Merry Christmas!!!!

 

 

 

Christmas is my favorite holiday.  When I was a kid, it was my favorite for obvious reasons.  I mean, what kid doesn't love candy, cookies, and presents??  As I got older, I began enjoying Christmas not because of what I was getting, but because of what I was giving.  Making others smile is so awesome.  And this year is no different.  Well, that's not true.  It actually has been a lot different.  I was totally not prepared for all the gift giving this year.  No lists, no ideas.  It has bothered me a lot that I was so unprepared this year.  I kind of felt like I had failed.  At what I'm not sure but I felt that way.  But, you know what?  I believe that even though I was very unprepared for all the craziness that is gift giving at Christmas, I was more prepared than ever to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  And I am so grateful for that.  It is so easy to get caught up in all the gifts and who gets what and how much and who spent what on who that we (or at least I) forget to focus on the whole reason we do all of this.  Jesus.  Our Saviour.  Last  night in Church, the choir sang so beautifully.  They sing the same songs every year, but this year those songs really meant so much more to me.  It's kind of like when I cried in my office and I couldn't really explain what was going on or why.  I think God is trying to get my attention.  And I think that he has been trying for a very long time, I just wouldn't listen.  But I'm listening now.  And when I hear songs like this O Holy Night I smile.  So beautiful. 

  

It's kind of been a rough week since chemo was Friday, but being able to spend time with this awesome crew has made it a lot better!!

 

 

 

 

So Reagan has been completely jacked up for two whole days.  Yesterday Kathy (the wonderful lady that basically raised my children until they reached school age) stopped by and dropped off some rock candy.  Emily had to hide the bag from Reagan.  She wouldn't stop eating it.  Then, there was this gingerbread house the girls made at my mom's on Monday. 

 

 

Let's just say there are several pieces of candy missing from this house.  And Reagan is the candy thief.  Yesterday she was so crazy on sugar I wasn't sure if she was possessed or not. 

 

 

DECEMBER 25, 2013 3:00am

 

Reagan decided this was the perfect time to wake me up.  I looked at the clock and said "Uh, no.  Santa hasn't even been here yet I'm sure.  Go back to bed."  In response, she says "But mom.  I had a bad dream and I can't go back to bed."  So, I stumble out of bed and take her back to her room and listen to her tell her story of her dream that included people stealing our presents.  Once I had assured her that it was just a dream and that she could in fact go back to sleep, back to bed I went. 

 

DECEMBER 25, 2013 7:30am

 

Reagan wakes me up.  I look at the clock.  "O.K."  I said.  "Go downstairs and see if Santa came, then come back and get me if he did."  Of course, she comes sprinting back up the steps twenty kinds of excited because she found...wait for it...CANDY in her stocking. 

 

 







These two have had a great Christmas.  Clothes, toys, books, lotion, tablets, etc...  They are kind of spoiled I think. 

 

I've received some pretty awesome gifts too.  But, I gotta say, my favorite is one that I ordered myself.  My good friend Jennifer sent me to this awesome blog called Lil Blue Boo a week or two ago.  What an amazing blog about this ladies journey through miscarriage, cancer, and the death of her father.  I highly recommend reading her posts when you have time.  Puts life in perspective.  She makes these awesome necklaces that simply say "Choose Joy."  And I love that simple message.  I have learned quickly that you can get mad, ticked off, and feel sorry for yourself because of your situation or circumstances, or you can choose to be happy.  We all have that choice.  And happiness is a choice.  Not one person or one thing makes us happy.  We choose to be happy.  Sure, life is better with certain people or things in it.  But people and things only  make us happy if we choose to be.  And I for one am not going to let life get me down.  Nope.  Not going to do it.  And this simple message of "Choose Joy" will be around my neck daily to remind me that I have that choice. 

 

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!