The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

December is bittersweet for me.  Holiday in the Pines is always the second weekend of the month, so that leaves me 2 weeks to prepare for Christmas!  I say every year that I will get all my gifts by Thanksgiving & I did - in 2004...hasn't happened since!  I used to send a typed year in review letter with my Christmas cards...have lots to say this year, but not only did I not write a Christmas letter, I didn't even send cards this year or last year.  I have stayed up until 2 or 3 am for the last 4 nights trying to get everything done. 

There were three outreach projects the week after Holiday in the Pines:  Teacher gifts from our church to all the Fields Store Teachers, buying toys for a family our management team adopted for Christmas, and delivering the Toys for Tots donations that were brought to Holiday in the Pines.  Three parties - school Christmas breakfast with 20 wrapped goodie bags for classmates and a holiday shaped cheese platter followed by a girls' cookie decorating party the same day.  Then the Camp Allen Christmas party with goodies for 25 co-workers...and a partridge in a pear tree....

I have wrapped all the toys, bottle fed Iggie whenever I am home to pull my load as a pig "parent," and made 30 batches of White Trash Candy...next December will not be too soon to see white chocolate again. (Elfie our Elf on the Shelf found in middle of White Trash) In the midst of all this chaos, I have listened to a lot of Christmas music to remain in the spirit of Christmas which is vital when you are running on little sleep. 

Truly, I am blessed and even though the last 3 weeks have been crazy busy & hectic, I am so thankful that I am here & healthy this Christmas.  Dispersed in the midst of all this have been nuggets of joy:  helping Kaitlin wrap Santa's workshop gifts for her family, shopping with my mom, worship with my church family, and delivering gifts to loved ones.  This week will bring time with family and Santa's visit to my 7 year old who still "believes". 

Now every December I will celebrate my birthday, Holiday in the Pines, Surviving Cancer, and most importantly - my Savior's birth - the most wonderful time of year.