December catchup!

It's been forever, sorry! There's lots of fun photos from the past month to tell a bit what we've been up to and I'm just to lazy to really detail it all right now, but wanted to post a quick update. For those interested in the pictures, I commented on most of them so just click on the slideshow above to be taken to the bubbleshare website to read my comments.

If you've seen the cartoon "Over the Hedge" and remember the squirrel voiced by Steve Carrel who has dizzying energy, that pretty well sums up the past two weeks of me on high doses of steroids and finally feeling much better! YAHOO!!! I've been buzzing around catching up on my life and getting Christmas things together, just having fun! I feel like every mom should be given this wonderful gift in a bottle just before Thanksgiving because not only do I have everything done I wanted to do, but I had the energy and desire to do it through the most crazy season of the year! Gotta say though, the side effects aren't all that hot, so I think the "eat right, get enough sleep and exercise" thing would probably be much better holistic advice. I'm working on that - even began tracking everything I eat, all my symptoms, and all my meds daily on a worksheet I made myself! I'm telling you, me on high doses of steroids - watch out world, I'm taking over! (Watch out, I jump topics w/ wreckless abandon from here on out - another side effect, just ask Ryan or Janelle who've witnessed my very buzzy behavior lately!)

Oh how I've loved the Christmas season! Too much to say about this, but just know I am loving reconnecting with the reason for the season -- Our Heavenly Father's gift of His Son and our Savior's gift of the Atonement in order that we may have the gift of eternal life. I feel so blessed to know of the plan of Salvation! I'm learning so much right now about getting back to the nitty-gritty basics of the gospel as I try to be a good mom and teach my boys the true path to happiness. I found a great article about Christmas that took me back to my Holy Land Study Abroad 1997 - totally worth the read to learn maybe some lesser known universal symbolisms in the nativity story. Click here - "Tasting the Bread of Life."

Looking at the pictures of the past month, Easton is front and center in my thoughts. Our "SuperEaston" has turned 4 years old this past week. He is such a sensitive, contemplative boy who proclaimed this week,"We're a silly family!" I love that I can discuss with him how he and I can help teach McKay to be a good boy by sharing, not screaming through tantrums, saying sorry when things happen . . . it's great to have a partner in crime and my just Easton gets it!

This was the first year we've had a birthday party with friends his age over and we only began this year because it mattered to him. It was a real low key event but the boys had fun. It was really a glorified playdate but they seemed to really enjoy it. I was just so pleased with myself because I didn't stress over it and the cake and food we ate was eaten and enjoyed by all three boys who are very picky! HURRAY for me!

Within an hour of the party being over, Ryan and I were off to enjoy Ryan's Christmas / birthday gift to me. A getaway to the Goodstone Inn B&B of Middleburg complete with a tub soak finishing up "A Christmas Box", professional one hour massages, dinner at the Red Fox Inn c. 1724, journaling by the fire, FABULOUS scrumptious late breakfast, and perusing the cute shops of historic Middleburg. Ryan and I just had such a great time chatting and being in love - ah we just love quick getaways to refresh ourselves! I say the best gift you can give a young mom is to let her be pampered, fed extravagantly, and engaged in great conversations. I'm just so lucky to have a husband who picks up on my greatest needs! It helps me be the woman, mother, and wife I want to be!

A Merry Merry Christmas to YOU!!!