That's A Wrap

Christmas was a whirlwind. Just when you think you've got everything done and it is time to relax a wrench is thrown into the plans. 

On the last day of school before Christmas break Grace was in a nativity play. Every year the second grade class presents the play to the school and this was the last time our kids would get to be a part of it. Grace was an angel. She read her lines very well and she definitely looked like an angel.

She had fun directing her choir of angles too. The angels were adorable and the nativity play was precious.

This year I busted my butt so that by the time the kids were out of school I was done with all the Christmas prep.  All the presents had been wrapped, all the treats had been made, all the last minute errands had been run. It was great! I actually felt fairly calm.

Enter the wrench. On Christmas Eve we went over to Todd's mom's house and Ben's godmother got him the exact present that he asked for from Santa (a big Nerf gun).  Panic!!!!  It just would not do to have Ben get such an anticlimactic gift from Santa. This is the last year Ben will have the fun of Santa (I'm sure he is already privy to Santa but didn't want to give up the act before the big day). I had to figure out something, and quick.

Cute part of the story is how my two older boys, Joe and Tommy, (who have been helping me figure out what Santa should get for Grace and Ben) reacted when they saw the Nerf gun Ben had gotten from his godmother. They tried to hide it but they were so upset. They both pulled me aside and told me how upset they were. There were actually worried for me. Tommy told me that he was just sick about it. It was actually kind of sweet, them being so worried about me having to figure something out. I kept telling them it was not a big deal but they were stressed. Made me giggle and definitely helped me to keep my calm over the silly little situation.

I ended up running out to the store on Christmas Eve and getting Ben something that he had asked for last minute (a camera). When we got home I unwrapped the original present and wrapped the replacement present. It was all a little crazy but it did work out in the end.

The stage was set and now we were truly ready for Christmas.

(I swear I did not make the dog sit there. The minute she saw my camera and me focused on the tree she went and sat down in front of it. This crazy dog LOVES the camera!)

Christmas morning was a lot of fun. There were fun surprises all around. I love surprising the kids with things they think they could never have. It worked last year with the Kindles and I actually managed to find some stuff for this year too. Not as exciting as Kindles, but the kids loved it. I even managed a surprise for Todd. He is usually the worst to shop for because all he really wants is hunting stuff or tractor stuff. Nothing I can pick out or get for him. This year I blew up a gorgeous pic (my current header pic) of the kids up north in front of the lake and put it on a canvas for him to hang in his office. Honestly, I think I was more excited to give this gift than anything else. It was a lot of fun. He loved it.

Christmas morning we went to mass, came home to relax a little bit, and then went over to my mom's house for another lovely get together. Overall, Christmas was pretty darn nice.

The day after Christmas we packed everything up and went up north to the cabin. I haven't been there in a couple months and I was really looking forward to getting away. I took 4 books up with me and finished them all. Okay, I was mostly done with the first one and when I began reading the next I figured out that I had already read it. But still. Lots of good reading.

The highlight of the week was our ski trip to Ski Brule. It was so much fun. It was the most relaxed I've ever been skiing since we've had kids. It is really all falling into place now. Grace and I spent the morning on the bunny hill, working on turning and stopping, and Todd and the boys hit the hill. We met for lunch and then all went on the big hill together. Grace was having a little bit of trouble on the bigger hills so after we had some hot chocolate she and Todd went back to the bunny hill and the boys and I skied together. Joe actually asked to ride up the lift with me. Yay! My teenager wants to hang with me! 💗

With some prodding I convinced the boys to run some tougher trails with me. This is the first time in a long time that I've been able to ski something other than a green. I forgot how much fun skiing (actual skiing, not just the bunny hill) can be. Especially with my boys! They did really well. I was so proud of all my kids and how brave they were and how much they pushed themselves. It was a great day.

A couple more days to relax, a little party with our up north neighbors, and before we knew it it was time to come home. When I told Grace it was time to go home she yelled, "WHAT? I thought you said we were gonna stay up here all week?"  I explained that Monday through Friday was a full week. Time flies when you're having fun!

