Comfort People

To some, it's comfort food - to me, it's comfort people. The BFF here -with her kiddos - and it was just a pleasant, happy, everyone-got-along, good time.

I'm just  happy clam when she's here.

Her Birthday

KK has been 7 for about a week, but she's been planning a little party for at least a month or two.

Let's be frank, parties scare me.

I can throw a good one for adults. For kids? I'm nervous they'll hate it or give me grief or I'll forget something.

Alas, it was time I sucked it up and let her have a little party. With 2 friends from school, my BFF and her two and our family friends that live down the street, we decended on the bowling alley and...wait for it...

everyone had fun.

Parents included.

Maybe I'll do it again.

We'll see!

Welcome Back to Our New Home

They're here! They're here!! We've waited all month - counted down the days - to the day after Christmas, to find our beloved Atlanta friends up from the balmy south to a full-on 9 degrees. 

That's a whole lot of joy that just arrived in our house!

Happy Christmas

With the snow coming down in buckets, our family still made the pretty-close trek to our new home for a meal and presents. Poor little niece got ill, so our festivities ended early, but alas, we still had a good time opening some pretty awesome gifts and digging out of the snow. 

It's a wonderful time of year for some - not all - and for our friends who find this day with heavy hearts, we see you. We pray for you. We send our love near and far. And we hope for peace to find its way to you.

Happy Christmas, one and all.

Santa, I Know Him!

One of my favorite lines: "Santa, I know him!!" 

We've probably got this year - maybe one more - with the man in the red suit. He's still going to deliver, but the magic will be more developed and understood. The joy will remain. 

But tonight, we celebrate the fact that he is en route. We've got our sugar cookies to overload with sprinkles and our plate to put them on. And if we remember milk and carrots, then that's a bonus. 

It's Christmas Eve, 2017. It's starting to snow - we served at church for the first time - and as a family. It's chilly and glistening and gorgeous and calm and bright. 

We've got heat. We've got food. We've got gas in the cars, socks on our feet and presents under the tree. We've got Christmas blessings all around us. 

And in our usual tradition, it will be A Christmas Story (for the first time with the kids) and then White Christmas with a fire and Christmas lights. It'll be lovely. And we'll sing praises to the Savior, born in a manger; a King to save the world.

These Hooligans

Every year, they don't fail to impress me - they get bigger, but they still love their younger cousins. They get busier, but they always find the time. They get more mature, but they will still play. 

They have patience and kindness - and each year, when we celebrate Christmas and slow down the chaos of the week, it's one of my favorite times.

The 12th First Date

Each year, we celebrate. Each year, we laugh at how I baited him and he fell in love immediately. Each year, we toast to the fact that we get better. 

I'm such a lucky lady.