To .... A Late Night, Just Because -

I'm going to skip right past the i-never-blog-anymore comments, or thoughts, or excuses :)

Welcome to life, right.
I've had a post, thoughts - life really - swirling around in my head for awhile now.
I'm hoping before Christmas to actually type it out.

This is more i'm-sitting-here-with-christmas-music-playing-i-think-i'll-blog
Even though I actually am decently into an historical novel that I started a couple nights ago.
I never read books like that.
That aren't geared toward elementary age read aloud books, anyway :)
Thank you, book club.

Rex took me on a date tonight.
The babysitter sent a text offering to come.
We actually just sat at a restaurant & talked.
Not like let's grab Panda 'cause we have to run here & here & here.
He also bought me a present. For Christmas.
///happy sigh///

The new North Pole is Amazon.
Right :)
The mail delivery is always exciting.
Today Chad was in our room going 'for me, mom, see! for me!' while holding up a blanket that was covering ... supposed to be covering, his present.
It was hilarious.
He was taken down & charged as a snitching christmas elf & tickled soundly.

The kids have one more day of school for the year.
We're pretty excited about vacation.
Amie comes next week.

There are twinkle lights & paper chains hung up all around.
There is a jar of candy canes on the counter.
There is only one dead poinsettia.

I love our house at Christmas.
When we left tonight the lights around the house were circling the outside.
The tree could seen from inside.
Snowflakes .... paper snowflakes were taped to the girls window.
It's homey.

I kinda wish I could photograph it like the way it really looks.
Not like Pineterest.
Ok .... well that'd kinda be fun.
April had this lovely post about their home at Christmas & how her kids will remember it.
I found these on the camera & thought they were pretty homey & give you an idea & us a memory :)

What tree isn't complete without a giant Christmas bell craft from Sunday School - Jack, circa 2007

Like I mentioned - paper chains. You can see totally see that in a magazine, right :)

Blurry Nativity, picture 1.

Blurry Nativity, picture 2 :)

This eliminates Regan as the photog.

Random picture of Strawberry's head.

Our tree.

The twinkle lights :)

It's like Clue .... scratch 2 more off the list of possible shooters.

And that concludes our Christmas home tour.
All I gotta say is - real life, baby.
It's better in real life!

- - -

I'm clearly biased ..... but these nieces of mine.
Right.
Their utter adorableness is too much.

We made an attempt at a Christmas gift with the above pictured cousins.

Line up.
Hold onto little Miss One&Wonderful.
Watch your dad and aunt and mom & uncle dance like crazies behind the camera.
Smile.
Laugh.
Snap memories.
Remember joy & love.

- - -

And that was it :)
27 minutes of all 10 of them.
10 kids in 10 years.
An even split of boys & girls.
Such a wild mix of personalities.
#familyisworththeeffort

- - -

It was hoodie sweatshirt day at school.
Or not.
:)

We took a winter walk.
Fog is our snow.
It's the weather that feels like winter.

We shot guns.
Ate trail mix.
And practiced math & grammar facts.
 

- - -

Merry Christmas.