Finding the reason...

Man, how did December manage to sneak up so quickly this year? Maybe it was the mild fall we had, but I feel utterly unprepared for Christmas to be just around the corner.
Brian has been sick for almost a month, the weather has turned to ludicrous cold and I’ve been slogging through a feeling of extended writer’s block, or, more accurately, writer’s blah. Suffice to say, I’m not feeling it.

In an effort to jump start my Holiday spirit…I bought a tree on Thursday. At Costco. I see you, don’t go rolling your eyes at me, so I bought a fake tree. I can’t help it if I’m allergic to pine trees. Really I am, all those needles on the floor make me itch!

For all my complaining, my bah humbug is slowly turning around…the boys LOVE Christmas, especially Ben. Ben is all about the magic. He wants hot cocoa and Christmas Carols. He wants lights, decorations and advent wreaths. He wants to color a star every night to give a present to Baby Jesus…a sky filled of all the times he thought about him.

Any crankiness I've been feeling, stressing about my to do list is melting fast…now, where are those pine scented candles?

Ho Ho Ho- here’s wishing all of you peace joy and contentment as we prepare for the real reason of the season.
Peace-
sandy

Winter Insulation

So, guess where we got to go for Thanksgiving? I know, we are travel junkies. So sue us, we missed Brian’s family. We hopped on a couple of flights and voila, Wilbraham, MA.

The boys and I got to catch up with some old neighborhood friends. Barbara, bless her soul, even took me to a two hour yoga class. It was just the thing to uncoil my back after a long travel day. It felt a little strange to go stomping around the old homestead. Brian and I went for a walk past our old house. It looked faded and sad. I had the song Yellow Taxi in my head as we passed.…Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone….And I waxed nostalgic for a bit. Then I remembered that house only had one bathroom upstairs. One bathroom for the five of us. Funny, I don’t miss it at all anymore!

We packed as much as we could into the 6 days we had there. We made an overnight trip into Boston, where we spent time with very dear friends and their children. We took the boys to the Boston Aquarium, strolled along Quincy Market and had lunch at Durgan Park. The food was just so so, (the entire menu was either boiled or fried) but the boys loved the idea that whalers used to sail into port and sit at the same tables to eat.

For Thanksgiving, Brian’s sister and her husband hosted thirty people for a sit down dinner. You read that right, thirty people. They rented a heated tent and put it up in the back yard. Kim and Steve are amazing; there were twinkle lights, table clothes and beautiful centerpieces. Everyone pitched in and brought their specialty to the feast. (Brian and I brought wine, what does that say about us?) It was one of the most beautiful meals I’ve ever had the privilege of attending.

The week flew by in a flurry of wonderful conversations and entirely too much food. All the cousins got along beautifully. We left with more then just full tummies; we left with some really magnificent memories.
The whole week served as a not so subtle reminder of how blessed we are with family and friends who love us.

To all of you who take the time to check in and catch up, I’m grateful for your presence in my life.
Thank You-
Sandy