(Payton, Avery, Owen and Max...saying their final good bye to Great Grandma J who three days later, slipped away peacefully.)My blog's been abandoned for three weeks. That's a new record. I'm finding myself spread thin, really, really thin. I had no idea, or maybe I forgot, or pretended not to remember....the toll a new baby can take. Even so, I adore and could devour, Mr. Max in ALL his cuteness. Serious lack of sleep aside, I am enjoying him, probably more than any other of my new babes. This, because I'm older, wiser, less anxious, and have learned to "let go" of a lot of things, like the laundry, nightly meals, and the cleanliness of my home!
Lately, it seems I'm shaking my thing all day long, only to get the daily things in tact. What's not happening is time for the "extras", like writing a post on the moments in the last few weeks that have moved me to tears, such as the passing of Great Grandma J, the kids and my visit with her and our final good-bye, Max's first snowfall and catching Payton dancing with him outside under the fresh, white flakes, Owen shedding tears each night, missing his buddy and roommate of two years, Avery, who now shares a room with Payton, Robert returning home from a week in Wisconsin, and me realizing, once again, how much I need that man, enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones, sharing memories and listening to stories of my grandmother's childhood, even road tripping to Reno, and with our Bronco lovin' buddies, witnessing a gut-wrenching loss where a much deserving team's high hopes and dreams for a BIG game faded into the distance.
Christmas is a short, few weeks away. I haven't purchased but one thing so far, and the thought of all the shopping, decorating, baking, visiting, party attending, that comes with the season, quite frankly.....makes me restless. I decided this year our family needs to try harder not to bank on anything MAGNIFICENT in the monetary sense. Instead I am going to concentrate on building memories with the kids on a less grand scale. My goal is to enjoy the simple, magical things, make time for our family traditions, serve and give to those in need, focus on our Savior and the real reason we celebrate. By doing this I hope to spend less time running around, fussin' and frettin' over the trivial things that seem to negatively steal our time and energy away from this, "the most happiest time of the year."
The Christmas books are placed in a decorative box at the foot of the fireplace. We've already been enjoying hot cocoa, each in our best-loved mug, and reading our favorite holiday stories by the fire. With shrunken funds and when time is of the essence, I have to remind myself.....
"Things are just stuff. Christmas is about love, .....and we have quite enough."
(Night Before The Night Before Christmas, Natasha Wing.)
