Did this just happen?

This past week my middle child turned another year older, my hubby did as well and we celebrated another year married. All in the timeframe of a week. We also had Thanksgiving thrown into the mix because why not?

When I was growing up we would joke about the fact that April was busier than the holidays purely for the fact that almost everyone in the family had a birthday in April. This has shifted to November/December months for my family now. While we enjoy celebrating the birthdays and the holidays it also means there is more planning, more baking and more socializing. All of these are good things but when they come at you all at once in a time span of a 2 month period it can be a little much for a semi-introvert like myself.

This past week my wonderful hubby surprised me with a get away to a hotel in town. We both work, and the kids were home for the Thanksgiving break so he knew we had to do something local. The fact that he planned it is not all too weird, he likes to do these little getaways for me. I forget that he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. I have been in a kind of stressed state in which I walk the line sometimes on being overwhelmed. So he planned a hotel stay with take out Chinese food. There was a hot tub in the room which made the night so much nicer. We were able to talk, we were able to discuss family life, work like, our lives without the kids having to have our attention. It was a reset button for me, so that I could move forward less on the verge of stressing out.

I absolutely love the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. My middle daughter would say that the Christmas music needs to wait until at least December but I find myself craving it, especially when it’s sung at church. I get the chance to look beyond myself and see that there is more to life than work, and stress, and family and life issues. There is a celebration of life! Birthdays help with this each time they come around, but the birthday for Christmas reminds me that I don’t have to have life all together, I can just be me, trusting that Christ has me figured out and knows what my future holds. That is peace in times of chaos. Celebrating does bring a in the fact that need that baking needs to happen! Baking: the smells, the licks of the spoons and the beaters, the new recipes working out, I just get so excited to bake.

This year is no different. My eldest daughter had me bake a cake, which included cake pops. My middle child wanted Oreo bark and a cake for her birthday that looked like it was made out of stone. My youngest suggested pumpkin bread which was made but just had to have pumpkin frosting, and the leftover pumpkin turned into pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake. I “accidentally” bought too much cream cheese so that turned into Oreo cheesecake bites covered in chocolate. There is still the cinnamon rolls, the toffee, and the fudge. Sadly with all the baking, it can’t all be eaten by my family and I so my co-workers, and friends will have to help.

This past weekend we had friends drive through our small town so we planned a dinner with them and their kids. I didn’t have much time to bake, but that didn’t stop the homemade salsa and street tacos from being made up. This is the first of many little gatherings, I always look forward to them until the day of and the my inner introvert comes out and tries to make excuses as to why we should not be social. This has always been the case with me until the friends come and then I enjoy every minute with them . I love the thought of being a host, until I have to do it, funny how that is. We had a good visit, the tacos went over well and they were able to get a homemade meal which always helps when eating out happens more on the road.

December is going to go by quick. The kids will go back to school for maybe two weeks before they are out for two weeks. We will travel, and people will travel to us. Christmas parties will happen at our respective jobs and the kids will have some festivities at school. January will come sooner than what we anticipate. So the hope is that each moment is experienced and enjoyed. There is a hope that the recipes all turn out well and if they don’t that they are tried again with better results. Hope is high that when we get together with our friends and families that we enjoy each others company, that no one gets sick and that touchy subjects get left out in the cold. Until next time:

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. Psalms 28:7