When we got home it was a flurry of unpacking and putting everything in its place, laundry, grocery shopping, and a million errands (library, bank, 4 different stores to return things that weren't working). I was glad that we had decided to just hang at the house for a very laid back New Year's Eve.

Unfortunately for Todd he came down with a peach of a cold. Luckily, we had enough food to temporarily distract him.  Yum!

We all made it to midnight (except for Todd- poor guy) and welcomed the New Year in properly. I am so happy to be able to start another year with these amazing people in my life. I am so grateful.  

It was the perfect way to wrap up a beautiful holiday and a wonderful year.

Hope you all have a blessed, healthy, and happy 2017!

Peace

Here we are. The golden "hour". The craziness of the holidays has subsided. The presents are wrapped and treats have been made. Snow is falling, fire in the fireplace, and a cocktail in hand. Now we sit back and soak in all the Christmas goodness. 🎄

Hoping you can find a little quiet time to bask in the goodness of the season amid all the hustle and bustle.

From our family to all of you, we wish you a blessed, peaceful, and Merry Christmas, a very Happy Hanukkah, and a lovely and Happy Holidays!


**Photobomber, Molly, would also like to wish you Seasons Greetings! **

Catch Up

Once again it has been a long time since I've posted on my blog. It is not for lack of desire but rather a lack of time. Right around Thanksgiving time life got crazy busy and it hasn't slowed down yet. I'll just give a quick summary of our regular week schedule, if you'll humor me.

Mondays- Joey band at 3:30-4:30 then basketball practice from 4:30-6:30, Tommy basketball practice from 6:30-8, Ben basketball practice 6:30-8 (different location than Tommy), Me- Symphony Choir rehearsal 7-9:30

Tuesday- Two basketball games (Joey and Tommy) between 5:00 and 8:00

Wednesday- Ben band at 3:30-4:30, Tommy basketball from 5-6:30, Ben basketball from 6:30-8

Thursday- Two basketball games (Joey and Tommy) between 5 and 8

Friday- Joe basketball 4:30-6:30

Saturday- Ben basketball games between 8 and 11 in the morning.  

Two weekends ago we also had FOUR basketball games for a tournament that Joey was in, Grace's 1st Reconciliation, Ben's basketball game, church, and then a meeting with a couple Todd and I are preparing for marriage in the church.

Last week also had a band concert during the week, I had two extra Symphony rehearsals (on Tuesday and Friday) and then my concert on Saturday night. 

There have been plenty of meetings and ortho appointments, and sicknesses, and volunteering, and snow storms thrown in there too.  

Don't even get me started on all the Christmas prep. But I am close to getting a handle on all of that now so I finally have a moment to sit and write it all down. 

I can't possible recap the last month so I won't even try. As a matter of fact, I don't think I ever even posted pics about the boys' football season. So, excuse me while I sneak a bit in here now.

 All of the boys really enjoyed football this year. Joey had some nice plays and was able to play both offense and defense. The highlight of his season was getting an interception on the 2 yard line and saving the day. Very exciting. Tommy's team was unstoppable. The defense (coached by Todd) allowed only one touchdown all season. Very impressive. Ben had his first season on tackle football. It was a big adjustment but by the end of the season he was really getting the hang of it. He is already looking forward to next year.

Okay. That's all I have to say about that.  :)

This year Joe was the only one to go up to deer camp with Todd. Tommy had gone up for the youth hunt but decided to stay home for the regular deer camp because he was concerned about keeping up with his homework from the days he would have to miss school. It was a very wise decision on his part, I thought.

To make the most of his time at home with us I took all three of my homies (kids at home with me) to The Milwaukee Museum. I forgot how awesome it was.  It has been a while since we've been there and Grace didn't even remember her first visit since she was only about two years old. I was SO excited for her to see the butterfly exhibit. It is my heaven.

