Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

I absolutely love me some Christmas. I love the lights and the music and the special feeling you get when everything seems to be decorated with tinsel and bells – and of course I love setting up our Christmas tree. But I will admit that as I’ve gotten older I have to make sure I’m in the right frame of mind before I decorate.

Now that I’m solidly in my 30s with a husband, two children and a full-time career, it’s easy to make decorating for Christmas just one more thing on the to-do list. Get the dog groomed, go pick up milk and decorate the house for Christmas – check, check, check. Case in point: last weekend. On Friday night we decorated the house and I was exhausted from Thanksgiving and just not feeling particularly Christmasy. There were house chores to do, I needed to get my children off the Thanksgiving sugar high they were on and I really just wanted a nap. But there I was, dragging totes out of closets to fetch the Christmas stockings, decorations and lights – almost like it was some dreaded chore that needed to be finished.

Family Picture Blues

At about the time school starts, our department newsletter gurus ask for summer vacation stories. I’m usually happy to submit mine. Last summer (yes, 2012) was no different, and we’d had a fabulous two-week family vacation to Colorado, so I did a write-up and submitted a few of my favorite snapshots. When the newsletter came out, I was happy to see my story was one of the ones picked to run, until a close friend said, “Julie, do you realize you are not in a single one of these pictures?” She was right. I hadn’t even realized it, but in that entire two weeks, we had not gotten even ONE picture with all 5 of us in it. Usually I was behind the camera, but sometimes one of the boys was the one snapping the pics.

This summer, I vowed, would be different. We took a week-long trip to visit my parents in Galveston. And while I got TONS of fabulous pictures between the half-dozen shutterbugs we had down there, this is the only shot I have that all 5 of us are in.

 

Things Never Change

My mother always said that God has a sense of humor, and lately, I’m beginning to think that is true. I can’t believe I’m quoting my mother.

I am mom to a college senior, Willie. He is a joy in my life. He’s studying to have a career in criminal justice, and also plays college football. I am so incredibly proud of him.

Before Willie left for college, I remember the house was never quiet. I attended all sorts of activities that he was participating in: football, track and field, youth drama and various church activities – you name it, I was there!  Our family was always busy. And being busy means there were always additional kids at the house. I never minded because I was helping my son and could be a positive impact on his life. And let’s face it; it was nice being the cool mom!