Run Run as fast as you can....

I've felt a lot like the Gingerbread man this Christmas season..........    I'm in the season of my life being full.  Like the tub is about to overflow full.   I'm busy yet able to manage until extra curricular stuff gets thrown it and then I feel like I might lose my mind.    This is how my December has been and boy has it flown by.... Here's a look at it some of the extra things added in besides all my kids regularly scheduled activities and working.

Dec 1:  My bookclub met for dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building...

Dec. 2:  After weeks of begging I finally have a minute to take my girls and Spencer to the Harry Potter store at the South Town Mall.

Later that night, I win the ugliest sweater award at my Ward Christmas party.  I got a very lovely Cinderella trophy that all my kids thought was fantastic.  While listening to the remainder of the program Spencer grabbed it and threw it across the floor and it shattered.  Both of the girls were heartbroken that the trophy wasn't going to make it home.  On the way home when I told them I had to throw it away Jane said "Mom you should have known to not let Spencer play with it"  Emily said  "Yeah mom your always telling us to think about the consequence why didn't you?"

Dec 5:  Pauline treated me with a ticket to the  Broadway Play "Bodyguard"

Dec. 9:  Emily and I make some homemade ornaments for her music teachers and my mom.

Dec. 10:  I discover that Picaboo sent me by accident 30 extra Christmas Cards of my family.   Envelopes are not included so what to do with them.  Well I decide to expand my neighborhood/ward gifts to just about everyone we know and I end up making over 100 loaves of banana, zucchini, and pumpkin bread.    Haha I love when I get all ambitious and then half way through think "what have I done?"   In the middle of the mess the kids decide it's the best time to decorate our Gingerbread house the Elf left the night before.

Here's a small portion of the bread

Dec. 11:  Feeling  in over my head and after a few trips back and forth to the store I finally finish up all the neighborhood gifts just in time to run Emily to symphony, stop by the Draper Candy Cane hunt to meet with Santa, the firemen that brought him there and roast some marshmallows.

Afterwards we run back to get Emily. We then divide up the goodies and Emily and I take half before heading off to her Viola lesson.  In passing I give Bart the other half and he takes Jane to deliver the rest  and "whew" the bread is delivered.   Hallelujah for my helpful kids!!!  Big sigh of relief that's checked off my list.

Dec. 12:  I learn my lesson to never deliver goodies to the Bishopric because I get called that evening to speak in Sacrament the following Sunday.   I tell Bart of my assignment at dinnertime and says "You or both of us and I say just me and he says Oh lovely".   I curse him for his gloating remarks.

Dec 14:  My curse if fulfilled.  Bart is called that Evening to speak in Sacrament in a couple of days because the speaker cancelled.   Ally arrives with her family come in for the weekend!!    We load up and drive through the Christmas in Color lights at the South Jordan Equestrian Center.

Dec 15:  My Mom, all of us sisters,  my niece Belle and Ty's wife Cheyanne have a girls night out.  We eat at Kneaders at City Creek and then go the the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert.

Dec 16:  John invites us to join him for an early morning showing of Star Wars at the Jordan Common's theater.  My kids and Bart loved the free donuts and chocolate milk.

 After the movie we rush off to join my family for the annual Pace family Christmas party. Lots of yummy food,  the annual talent show, a surprise visit from Santa and a cousin gift exchange.

Santa:  What would you like for Christmas?
Aaron:  A thousand candy canes

Dec. 17:  Bart and I give our talks in Sacrament.


Dec 18:  Aaron has his preschool Christmas program at the Draper theater.   He made the cutest drummer boy!!

We then go with Ally's family to look at the Elf displays at Gardner Village.

Dec. 21-  Bart and I go to our neighborhood white elephant party.    A night full of big belly laughs as everyone tries to avoid picking the stuffed boars head.  Bishop Simpkins was the unlucky one  this year.

This might look like his belly but it's really a fanny pack.  So gross!!

Dec. 23-  Bart takes these 3 ice skating while Spencer sleeps and I do a lot of wrapping

Later that day Bart is busy making ice cream cake rolls for his home teaching family and Spencer, fighting a cold, just wants his daddy.  My other kids are wound up excited for Christmas so I load all of them into the car to drive around looking for Christmas light displays.  We end up not far from our house watching a light and music show.  Spencer then discovers the Santa in the window and being his friendly self waves to him the entire time saying "ho ho ho"  (his name for Santa.)

We have a lift a flap fisher price book I've been reading my kids for years.   I read it to Spencer and realize the first page sums up this December for me.

"Christmastime is getting close.
We have so much to do!
Wrapping gifts and having fun
with friends and family, too!"


Dec 24- It's early in the morning and I'm sitting in front of my glorious tree, glad the rigmarole is over and I can enjoy a relaxing day and breath in the joy and the reason for the season.   So blessed to have a full life with so many loving family and friends to share it with!!