I had butterflies landing all over me. I honestly could have stayed there all day long. Unfortunately, after about 45 minutes Tommy started to get a little antsy. I can't say I blame him but Grace and I really didn't want to leave. Maybe I could plan a girls' trip there sometime.

Anyway, there was tons left to see. We love the dinosaur exhibit and of course Old Milwaukee. Tommy was studying ancient Egypt in school so he really enjoyed that portion of the museum. It was a really fun day and we finished up with some yummy food at La Fuente. A family favorite.

Strangely enough, neither Todd nor Joe even saw deer this year (and we are sadly out of venison now). It was a very good decision for Tommy to stay home. He would have been very bored. And I certainly enjoyed having him hang back with us.

Thanksgiving was lovely. We hosted my family on Thanksgiving and then we hosted Todd's family on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We had a lot of food and a lot of fun. Saturday ended up being so unseasonally warm that after dinner we all went outside and played basketball in the dark. We played "lightening" and I'm amazed to say that my boys and I ran the court and won the majority of the games. It was a lot of fun.

As I mentioned the boys (Joey and Ben) have been taking band lessons. This was their first time in band and I was excited that they both wanted to learn an instrument. A little while ago they had their first band concert. I'm sorry to say it will also be their last band concert. I think right now there is just too much going on. Both boys decided not to keep up with their instruments because they just feel overwhelmed. While I completely understand, and think it is wise of them at this point, I'm also a little sad. Joey is quite a natural in music and was able to play the clarinet and make up his own songs and keep up with the kids who have been in band for years. It was pretty amazing. And Ben really struggled with the sax but made huge strides and enjoyed being in the concert. Perhaps when summer rolls around I can convince them to start up again if we are not too busy then. 

The first and last band concert

I also had a concert. The Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed Handel's Messiah. It was a fantastic concert. A great way to get into the Christmas spirit. 

I got my 5 year service pin! Wow, time flies by.

All three of my boys are now in basketball. Joe and Tommy play for school and Ben plays on a YMCA team. They are all having a great time. Ben is doing amazingly well for his first year of basketball. Watching his first game was so much fun. I was shocked at how well he handled the ball and his shooting. I had no idea he had gotten that good. I usually just see him shooting around in the driveway and he doesn't get much opportunity to dribble with two older brothers. I guess playing with the older boys pays off.  

Tommy continues to do well and his sixth grade team is pretty talented. They struggled together last year through an up and down season but they are tough to beat this year. Tommy has become a great ball handler and his shot has really improved too. He is having a lot of fun on basketball this year.

As for Joe, he has been playing with the kids on his team for four years. They've never had a winning season. They've played against tough teams and were always quite a bit shorter than the other teams. Something happened over the summer. The boys shot up and grew overnight and polished up on their basketball skills. They have become a competitive team for the first time. Their first game they did not play well and they got handily beat by a school rival. The next games were in a tournament of very good basketball teams. Our boys ended up losing the very first game (against the team that made it to the finals) but won the rest of their games and took first place in the Silver bracket. It was a huge lift for our boys who have always played hard but never really had the success they wanted. 

I'm proud of this group of boys who have worked so hard and always had a great attitude whether they won or lost. This is a great bunch of kids.

Last night we had the kids' school Christmas concert. It is the last Christmas concert Joey will ever have at that school and with his siblings. Made me a little emotional, if I'm honest. Joey did a great job on his solo as the singing shepherd and he played one of the wise men too. Tommy, Ben, and Grace did a great job singing with their classes too. It was a beautiful concert.

With most of the concerts out of the way we now just have to get through the next week of preChristmas madness and then we will eventually get a rest. A few more basketball games and practices, wrapping presents, getting the teachers gifts and wrapping them, the kids' secret santas, Christmas treats, and one more Christmas play. Yikes. That sounds like a lot. 

Breathe. Just breathe. 

It's a hectic time of year but a wonderful time of year. 

I hope you are all keeping up with the craziness of the season and finding moments of complete peace and joy as well.