Is It Over Already?

Ahhh.  The holidays.  A month long + of decorating, preparing, shopping, wrapping, entertaining, party-going, cooking, baking, eating, drinking, laughing, maybe some crying...And then...it's over??  After my week long of hustling and bustling a week ago, this last week found me on pretty much cruise control.  And it felt good. 

For the first time since I have lived out here, we took the kids to Candy Cane Lane to see the lights on Christmas Eve.  I have absolutely no idea why we have never done that before.  After watching the Cowboys lose, we needed to get out of our funk....we drove to Starbucks and headed to Cat City.  All I can say is that we will now be making that a new tradition.  So incredibly cool and beautiful what that street looks like.  We picked up a pizza afterwards and came home and watched "It's A Wonderful Life."  Love this movie.  Have you ever stopped to think about what your friends and family's lives would be like if you were never born?  

Christmas morning and day were great.  I was shocked that the girls slept til 8:30.  We opened gifts, had breakfast....and it was nice and quiet.  No TV.  No music.  Just quiet and relaxing.  Later, Craig's dad and brother and my aunt and uncle came over for one amazing prime rib dinner.  Delish.  

Today, we did not brave the stores for any shopping or exchanging.  Instead, we hung around here and did some cleaning and organizing in the garage.  This time of year, I love being able to do my half-yearly cleanout, so that we can begin the new year nice and light and somewhat organized!  I looked around and halfway debated cleaning up and putting away the decorations.  Rylee convinced me not to.  And really, I am not ready for that, either.  I need a few more days.  We celebrate this time of year, not so much in the religious sense, but for the beauty of the season and being with friends and family and giving to and remembering others.  We put up our tree and we light our menorah.  Tonight, Rylee and I laid on the couch with all the lights off, except for the tree, and just took it in.  Just the quiet and the beauty of the tree.  If just for a few minutes, it was just lovely.  I need just a few more days of this and then I can move on...I'm just not ready for it to be over quite yet!

Nursing school update:  I got my clinical assignment this week and found out I will be doing my first rotation at Eisenhower.  Ordered my textbooks and am about as giddy as can be!!