I really enjoy going 100mph in life. Megan really enjoys sitting down and doing nothing. This weekend, Anna was here and she is a girl after my own heart so Meg was outnumbered. (evil laugh).

I have recently been feeling some pressure about “getting in the Christmas Spirit.” Like I love Christmas but I am just not there yet. I am so focused on the daily needs of the kids that I can’t think 2 days ahead. This weekend I decided we would start Holiday-ing.

Friday Meg and I tag-teamed an awesome holiday party. Meg went for the first hour while I cookie prepped and then I went when she came back for an hour, a little longer. It was the best. Sharon and Lisa sure soirée like no ones business. It wasn’t the most ideal to be without Meg but I am glad we rallied to attempt at being social adults. I helped myself to some wine and promptly came home to rock baby boy back to sleep. Later I will discuss our “night nighting of children.”

Saturday, we baked cookies. Which was chaotic and fun (not mutually exclusive). Mostly we ate a lot of sugar. And there was a giant pizza cookie. Loads of fun. See below. 

Saturday evening we went to Holiday Lights of Hope in Cherokee County to benefit the Anna Crawford Center. K (8 year old) LOVED it. She has not had that much fun…since we’ve known her. The other 2 were a little less enthralled but in a family of 5 not everyone can be happy at once. K got chased by Eli and Edie and she was in her glory! It was fun and stressful to watch her zig zag through the Christmas light maze. The way home kid 2 and 3 were very clear they were unhappy about not being in bed at home. We made a quick stop for milk and slept the whole night through. 

I would like to pause and pat myself on the back. The littles wore PJs to this light extravaganza so when we got them home they were immediately transferred to bed. High five, self.

Sunday we churched, lunched and came home for a fabulous nap. Well they did; Anna and I went shopping (my version of relaxing). Sunday dinner, a cookie, bath time fun (anna absolutely wants 3 kids right away, right anna?) and to bed.

During bedtime routine, Anna read my favorite holiday book, Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney. Now this book, I read it every Christmas to whomever will listen and there is that one page (Danielle, you know the one I speak of) where its time for us to remember that all the running might make us lose track of the time we have together. I generally cry at this page. I hope I don’t get so caught up in attempting to make the “perfect holiday” that I miss the the “hold the ones we love the best” part.

I had breakfast with Anna today, before she left. She is magical y’all. She is easy to trust, fun loving, and hard to say good-bye to. K asked if she could be her sister. There are friends we hold like family, she is totally in that circle. In our few hours of hanging together this morning (I watched her re-pack her suitcase) we rambled (anyone who knows us can totally imagine the rambling) about a little bit of everything. I think thats the “slow down” I needed with a dear friend. Anna had a growing up year. Moved to Michigan to pursue a career as a sceintist (that is big girl stuff) and we watched her handle the sudden loss of her Mema with grace and maturity. We are very proud of our dear friend, Anna. And very grateful she got to share life, break bread with us, and back some cookies. 

Moments with so much gold in them, I never want to forget.