December Recap

 
I missed half of December. Like, LITERALLY, missed it. The flu bug came to call and he stuck around for two weeks - it's mid January and I still have drainage (tmi) - it was nasty. We were hit, bombed...thrown down, hijacked....two days before Brady turned 8. I had big plans for his birthday...it didn't really happen.  He had fun, there was cake (thanks to a dear friend) and Brady received the gift of his dreams (an ipod for making his many mini movies ....say that ten times fast...) and then we laid around and did absolutely nothing.

 Thankfully Brady was a champ. He didn't mind us picking up take-out (his choice) and doing everything low key. We decorated the table and cake in a Pokemon theme, Brady's obsession at present ...along with Mario and Luigi and now he's been dressing up like Zelda for the last two weeks. I can't keep up, but I do my best.

Amidst (is that a word?)  the fevers and mucous and chills and body aches I somehow managed to do some holiday baking with the kids...

I had a little help this year. :) Trinity is just becoming a full blown BIG GIRL and can do things that I never know she can do...until she does them, and does them perfectly perfect - and then I kind of rub my eyes and can't believe this is reality...and then I feel a deep sense of relief and also nostalgia or something nice but bittersweet. Kind of like "I'm so glad baby stage is almost over but I love babies and WANT babies but I want sleep and potty trained kids and I'm tired and need a bit of relief from time to time...but I love babies...but I love being able to actually have conversations with my children." Yah, this stage of motherhood or womanhood is rather conflicting.

 
So, Christmas came and so did my parents... we had the bean dip, and the chocolate pretzels...the grandparents helped with gingerbread houses and meals and playing with kids....

And then our flu flew into them and they were struck down full force - Christmas Day.

 
It still turned out to be a nice Christmas even though I haven't the pictures or really my memory to prove it, just some fuzzy recollections that I don't know if they are reality or not.
It's okay, only 11 months until Christmas....

 Thankfully, the flu was gone and our 10 year anniversary came and Zac and I got a much needed two night get away. The last time we had had two nights alone was on our 5th anniversary when I was pregnant with Tristan. The key word being "pregnant" in that sentence...not a very comfortable trip. This getaway was much cozier in our little A frame cabin amidst the Evergreens and snow and wildlife.

 Ten years. Seems like a lot to people who have been married for 2 years, seems like not very much to those who have been married for 20. For us, it feels like we have always been together. I guess in reality we kind of have. It was a really nice time and it was quite refreshing knowing that we can still talk and have fun and connect.

My favorite part of our weekend was being able to have fire after fire. I miss fire. 

 Seeing him sit by the fire wasn't so bad either. 

  

Warming our feet by the fire wasn't unpleasant by any means....

 And then we drove back to the ghetto and to our children and our fenced back yard...it was perfect.
I loved being away, but I also love my life. I even like my neighborhood and that I definitely don't feel the need to "keep up with the Jones" here...by any means. I like my kids...LOVE my kids...and our rental house still to me doesn't feel like home, but it's comfortable and it's good for now. Home is where your heart is right? I'm not sure where my heart is .... but it's somewhere and someday I will find it. There's time. :)

 And not to be forgotten...we won hat night at Awanas and Brady made quite a show of it. It's nice having a son who isn't afraid to celebrate outwardly, someone who is proud of his accomplishments....

...it's also nice that hardly anyone knows me so I have a little more time to get "comfortable" with my son's outward celebrations. :) Hey, if you're happy and you know it shake your booty (or so says Brady.) And he does.