Christmas in February

Tonight, as I sit down to make this post, I'm realizing that today turned out pretty good. My blog post is mostly done (with the exception of some photos) and I'm typing with dirty hands. Not dirty like poo hands, but dirty like ink and paint and crafty hands. Those are my favorite kind...that or muddy with dirt under my fingernails because my yard and flowerbeds look fabulous. Since it's teetering around 40 degrees outside, I'll settle for glue and glitter tonight.

(That was actually some of my weekend work...Savannah and I have been working on our 52Q tags tonight. Baby steps...we are catching up!)

Do you ever have that feeling like just giving up, you know, that one before you ever really even get out of bed? THEN, you decide, NO, not today! Today, I'm gonna get it straightened out. I did that today. I was really prepared for a huge undertaking only to find that nothing was really wrong....just lots of little things. Boy, those "things" can be blown out of proportion before you know it. I'm so ready to just get up and have a regular day without a doctors appointment or without feeling like my hip was going to spontaneously combust. I think I'm on that road and really ready for the potential it holds. A little to my surprise, I worked a full day today. That was my mental goal for myself. I wanted to be back at work today with all systems functioning. CHECK.

We had a great Christmas gathering at my Grandmother's house yesterday. Can you believe we actually got it in before February? We were surprised. I wasn't quite up for it yet, but pushed through because it had already been too long. Ashley did the same thing. I think she has a bad "crick" in her neck, that in true Ashley form, was crawling up the back of her head. She was miserable but managed to cut up in a few pictures with me. We practically have the same camera and are so addicted it's ridiculous. Ashley, we really need to take a class or something together! Ashley, we really need to talk about this in person one of the twelve times we talk on the phone everyday! HA Holla! Let's find a photography class that they won't kick us out of.

Anyway, it's always nice when the whole family gets together. We all live relatively close and pretty much always know what's going on with everyone but we don't see each other regularly. I am just so in love with all the kids lately. I always love them, don't get me wrong, but I could just eat them up. When my kids were little like that, I was the only one with kids. Now, I'm having fun, sitting back and watching everybody else fret with theirs.
How sweet is my Grandmother to keep her Christmas Tree up this long? I actually took this picture yesterday afternoon! We had a great time....

Were these two made for each other or what???

Ashley and I were just saying tonight, we were both pretty lucky to find somebody that would put up with us...
Check out those jolly round pink cheeks after just one week on steroids. Those things are a real booger! The mood swings coming off have been bearable, but noticeable.

My two favorite boys...Rhett ATE the entire time we were there. It was hysterical. I think Grandmother fed him a whole tub of Cool-Whip and Nash let me kiss him and didn't wipe it off. Now that is special lovin' there.

Love Love all these babies. I made all of the kids blankets for Christmas. I really thought they wouldn't like them much, or be like, OK, where's the toys? BUT, they actually liked their blankets. I made each one with them in mind and it really made me happy they like them.

We had a great time. (How many times can I say that?) Do you ever go to family functions though and just know there is an elephant in the room? We had a few of those going on. My Aunt Beth was missing this Christmas and that was difficult for my Grandmother and Dylan especially. A couple of other family members choose not to be a part of family gatherings lately. I respect that choice and just continue to pray for them. I would like to see them to get some closure on the issues for myself. I'm still pondering how that needs to be handled. I just think forgiveness on my part is probably best. I'm also finding it harder and harder to dance around the unnecessary lies that some family members tell. If you can't trust your family, who can you trust? It took me years to believe in myself and trust in who I was and to believe that I was everything God meant for me to be. I've struggled for years to be acceptable to myself for just who I am and not more than that, but I would never lie about who that is. I think you have to find happiness for yourself where ever you are in your life. Life is a constant road to travel with new things to learn everyday. Sometimes you have to stop and accept your life where you are and not keep making up stories about where it is going. Be proud of who you are!!

Side Note...I think the Bachelor is a stupid show!! These girls make me throw up in my mouth!

SHINE,

Kacy