Getting All Caught Up & Ready for Christmas

I've been a bad blogger, mainly because we've been so busy.  Sure I've made sure to catch up on my friend's blogs during the kid's nap time, but my blog has been neglected. So you'll have to read my previous posts, back-dated, to get all caught up on what the family I love so much as been up too!

We are getting all ready for Christmas, actually I'm much more ahead of the game than I was last year.  I do apologize to those just now getting their Christmas cards.  I had to finish a thirty page paper for one of my classes to wrap up the semester, and when I tried to get to the post office during the flooding rain on Tuesday, well the drive thru lane was flooded and I wasn't going to risk my children's lives trying to make it through a flooded street to mail Christmas cards. I hope they are worth the wait, and if I had to be slacking on the whole Christmas front, then mailing our Christmas cards late is my slacking moment.

As far as Christmas shopping, I'm pretty much done. I have a few things left to get, but my plan is to wrap up all shopping and having to go out to any store, including a gas station by the 23rd.  This pregnant mama is not going to be fighting through any crowds or traffic trying to get last minute Christmas items or anything that makes me have to deal with people other than my family.

The kid's are very excited for Christmas! Okay Rylie is the only one really excited, but Liam does love the decorations and lights.  I get excited for Christmas too, not because of gifts, but because I get to see Christmas through their eyes and make Christmas special for them, like my mom always did for me.  I love hearing, "Mom our tree is beautiful," "Our gingerbread house is so cool," and "Daddy you did a good job hanging up the lights." See for Rylie and Liam(when he gets older), it's not about presents, it's about the traditions and memories of Christmas that we are making together as a family.

This week we will be wrapping up last minute Christmas details, doing Christmas projects with the kids, and getting ready for our 2nd annual Christmas Eve dinner at our house.  Last year was the first year we stayed home on Christmas Eve and had people over. We kept it small, only having my friends and parents over, but this year it grew to my parent's, my in-laws, Bill's brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews for dinner.

Christmas Eve dinner will be very special because we will be revealing to our family if our third child is a boy or a girl. Yep on Friday the 23rd, we finally will see on ultrasound if I am carrying a boy or a girl.  Then, we will keep it a secret until Saturday night at our Christmas Eve dinner.

I hope everyone has a great week as the countdown to Christmas is here, and nobody goes insane trying to get last minute Christmas stuff done!!!