The Holidays. . .are OVER??!!

WOW!!!  Christmas and New Years have come and gone, and we are once again about to start our regular schedule!  It's crazy--it feels like today has been the first day that Jason and I have sat and done NOTHING!  Jason slept until 11, and got to watch the Falcons game in "real time" and I read a book and took a little nap on the couch.  It was nice to relax--I guess it's a good thing we didn't get too used to it!

The holidays were a joyful time this year--and really not that stressful, other than the stress inflicted by myself to make everything perfect and try to be sure that everyone felt like they were getting their fair share of the boys!  We did things a little differently, this year Dad and Judy came over Christmas Eve and spent the night so they could enjoy the Santa moments!  We went to Christmas Eve service and headed over to Mellow Mushroom for dinner and then rushed home to get the boys to bed!!  Watching Camden Christmas morning was pretty anti-climatic.  .  .as Jason pointed out, it's very much like giving a gift to him.  You get a lot of "oh-that's nice", and "mm-hmm, thanks" :)  He seemed very unexcited about all of his gifts, but he is playing with them, and I guess we just will have to learn that he was excited as he could be!! :)  Evan wasn't really sure what was going on, but he too, loves his gifts from Santa!!  The boys were very much over-indulged--and I'm once again trying to figure out how to solve the problem of too many gifts!! :)  Another surprise that we got was a Wii!!!  I was super excited b/c this is now going to be my new workout regimen--in an effort to "cut-back" the gym membership is gone!!  I'm stuck with a treadmill (yuck) and now my Wii!!  I'm super excited to get started on it!!

New Year's Eve was VERY different than it has been in years' past as well!!  We STAYED IN, WENT TO BED BEFORE MIDNIGHT. . .and guess what.  .  .It was still 2010 when we woke up the next morning well rested, and headache free!!  WOO HOO!!  To be honest, the plan was to go out--the boys would go to Marietta to visit with Grandma and Papa and we would have a kid-free night and day (it's been a while, or it feels like it has anyway!).  Grandma got REALLY sick, and Jason and I took it as a sign to just stay in.  We had really been planning to go to a movie and dinner anyway, and we just figured it was for the best!  We saved $$ and really had a great time at home!  We did pizza, movie, and then after Evan went to bed had some fun on the Wii with Camden!  I have to admit, it was hard.  I mean, our friends were still trying to get us to call a babysitter at 6:30pm and we considered it.  .  .but I'm glad the night turned out as it did!

I feel so blessed to be celebrating the holidays as a family!  When I look back at where we were last year at this time--WOW!  Jason was gone, had been for a couple of days and I was just beside myself as to how I would make it through!  WE DID IT THOUGH--WE DID IT!!  HOO-RAH!  2009 was hard, it was scary, but.  .  .I learned a lot about myself, I learned who I could count on, I realized how much I love and need my husband.  It's not that I didn't love and need him before--but you can't imagine the feeling of sitting in that glider feeding your baby at 5am and watching your best friend look in on his dozing 3 year old and come into kiss you and then walk out the door, not knowing if he would return-or if he would return the same-or what your family would be like when he returned almost a year later.  Seriously--one of the hardest moments of my life.  So GOODBYE 2009!!  HELLO 20-10!!

P.S.  So excited about all of the new babies coming this year--can't wait to meet you all!!!