Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Happy New Year's!!

Hello, Blogger Friends... I haven't been on here for obvious reasons!! LOL The Holiday Season is VERY busy & with our old computer, it took f o r e v e r to do much more than check statuses on Facebook.

ANYWAYS, life ain't bad :) haha

Thanksgiving was nice & pretty quiet. We went to Mom & Dad's and had a great meal, great game-time, and Chelle & I got up stupid-early to go shopping on Black Friday (our first Early Bird Black Friday experience). We had a lot of fun, and I think we're going to make it a tradition (when we can), because had I known, I probably would've been done with my Christmas shopping for the season on that one day. But, we know for this next year!! :) Fun, fun... Stupid, but fun :) LOL

Our church finally did something I've been talking about for a couple of years for Christmas this year. We did "A Night in Bethlehem" and it was AWESOME!! It was such a great thing for our church body, to work together, and we had such a great turn out!! We had 250+ people over the 2 nights we held it. Just awesome. Bigger than I could've ever imagined. After our VBS this summer, I told the lady in charge, "I've got something pretty awesome for you for Christmas!!" and handed her the kit that's been collecting dust in my house for 2 years.

There was no way I could've organized it, plus, she just had the fresh perspective that I've been lacking the last few years. It was great to work alongside her, though, and another lady, to finally see this come to fruition. And, the congregation is all abuzz about doing it next year, already :)

But, because NIB was the 2nd weekend in Dec. it felt like the season just flew by after that. Add to that, the week before NIB, my inlaws decided to crash our house (with less than 1 week's notice, thank you very much). So not only was I working on NIB as much as I could, I was hostess & cooking "Christmas" dinner for them... WORE ME OUT!! Anyways, it happened, we survived, and NIB was so worth it!!

Christmas was fun!! :) We missed seeing Santa, though. Evidently, the mall doesn't believe in letting people know Santa's ACTUAL schedule, because he left early on Christmas Eve. We did get a few pictures of the kids on his chair, and we didn't have to pay an arm & a leg to get it done, but it was still a bummer...we just waited too late...I'm already seeing a page layout of "The Year Without A Santa Claus" on it!! LOL We did send him a letter, though, and left out cookies & milk, and wouldn't you know it, he came!! :) He brought Eli a Lightning McQueen 4-wheeler (so cute!!), and Abbey the Baby Alive she'd been hoping for (the freaky one, not one of the ones that I would've picked out!! HA!!).

And, of course, Christmas day was spent at Mom & Dad's. And, let me just admit it up front, I am a spoiled daughter. I really am, and I feel so undeserving of their gift, because Mom is taking Chelle & I on the Girl's Cruise in May!! Can we say, waterworks? I couldn't stop crying all day...

The plan was to go to Scott & Missy's house for New Year's, but poor Faith got the stomach bug, so that plan was out. We ended up @ Mom & Dad's (again!! LOL), and hung out, ate pizza, and played Cranium (that's my favorite game on the planet, btw). I just love it...even though the boys won...

We ended the New Year's weekend with Shelby's 16th Birthday party...I cannot believe that girl is 16 already!! Where does the time go, seriously? That was fun, again, just to chill out & chat with family.

It felt weird this year. I don't know that I can put my finger on it, but it felt different this year. Not bad, please, it was awesome, but something felt, I don't know, just different.

Now, it's back to the ol' schedule, which I think I'm having a harder time with more so than the kids. I feel like I haven't quite caught up or something.

Well, OK, I guess that's a good recap, and I hope it wasn't too boring for you to read!! LOL :)

Love you all!! :)