Merry Christmas!

 Just stopping in for a quick second to wish all my friends a Merry Christmas!

Where has this month gone?  I feel like I've gotten nothing done, but haven't stopped running and have nothing to show for it!!!!!

Today is a mad baking day/finish crafting/rethinking up a new kid craft for fam because my crazy brain bought the wrong size dealio!!!!   Ahhhhhh..Christmas Cheer...think happy thoughts...what gets done, gets done....

So far this week:

 we were able to watch friends' kids for a few days so that they could get away (I seriously appreciate our fam being around to help us!)

my mom had ankle surgery on Wednesday (she's doing fine, just going to be a long recovery)

baking, baking, baking!!!!  I can't remember how many times I've washed my mixer bowl, but I might wear clear through the metal ;)

today is everything that I dread each year...stuff that involves boiling sugar...my fingers hurt just typing that out...every year, every YEAR I burn my fingers or my arm or something!!!

On a happy note, we were able to sit down and get our first family pictures in 8 years!!!  got some great shots that are involved in gifting so kind of top secret until the 26th ;)

Here's our one cheese shot...pinterest, what have you done to me?!?  

Seriously, the last few years have been pretty taxing on spirits...so much so, that I just realized one day that we lost our happy.  Sure, we laugh and smile...but that bubbley from the pit of your being joy, nope..not happenin'.   So we're making a conscious effort and I'll have to post more on this later because my quick recap has turned into a book!!!!

Have a Merry Christmas!!!  And remember that whatever you go through, there is joy in the journey...might not feel the greatest, but we have a gift, a hope, that was given to us on Christmas morning!!!  

I don't know what it is about Christmas time, the bleak winter, the money, the family..but it always seems to bring out the dark in our souls.   Well, I'm here to shout it out that we are Free--Jesus, come and bring your unspeakable joy to all that read these words!!!

My favorite all time hymn is O Come, O Come, Emannuel.  I know that I shared it last year, but this verse just reverberates all of that blah holiday whatever out of my heart!   Come thou Day Spring!!!!!  

O Come Thou Day Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.