decembeREST

I have been thinking a little bit.
This Christmas is going to be different for me…
even more different than the
last two have been.
This is the first year that 25 will be working
on Christmas Day.

I have never not had the kids here
Christmas morning.

But I know that Christmas will likely be different
this year
for a lot of us…

If the separation taught me anything, though,
it showed me that just because things aren’t how they have always been…
that doesn’t mean that they can’t still be good.
You just have to redefine and realign.
Look for the positives,
feel the negatives if you have to…but don’t focus on them.

The other thing I have been thinking about
is that online dating has not been bringing me
much joy or happiness lately.
I feel like it’s become…meh. Boring. Annoying.
A distraction that served its purpose
when I needed it the most
but right now…I’m very, very happy.
I’m content.
And now I feel that what began as an intended distraction
is now really a distraction from where I actually want to
be spending my time.

So, I have decided for the month of December
I am going to delete the dating app and limit my social media…
I will still post on social media because, honestly, that fuels my creativity.
But I am going to limit endless scrolling
and if I do scroll, I am going to try to limit it to Pinterest
because that usually gives me a shot of inspiration.

I am thinking of December in terms of rest
right now and that makes me happy.
I am picturing
tea in a polka dot mug,
journals,
hot chocolate, chicken soup in a slow cooker,
music, podcasts, magazines,
Christmas movies with heavy blankets,
quiet walks all bundled up,
candles, books, snowmen,
maybe finally a puzzle.

And for whatever traditions
we can’t recreate this year,
we try something new.
Who knows…maybe it will stick…
I wouldn’t have thought jamming a
Christmas tree in the back seat of a civic
would become a tradition
but there it is.
:)

Happy Sunday.
Thanks for sticking with me through
all my moods and musings.
♥

it's only wednesday but....

I have had a very good week or two…

I have sold every card that I have painted
sometimes before the paint was even dry.

I watched a Christmas cartoon so pretty and poignant
that it made me cry…happy tears…but tears regardless.

Hot, crisp egg rolls.

Sleeping so much better every night thanks to this…
I am telling you, this is like magic for me. I hardly ever hear
the whole twelve minutes and I am out like a light. I have been raving about it
for a while and today Cam texted me to say he tried it last night,
skeptically, but that it worked for him, too! :)

A surprise drive to look at Christmas lights…and
the best house I have ever seen with lights that went in time to music…
I could have stayed there for hours,
or at least, until it felt too creepy to be sitting in front of a stranger’s house…
and the grand finale…a hot fudge sticky sundae with nuts from mcdonalds…
(PLUS I get to check “look at Christmas lights” off my Embrace Winter list)

A yearly tradition of shopping with my mom & sister in law…
I am not a big shopper, I go for the conversation and giggles,
& also because my mom always buys us hot chocolate and a doughnut after
(unless you willingly decide to have spinach…yes..little jab
to my sister in law but she loves me…heehee)
but this year, I spilled half a hot chocolate on my face, shirt, pants & table. Heh.
Can’t take me anywhere fancy.

A surprise gift left for me at work…a charlie brown Christmas tree AND A LINUS BLANKET
TO WRAP AROUND IT!!!

A couple of Christmas lunches with co-workers and friends…and one
where I got to defend my bowling championship (3 years running) but…
by losing it at curling. Blah. Whatever…I am still reigning bowling champion.
You can’t take that away from me.
(PLUS I get to check “try curling” off my Embrace Winter list)

A surprise bag of sweet cookies from someone I sold a card to and then got home
to my neighbor dropping off another unexpected but very much appreciated plate of goodies!!

And … then there was this…
sometimes someone
can surprise you…
can catch you so off guard…
can do something so sweet
& unexpected
that it brings you to tears.

I came home to a FULL TANK OF OIL today
and a surprise gift in my mailbox
from 2 of the sweetest Christmas elves ever…
I am not going to lie
that I might have been a little teary…
this was so something so unexpected
and totally unnecessary but
so incredibly sweet & thoughtful and, well…

I am literally at a loss for words
and I think we all agree that is a rare occurrence.

I might have come in to 2019 with a bit of a rough start
but going out is definitely feeling a little less scary. :)

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

today could not have been
a better day...
picked up my girl in moncton yesterday
and took her home...
Christmas Eve with carols and
melted popsicles in a glass of sprite
(which is sooooo good by the way)...
family and friends and lots of laughter.

the yearly tradition of
singing "total eclipse of the heart"
at the top of our lungs
in the car.

my mother in law's eagle brand squares.

