Well as you can imagine, if you know me at all I'm so HAPPY winter has finally arrived.  I do enjoy it so!  It kicked off this year with a snow day!  Thus allowing for my kids to start their Christmas breaks a day early!  YAY!  Snow stuck around just enough to have bits of white for the holiday and then here we are the day after and SNOW SNOW SNOW!  South of Indy they're calling it a blizzard however that is certainly not the case here!  It's white, probably a couple of inches and it's pretty!  I would be absolutely thrilled if it would stay this way until spring!  (which i hate by the way)

This Christmas was ....FUN!  different in a way but very enjoyable.  Everything here was done by the 19th and since I refuse to stress over "stuff" I was able to really just enjoy the days that led up to Christmas!  Do to the shortened break from school, Kat & I didn't get our goodies made.  However, since old man winter arrived it looks like this week will be perfect for doing just that!

We celebrated our traditional Christmas Eve at Ed & Emma Jeans and this year Mark was home to join in!  We all did our readings and Matt led us in Joy to the World, kinda....Mark was a great help!  This year we swapped the tomato soup for my chicken & tortellini noodle soup.  Mark made his famous cheese ball and I made him some fudge!  Peanut butter fudge!  He loves it!  We enjoyed evening services at Ed & Emma Jeans church.  It was nice being with family.  We returned home to open the traditional Christmas Eve gift of pj's and then not too long after everyone turned in.

Christmas day was a success as far as the gift giving goes!  Matt asked for clothes and boy did he get them!  Kat submitted a list and received most all that was on it!  Both got a few surprises and they were a hit!  Afternoon was spent with my brother & his family!  We spruced up a wreath mom had made back in the day and placed it at her grave site.  We didn't put too much out with the warning of an impending blizzard and high winds but she had something.  I'll jazz her & grandma & grandpas sites this spring/summer & fall a bit more.

This coming Saturday all of Eric's family will be coming to my house!  woo hoo!  Although we're still a hot mess of idle remodeling...we will have a door for bathroom privacy installed and the dining room cleared of clutter!  (monumental task right there folks)  I love having everyone together!  Not sure how the others feel, but there will come a day when they enjoy it!  I know my kids certainly long for time with their cousins on both sides of the family.  Seriously there are times when you'd swear we lived STATES apart!  as opposed to just an hour or two.

Lots to look forward to as 2012 wraps up!  And knowing I'll be spending that time with family and friends just reaffirms how blessed I am.  I'm looking forward to 2013!  It's gonna be a big year for sure!  Kat will be a senior, applying for college, we should ACTUALLY BE MOVING! matt will have drivers ed!  WOW !!!!!  With every new day I'll surely be blessed with an adventure!

Praising God from who ALL blessings flow today & always!

God Bless you all friends.....