Tis The Season.. to choke on Holiday Spirit..

Well.. Christmas has been entertaining to say the least.. Where do I start..

Well lets begin at my company Christmas Party.. Each Year the Loves family does an amazing party lunch for the employees. Its a lot of fun, great food, and a good time to visit with your co-workers.. Which is exactly what I was doing... Until... I put that delicious last morsel of steak into my mouth.. Cooked to Perfection.. just delightful.. So delightful it wanted to stay in my throat.. Yup, it was Biscuit-gate 2.0.

I tried water.. Tried Swallowing several times.. Nope. Not happening. Ironically my co-worker, Lovero, who was sitting with me during the first Biscuit-gate 1 incident was also at my table this time..  So he says "Oh No! Not again!!".. I'm also sitting with both of my Bosses.. One of them, Casey, looks at me.. "Whats going on?"---
Lovero, "its ok, she chokes a lot".. lol..
Me--Yeah, this seems to keep happening..things just get stuck in my throat..
Casey: Are you ok?
Me--I will be.. I'll be right back..

So then I have to go into the bathroom and silent gag (because this is a big place and there are a lot of people) and cough up the dang steak.. It works. I go back..  All is well.. but after this day, I called, made the appointment to get 'scoped' in the throat, and see if they can 'blow it up' to be back to normal.. When I went to the Dr, he said its most likely a stricture in my esophagus, or that it has narrowed.. either way, they go in with a scope and blow it back up.. I'm sedated. and my throat is numb.. so hopefully this will be an easy procedure and fix the issue..   So there's that..

 After that Christmas went pretty smoothly. Pa &  Gigi kept the girls for a few days at the farm so MJ and I could build train sets, wrap presents, and fill stockings.. Cross has loved her Elf on the Shelf.. Eliza.. She doesn't really do anything. We broke all the rules and let her carry her around. She basically just "hid" treasures for Cross.. She loved her. She's still asking about her now.. I told her she went to take a nap.. Like the Giant, the Bloody Clown from the Neighbors house, and Santa.. (Hey, you do what you gotta do).. Gigi & Pa took the Girls to the Park in Elk City to "ride the ponies"and see the lights. They had a blast. I'm pretty sure they would live there and never miss Jordan and I.. At one point mom said "Cross likes to take off her clothes, wrap up in a soft blanket, have me rub her back and feed her berries"... Um. Yeah. Who DOESN'T"T???

So on the 22 we went to the farm to begin Christmas. We went to my dads on the 23. We had a big time there.. Girls played with Cousin Joe & Ava.. Those 4 are a mess, but they are all so good.. We never saw them.. they just played and ran and raced down the hallways.. We didn't go bother them unless we heard crying, or fighting.. but there wasn't much of that. They all love playing together. We had a great time down there.. Then on Christmas Eve Sant came to Gigi's house! He brought the girls a big 4 wheeler Power Wheels.. However, they were kinda weirded out by it, and didn't really ride it.. I think they will though.. They loved all their goodies. Cross had the best time with her Tea set.. Serving everyone Tea.. Cille loved her magnets.. They both loved their Karoke Machine! Lots of fun things to play with!

Then we went back home on Christmas Eve and to our Christmas Eve Service at Church. Oh man. It was so amazing. I LOVED it.. Its one of my favorite services. They turn out the lights and everyone lights candles to represent the Light of the World coming to us on Christmas Day.. So awesome, and so was the Choir.. They sang my favorite.. Listen in.. GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE

Then on Christmas day.. Santa Brought the girls a train set! They were so excited.. Traims! Traims! Thats what Cille says.. They loved it.. They tore it all to hell in about 10 min.. but hey, they loved it.. Cross got a "Monster".. she loves him.. among some other babies.. magnets.. little people.. and everything else known to man. They had a blast. After that we went to GT & Nana's and they got even more stuff! It was a great Christmas.. 

On Saturday Jordan's mom came over for yes.. thats right... another Christmas! We all had a fun time because she brought the girls a tee pee, so they had fun with that.. But then the weather came in that night and pretty much ruined my trees again.. They are still without power at the farm.. And to top it off, we have a Huge earthquake in the night.. Geez Oklahoma Weather.. 

I went back to work on Monday.. I was ready.. 7 days at home All day Er' Day with the girls was plenty.. I've since Hot-glued their train about 10 times.. I'm sure I'll do it 10 more.. But they love it, and I love that they love it. I love that they have great Grandparents who love and spoil them. I love our Church, I love our friends.. It was a very blessed Holiday Season. I want them to stay this size forever because watching things through their eyes is magical.. Every snow flake, every new present, every new tradition is something new and magical for them. I know we won't be able to capture these moments forever, but they are so much fun to watch right now.. We will enjoy it while we can! Hope you guys stayed warm, have power, and had a good Christmas! 

Everything is "Magical"

We had a great thanksgiving! Hope you all did too.. Yeah, the ice storm was a bit of a ruiner, but thankfully both places I was at (Western OK, and Home) we didn't lose power.. so that was nice.. I did somehow get Food Poisoning the Tuesday before, and that was NOT cool.. Then Jordan had some sort of stomach bug on the Day after.. so we ended up staying in Western Ok from Wednesday to Saturday.. but it was fun.. the girls want to be out there all the time anyway.. 'Mommy? Go see Gigi? Pa? Joe? Pops & Grammy, Bear? Poppy?".. she names off everyone she knows out there.. So we had a fun time.. Mom put up 5 trees this year.. and the girls loved them. She made the mistake of putting breakable owl ornaments on one.. so of course Cross wanted to "Hode" them.. and you can imagine how that went..

