it's that time of year again...holiday decorating

it's that time of year again...actually it was that time of year a couple of months ago for some department stores...but for us it's that time of year again...holiday decorating is here! i have the hardest time getting started on this because i don't want to have to take it down and put it away. it's a chore in an apartment. it's probably a chore in a house, or any space really.

we don't have that much to put up but what we do have seems to take over our space. i don't want to feel like a grinch or a scrooge telling pbs not to touch and stay away from the tree. i think we'll end up putting the top part of the tree on a table like we did last year. it's a smaller tree that way and maybe (that's a big, hopeful maybe!) pbs will leave it alone.

when all the decorations are up, i know that i'll be happy that we put them up. it's just the starting it part that i'm not looking forward to. i know that our apartment will look beautiful with the greenery, the tree and all of the festive trimmings that we've accumulated over the years.

gotta get psyched up to do this! it's that time of year again...holiday decorating...

thankful

i'm thankful for the life that God has given me. i'm thankful for all of the ups and downs, all of the many experiences and happenings. they've made me who i am today. i'm thankful for my family and friends and people i haven't met yet. i'm thankful for js and pbs and for being able to stay home with pbs while js goes to work every day. i'm thankful for the roof over our heads, the food we are able to put on the table and in our tummies, the clothes we wear. i could keep going forever!

the month of november always seems to make people think about what they are thankful for. why is it that people are more thankful during november than the rest of the year? why are we thankful during the month of november but then december comes along and we turn into grinches? instead of becoming grinches, why not remember to thank God for sending His Son, Jesus? Jesus is the reason for the season! that's what i'm most thankful for!

are you ready for the holidays?

ready for the holidays? i think we have most of our christmas shopping finished already, of course there are probably a couple gifts that we need to get later, last minute stocking stuffers, etc. all the ingredients for thanksgiving dinner have been purchased and are thawing, anxiously awaiting their purpose for our family dinner. i need to set up babysitting for pbs for a few nights in december when js and i have functions that do not include kids. our church choirs and bell choirs are gearing up for the season with extra practices, more music and performances.

am i mentally, emotionally ready for the holidays? i'm getting there. i'm more ready, excited for the grandparents' visit this week. i'm still trying to get ready to stay home this year for christmas. we've decided to stay home so we can save money to buy a house. i think we've gone somewhere for almost every christmas since we've been married, except for when i was pregnant with pbs of course. i was too close, about three weeks, to delivering to go too far from home.

pbs is still too young to realize what is going on. we'll skype with the family and see them that way. i know it's not the same, but at least he still gets to see, talk and interact with his grandparents, aunts and uncles.

maybe the hardest part for me is preparing my heart for the season. i think i need to work more on that, rather than getting caught up in the hustle and bustle that is always what seems to get most of my focus. so i ask again, are you ready for the holidays?

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all went smoothly ... thankfully

here's an update from my weekend away ... alone ... with friends but without js and pbs. i think it's something that i need to think about doing more of for myself, by myself.

i had a lot of fun with my friends, shopping, eating and sightseeing. for being nervous about leaving js and pbs over the weekend, i did pretty well. i was anxious at first but seemed to relax as time went on.

i hope that this is something that i feel i can do more of in the future. all went smoothly ... thankfully!

traveling ... alone

this weekend i'm going to boston, ma ... alone ... this will be the first time traveling by myself since pbs was born. i've left him for a few hours or a day at a time but have never been away from js and pbs more than that. i think i'm a little nervous. i'm meeting friends in boston so i won't be all alone.

before we had pbs, i would go on trips with girlfriends a few times a year. since pbs came along, i haven't done any of that. maybe this is exactly what i need. i've been feeling a little claustrophobic lately because of the weather, myself and other excuses. i love being with pbs and js all the time. i think i just need a little more time to myself once in a while.

it's my fault that i'm in this state of mind right now. after feeling like i was single for three years while js went to law school and like a single parent during the time he studied for the bar, i guess i feel like all of our time should be spent together and i have a very hard time doing anything for myself, by myself. it's kind of like we're still getting reacquainted and figuring out this parenting thing together. i'm sure that's hard to understand unless you've been through something similar.

so traveling ... alone ... i'll let you know how it goes!