is not an easy one. But he has to be happy in his job too and this is a change that he wanted and felt he needed to do.  The weight for me seems to be much heavier to take care of things here at home, kids, and running my business on my own. I have been extremely on overload. Feelings of being overwhelmed and not liking this at all this past week. Yes I am a big girl, I know I can do it because you can really do anything when you have to right?

The truth is we have both been ready for a "change". I had just truly imagined it would be an exciting change for us all. I know for NOW this is just a season in our life and surely is not something that will last forever! It is not the easiest by any means, and not exactly what I had in mind, but it is not the worse thing in the world either. For now it is what it is!