Happy Holidays

Well, it's that time of year again...we've just come off the biggest feast week of the year for our little family. The Little Man turned 7 right before Thanksgiving, and I'm also the proud parent of a 15-year-old Can-I-have-the-keys-please young man as of this weekend. We had birthday cake (times 2 of course), ice cream, McDonald's (because at 7 that's the best food on the planet), lasagna (at the teen's request), and did I forget to mention turkey and all the trimmings (including a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake). It's a good thing that hubby is a great cook or we would be eating Oscar Mayer turkey sandwiches on the sofa...I'm sure I gained 15 pounds this weekend alone, but I'm afraid to step on the scale to confirm.

Life has been absolutely chaotic with birthdays, work schedule, hubby's looming finals, holidays, and plans for a trip to see my sister. Our plan was to go to Mom's for Christmas, but at the last minute we found out that BIL is going to Iraq and will be gone over Christmas this year. Needless to say, our plans changed...looking toward a 2-day drive to Colorado to spend a week and a half with sis and her little girls then a 2-day drive home again. I wouldn't change a thing (except for BIL being in Iraq). When I was in the Middle East last Christmas, sis and BIL opened up their home to my family, so they wouldn't miss me quite so bad...this is the least I can do. I wish I could do more, but I have duty here and the kids have to go to school. It's so much harder for sis though...she works full time, and is in a challenging Master's degree program...and her 2 girls are young...no leaving them home by themselves at 9 and 5. At least with a teen in my house, I can leave him in charge and go to the grocery store if I need to...she can't do that. Every trip is a family outing when there is no other adult in the home. I'm glad I can be there to help over the holidays when the girls are out of school, but I wish she didn't have to go through this alone.