This is a really fun time with them. Everything is magical.. without me even doing anything. These people who do 1235 Christmas Crafts, and spend every single day trying to 'create' magic.. MAKE. ME. TIRED.. "Oh Look everyone a Santa face pancake with apple cream pudding frosting hats!".. Ugh. I thought this was such an amazing read. QUIT MAKING EVERYTHING MAGICAL

"Think about the life of a modern day, Westernized child. Think back to when your children were new. What did they notice?

A fresh child will find magic in every ceiling fan. A baby will be fascinated by the light switch on the wall which, with a simple flick, brings the brightness of noonday in the dead of night.

Even adult humans 200 years ago would have found this miraculous! A child today can walk into a grocery store and see entire cases dedicated just to berries. Half a dozen varieties, flown in from around the country and world are stunningly displayed. We take this for granted as spoiled adults, but this is crazy! Most of the world lacks this ever present variety.The television, the hand held phone, the tablet- all with moving people trapped inside of them who appear and disappear at the swipe of your finger. Children recognize this technology for what it is- magic."

I am with the author of this article.. If you feel the need to do this for your child.. go ahead.. and I'll be proud for you, but I just don't have that kind of time.. Or those clever crafting skills apparently, lol.. I have seen this first hand when we take the girls to the farm, and maybe because I grew up on a farm, I feel this way.. but Hay bales are magical.. Just sitting there.. You can turn them into forts, jump and climb on them, roll down them, hide in them.. And its just a bale of Hay.. Some may feel the need to paint they hay bale, put reindeer ears on it, and add lights to it.. But.. Its still just as magical without all those things.

Here's something for you.. I remember one of the most 'magical' things in my childhood being what I called a Gymnastics Bar in the Barn.. I used to go out to it every day and hang from it.. spinning, twirling, doing dismounts, watching the pretend crowds cheer for me as the pretend judges awarded me "10"s... Guess what that bar was? A deer Carcass bar..

When the hunters would shoot a deer, they would bring it out to the barn to let it hang and the blood to drip from it.. Yeah, I know.. Gross.. but didn't really take away any of that magic for me!! Magic is Magic.. Especially if you have a great imagination.. Which I do.. and I think my girls do too.

We get so caught up in creating special things for ourselves and our kids that we miss the magic.. I remember thinking the Ipod was the coolest thing that ever happened.. My kids will grow up thinking music always just came with their phones! If you look around there are so many magical things this time of year.. you really don't have to create any if you don't want too, its there if we just look for it. So Do what you can.. but don't feel bad if you don't wake up and make Reindeer Shaped Cinnamon Roll.. If you have time to do those things, then YAY! But.. We can only do what we can do.. and shouldn't feel bad about the rest.

Speaking of Magical.. We went to 1Smart Cookie's "Cookies & Milk with Santa" event on Saturday.. It was so much fun. We thought it would be a nice place for the girls to take Santa Pics.. Well Cross was super excited.. She had talked about him for days and all the way there.. When we got there she said "OH! Santa!! HI SANTA!! and Introduced him to JA... And that was it.. She didn't want to sit by him, or take a pic with him.. Cille pretty much hated everything about him, so yet again, for the 2nd year in a Row, MJ and I are in the Santa pics.. But.. it was a super cute event.. Cookies were Delicious, and the girls enjoyed coloring pics and drinking chocolate milk.

Tonight we are going to the "Live Nativity" at Crossings. There will be a sugar cookie bar there, petting zoo, and then they are going to tell the story of Jesus. I love our Church so much. They have so many fabulous events to go to and take your kids to learn about Christmas. Tomorrow night we have small group. We have been learning about Advent. Tomorrow is "Peace".. It will be really good. 

In other news.. Cross is obsessed with her Monster PJ's these days.. She wants to wear them all day everyday.. if you put them in the dirty clothes.. she will get them out and say "No, I wear the Monsters".. I mean, there's a reason we call her Creepy Cross. Cille still hates me trying to take pictures of her.. But I can't help it. She's really pretty, so I still try.. This is how it always goes...

 She just hates it.. So there's that. I'm so excited about Christmas this year.. We did a wishlist for the girls to make life easier.. I remember when I was buying presents for peoples kids.. Man, what a jerk I was.. I probably bought them blocks and 355 things they didn't need.. but you just don't know until you have kids of your Own! So forgive me for that.. I did a wishlist of things I really thought the girls would love to make life easier.. So if you are wanting ideas, consider doing that for your relatives.. I think it is super helpful to me when they send me lists of what they want, or what their kids want. 

We will try to go look at Christmas lights this weekend.. When we see them Cross says "Look Sissy.. So PURRRDY".. lol.. She's also started saying her name "I Cwosslee Maaple".. if you ask her what Londyn's name is she will say "Sissy Maaple".. Londyn has learned all her colors, letters and numbers now.. she's very proud of herself.. She will sit in her bed at night chatting about all her colors.. Its super cute. Special thanks to Suzanne, her speech therapist, and to her Ipad Apps, Endless Alphabet, and Endless numbers for helping teach her those things! Oh.. and of course, Daniel Tiger.. 

You guys enjoy the holiday season!!