Christmas 2017

Mom, how many days til Santa comes?

Well, ...

I proceeded to tell Cam all of the plans that had to transpire before the visit from Ole St. Nick & he stopped in disgust...

Mom! All that??? That’s going to take forever!”

And now here we are, a mere day away from 2018. A brand new year.

I too, find myself counting down my precious days of life all for a fleeting moment in time. You’d think we’d learn after childhood that’s just not the best way to do life & then before we can blink, we find ourselves looking back & wishing for the time passed to come back again!

I know this Christmas will be one that I look back on, just as I do a few special ones in my own childhood, that I will remember forever.  The holiday season is magic & though we always seem to be running around like crazy trying to cram all that magic into the few days of freedom we have between work, responsibilities, & other such expectations - that's not what I will remember about it.

I will always remember how we jumped in our car for the past two years & cruised Knoxville to look at all the Christmas lights & all the Santa stories we told along the way.  My favorite was by Daddy in which a pack of wolf rats replaced Rudolph & crew to lead the sleigh.🤪

I will never forget elf hunting & exploring downtown together & the excitement they had when they found an elf or even a peppermint in front of a store:) 

I will remember Conley saying "I'won go see my elf! and Cam going to sleep super early just so "Spider" would be sure to come back from the North Pole a little earlier with something fun up his sleeve for the next morning. 

I will never forget Cam's excitement coming home from school on December 12th to hand me a special work of art he gifted for our anniversary.

I will never forget the night my mom & I took them to ride the Polar Express & how Conley was so sleepy he was climbing the windows trying to stay awake & how I couldn't get them to be still for a picture perfect moment.  #boys

Con: "I want presents & a toy."

I will never forget my mad dash 3 hour babysitting span of time to get all my Mrs. Claus shopping done!  And the boys first babysitter outside of family:)  And I totally ran into that pole taking this picture...🙈😂🤳🏼

 I will remember how Cam loved seeing Santa and sitting in his lap & how Con would wave & oooo + ahhhhh over the big guy in red, that is until he was needed to sit in his lap & tell him what he'd like for Christmas.

I will never forget the many hours I spent putting together NASA worthy lego projects for Cam this post week of Christmas.👩🏻‍🔬

  I will always remember how Conley recited "Ve End" (the end) for his only line in the Christmas play 20 times a day, but refused to do so in the play or at practice.  I will remember how Shepherd Cam was so "star struck" at the manger scene that he forgot to knell at baby Jesus manger, & instead stood grinning at the crowd. 😁

I will never forget the day my husband called & shared he had purchased 7 vests from Sams & he would wear one each day for the rest of his life.  He isn't kidding.  But, that's why I love him-never a boring moment.😂

I will never forget trying to take their picture & their cheese faces

 (particularly how Conley yells CHEEEEEEEESSSSEE anytime he spots a camera.)

I will remember how Cam made a monster gingerbread man for Santa & how they both matched in their football jerseys for Christmas Day.

I will never forget Christmas Eve Eve, when we made a desperate last attempt to finish our to do list before heading to NC to start the festivities.  Every. person. in. the. mall. stopped & mentioned the pjs.  We are going to a Christmas breakfast this evening, people!  Is that too difficult to understand!?Cade just told them we gave up.

I do give up.🤦🏻‍♀️

I won't forget how long Cam sat in front of the Santa sleigh satellite.

Precious.  I want to bawl my eyes out.  Tooooooo precious.🤭😍

And this little stinker is, too...when he's sick or sleeping.😉

I will never forget how ill Santa was putting together this train table. 

I love pushing his limits.🤶🏼

  I will remember how Cam continuously repeated, "I can't BELIEVE we were on the G O O D list, Mom!"  😳 annnddd how Conley woke up on Christmas morning SO hateful. 
 Did Hoho come, Con?  "No!  No he didn't!  No he's not!  Santa's a poopyhead." 🤨

And the rush to enjoy the magical morning before throwing everybody back  in the car for a 2 hour drive over the mountain again.

  And, I will even always remember how Conley threw up all over my shirt on Christmas night & Cam soon to follow! How Cade was up vacuuming & washing every stitch of clothing+sheets in our house and how I had to change shirts 10 times because Con refused to throw up in his trashcan.🤢

And you know what?  Not only do I never want to forget these things,
I pray they never forget them. 

I'm not gonna lie to you...

This mama is ending December & entering the new year t i r e d.


<<Yea, YOU see that blur flying by me up there.  That's mine to keep alive everyday!>>😂👆🏼

But you know what?  All those sleepless nights of preparation, planning, & chasing my tail were worth it. 

Worth every second. 

I can sleep when I'm dead.

XOXO

Cass