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acknowledging that our kids are getting older
and christmas traditions
will shift a little
but that's ok...we just have to
adapt and overcome...
so this morning we ate breakfast
BEFORE presents
and it was fun to torture them and make them
wait just a little bit longer
to dive into stockings and santa presents...
and yeah...maybe it's not every year
that we have to trek out to the shop
to see where santa left
our girl a living room couch & chair
and a kitchen table and chairs...
and where he left our boy
a transmission
(that's what he wanted...really...weirdest christmas ever)...
but it was so totally worth it.

an hour long nap on the couch.

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christmas presents and dinner at my mom and dad's...
an exciting game of minion "pie in the face"...
dart guns and wrestling matches,
tickle fights and so much laughing...
hugs and teasing and telling stories...

coming home to a beautiful wreck of a living room...
tired and full and so content.
pajamas,
after eights,
cold can of diet coke,
my new slippers,
a fuzzy blanket and a movie
for us both to fall asleep to...

today could not have been a better day.

merry merry merry christmas... ♥ ♥ ♥
now bring on 2017!
 

it's been a while...

I know that it has been a while since I have been here...
and that I said I wasn't going to power through December...
but
I did just that.
I am guilty again of
just trying to get through
and keep my head above water
without too much cursing and crying,
without resorting to pushing and shoving
while shopping
or bursting in tears while wrapping present.

And yet,
again, when Christmas Eve got here,
and the stores were all closed,
I suddenly felt myself slow down.
I could breathe.
Whatever was not done
was just not going to get done
and that's that.
And the world would continue on.
And chances are, people will not even notice whatever
details it is that I thought I had missed.

We spent Christmas Eve with my husband's family
where there is always wine and Christmas carols being sung
and little ones and laughter.
Then, we had the typical family singalong on the drive home that included
"total eclipse of the heart" (twice) and rage against the machine.
Opened our Christmas pajamas (including some for the pug, of course)

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and went to bed.

Christmas Day was perfect. 
We got up early and finished the final touches while heating up meat pie for breakfast.
The kids got up and we ate first (first time we have ever done that!)
and then stockings and presents. 
Had a nap. 
Then out to my parents for the second part of the day
where there is always dart guns and balloon popping,
lots of chaos and yelling and loads of laughter.
Coloring books and new crayons,
gift wrap flying.
I love Christmas.  I really, really do.  :)
And this video...well...this is one of the reasons I love it (and my family) so much.

next up:
new year's resolutions and S's birthday...a new years eve wedding and play rehearsals...
getting ready for 2016.
:)

i will NOT power through december this year...

every year since I started doing weddings,
i have found that by the end of november,
beginning of december
my train of thought is
full-steam-ahead editing.

i know that most of my weddings don't have to be done for Christmas.
i allow 20 weeks for editing time
because I work full time as well
AND i have learned the hard when my husband had his motorcycle accident
that life can sometimes throw you a curve-ball...
a rotten horrible but-could-have-been-worse curveball
RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF WEDDING SEASON.

but the truth is...i want to be able to give people their discs before Christmas.
i know they would like to use them as gifts and cards...
so i really, really, really try to get them done before Christmas if I can.
it's not always possible, especially with the weddings that occur in October or later.
but I still try....
which results in me stressing out, working a full day at my day job and coming
home to edit for 4-5 hours in the evening, plus all weekend...
and my mentality starts to be
"just get through December.  just get through.  just power through.  just get through December".

and i hate being like that.
i love Christmas. 
I don't want to "power through" it anymore....(insert whiney voice here)
so i made myself a list (yes, i am a list person, ok!)  :)
a list of little things to make sure i do this december...before it's gone...

MY "DO-NOT-POWER-THROUGH-DECEMBER" LIST
Dec 1-Jan 1

not in any particular order

1. watch the grinch (the cartoon...not the movie...i hate the movie)
2. wear christmas t's (smurfs, etc) on fridays
3. photo session with pets (with props!)
4. drink hot chocolate with marshmellows
5. put up tree
6. decorate mom & dad's tree (try to steal big bird ornament)(get foiled once again)
7. listen to christmas music
8. bake cookies
9. watch elf
10. drive around to see christmas lights
11. go visit each of my brother's to see their trees
12. make a gingerbread house
13. make a christmas card
14. cut out paper snowflakes
15. get christmas pjs
16. watch a muppet christmas carol
17. make a snowman
18. eat a meatpie
19. visit inlaws
20. eat a candy cane
21. make popcorn garland
22. watch miracle on 34th street (the newer one...i love that one)
23. watch charlie brown christmas
24. shoot a wedding on NYE (kind of cheating, already had one booked)  :)
25. drive out to the country to look at the stars
26. Stirling's family for Christmas Eve
27. have a paper snowball fight
28. have coffee at least once with the bffs
29. go shopping with my mom
30. go to the farmers market in summerside
31. watch a muppet family christmas  --watch out for the icy patch!!
32. write my new year's resolutions and pick my "word" for 2016