One week until girls weekend!

In college I met a few girls that I really clicked with. We met while living in the freshman dorm together, rushed sororities together, had classes together and decided to live together for the next three years.

I enjoyed college so much because of the tight friendships I made. We all had completely different majors, different sororities and lived together like family. I have kept in touch with all of them. We have been a part of each other's weddings. We have been there through the good times and bad. I love each of them.

We have not been able to coordinate a time to get together since my baby shower for Logan almost 5 years ago. It seems like one of us was breast feeding, pregnant or just not willing or able to leave our kids during the 5 years. Between the 5 of us we have 12 kids and one on the way!

A week from today, I will be flying to Virginia to spend two nights with my best friends. We will all be able to visit and spend time together at a ski resort. I am so excited to see them I packed weeks ago. It is going to be great to be together without interruptions from children and reminisce about our college days. We have lots of stories, a few I would rather not be repeated.

Thanks to Cathy for organizing and letting us use your time share days!

2nd Snow of the year

I hope that snow wasn't too dirty. He couldn't resist tasting the snow every chance he got.

Christmas loot and exhaustion

This picture cracks me up. We had a small Holiday party the day after Christmas and Lucas laid down on the floor, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell asleep. Kids were running around inches away from him screeching like banshees, several adults were talking and he laid down in the living room and fell asleep. He must have been exhausted and I never would have guessed he could ever fall asleep with such activity all around him.

Here is all the Santa stuff. The kids thought everything was great and had fun playing for hours. It is kind of funny that they have always been the type that opens a gift and then wants to play with it for a long time. They forget that there are many more presents to open. It is so fun celebrating Christmas through the eyes of children.

Snow on Christmas Eve

It was a Christmas miracle! I have been hoping for snow for Christmas for years. The last time it snowed around Christmas in Virginia was when I was 21 and my family was in the Bahamas. Actually, it was an ice storm and half of Virginia was out of power. The airport closed and we had to stay an extra night in the Bahamas. So, I was thrilled when it started snowing in Texas on Christmas Eve!

You can kind of make out Logan's snow angel in the yard. We had a great time out in the snow. It was really Lucas' first time playing in snow.

Lucas didn't want to go back inside until he couldn't feel his fingers anymore.

Christmas activities

Christmas with my family started off kind of strange. My parents had travel troubles. They had lots of snow the night before their flight and it was canceled. They finally caught a flight late in the day and missed their connecting flight in Atlanta. They had to stay in a seedy hotel for the night and finally made it 24 hours after the anticipated arrival.

My brother's flight out of Germany got canceled. Originally he was told that he would not be able to fly out until 5 days later, which would be after Christmas. Thankfully, a nice airport employee took pity on him and figured out how to route him with 6 layovers and told him to just get off in Dallas on a flight two days later than the original plan. His luggage was lost and was delivered several days later.

My poor mom was sick the whole time she was visiting. I took her to the urgent care twice and my father took her once. She had breathing treatment and antibiotics. She did not find out until she got back home that she had pneumonia. She just hung in there like a trooper but I know she was not able to enjoy Christmas like she wanted.

The good things around Christmas was the fun dinner at the Melting Pot together, baking cookies with my kids, snowing on Christmas Eve, making my Mom cry on Christmas morning with a sentimental gift, exercising with my new sister-in-law and the guys having a golf outing together.

Although it was not a perfect Christmas, we all really enjoyed being together.