3 days until Christmas!

it's 11:30 pm on Sunday night. the weekend is almost over. sigh. i just finished picking up all the rooms (minus the play room. i can't tackle it tonight!) and now i'm ready to start making lists, lists, lists for this week and to finish up some airport work. hopefully sleep will come soon! the girls are sleeping away and dan is busy working on some Christmas gifts. i'm so thankful for his help. i love working with him.

we have a full week ahead and i seriously need to make every hour count until Christmas. i do have a lot to do. but, i am determined to enjoy it. i realize that most of my expectations are self-imposed and that in the end it will all be ok. my family will still love me even if I didn't get the perfect thing for them this year! Jesus is the perfect Gift. He gave Himself for me and i want to give myself to Him and to others. the other gifts of Christmas are secondary.

today on the way to Church (we visited my Dad's little country Church today) I was thinking about all that was left to do... the cleaning, shopping, wrapping, cooking/baking, crafting and wondering how in the world i was going to get it all done with the girls at home? (they have been especially demanding lately!) it hit me that they only have one childhood. this will be the only Christmas we will have with Sophie as a three year old. this will be Grace's only 1st Christmas. time goes by too fast and I want to enjoy them right now and not regret it in the future. honestly, things have been super difficult lately with Sophie so this is me asking for God's grace to help me! tonight I talked to her about all the things we are doing this week and she seems really excited. i told that I am going to need her help and that the most important thing was to LISTEN and OBEY. we'll keep going over that one and hopefully those words will get down in her heart!

i am looking forward to this week! one more week to wear those Christmas sweaters! :)

We just gotta Keep Calm & Carry On!
Merry Christmas!!