Christmas in review....

I looked around on Christmas Eve, hardly able to believe it was already here. This was a good year to think about traditions - things that have lived in my family for so long that I'm trying to pass along to our boys. One of the traditions is the plan, that goes something like:
- Wake up, be asked 85 times if we can open presents early
- Clean, straighten and put final touches on gifts
- Be asked if we can open presents early
- Make an emergency grocery store run (I always forget something!)
- Be asked if we can open presents early
- Prepare for church
- Be asked if we can open presents early
- Candlelight service
- Be asked if we can open presents early
- Come home, eat
- Open gifts to/from the four of us

The challenge with this plan is that the gifts, I'm told, have voices. The voices were whispering all day 'open us' and 'don't you want to know what's in here?' As you can imagine, that makes for a lonnnnnggggg day. We made it though. A few highlights:

- Christmas Eve, as always, was the church service- which is always lovely. Jackson has a tradition of his own related to this service, each year. I wondered if it would wear off this year and was promptly reconfirmed that, in fact, he holds steadfast. You see, every year we get into the church and start singing. They turn down the lights because it's a candle light service, after all. Within minutes, Jackson's out like a light.. EVERY YEAR, this one included. He sleeps through most of the service and generally wakes up just as candles are being lit to close with Silent Night. The kid amazes me... and even funnier are the statements each year on the way home about how short the service was and 'Man, are they quick!'

- Tyler was especially handsome this Christmas Eve. I don't know if it's the missing braces or the fact that he's taken a shine to dressing up (for hockey), but he looked like a million dollars and conducted himself like such a gentleman.

- Wonder in the eyes of our boys... I never get tired of sitting in a room with a beautiful tree providing the sole light... and seeing the sparkle in their eyes and exchanging 'knowing' glances with Matt because we know what's about to be opened. It's an awesome family moment I'll never, ever get tired of. If I could make it last forever, I would.

And, into Christmas Day- it was different and lovely this year as well. The weather dwindled our usual crowd down quite a bit (~16" of snow in three days will do that!)- and in hindsight I absolutely agree it was better to be safe than sorry. Frank and Dee joined us for dinner and we had a lovely quiet day (aside from being shot by the new Star Wars Turbo Tank repeatedly in the leg while cooking... apparently my peace treaty of a cookie wasn't worth much!). We shared great food, relaxation and there were even a couple naps. Perfect!

All in all, a lovely Christmas all around. So... in closing I'll fess up now on another note. If you're wondering why no holiday card yet, I'll admit it. It's not done, please be patient... and yes, we still like you! Maybe New Year's?! :-)

Final installment: train jokes.

Ok, so final installment (at least for a while) on the train track jokes. Here's what 3 1/2 years, countless orthodontic visits, avoidance of food you love, contstant nagging to wear rubber bands and a little work gets ya... and worth it all, without doubt.

Train track retirement...

Coming soon. Tyler's are coming off this week! In memoriam, here are a couple dueling train track photos.... I'm just sayin' that's a lotta silver.

Holland.

In this past year, we've met amazing people on our journey with Jackson. Smart people; people who dedicate their lives to helping kids grow and meet their potential. I've spent the morning thinking of them, as I stuff small bags of goodies for the holiday for each 'special person' who works with Jackson (wow, there are a ton!). I am doing so, thinking it's a very small token of appreciation for the countless hours they're spending with my kiddo and how very thankful we are this holiday season that they are part of our lives.

A few weeks back, someone sent me a link with a story that a mother wrote about her child after learning they had a disability. It keeps popping up in my mind and I am so compelled to post it because it couldn't be more true; and, each of these people are serving as tour guides on the side streets of Holland. In the spirit of the holidays with all the sharing and giving, I share with you: Holland.

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"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this…

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland."

Written by Emily Perl Kingsley

'Nuther train comin' through!

A peanut sat on a railroad track,

Waiting for some butter.

Along came the train at 9:15...

WOOT, peanut butter.

Say an extra prayer.

There's a kiddo out there who really needs them today and in the months to come.

A High School hockey team mate of Tyler's was hit illegally from behind during a routine game last night; leaving him to go head first at high speed into the boards. It broke his back.

He is thankfully not paralyzed but will be on a long road to recovery; currently slotted at 6-8 months from today. Still in the hospital today, he awaits a custom cast for his body to be safe to leave the hospital.

Please say a prayer for Christian. He will need hope and uplifting to keep a positive outlook during his healing. And, do include his family; while thankful he is going to be ok, they're going to need as much hope, patience and strength as he.

Use discretion, girl!

Note to self: it's possible your husband may leave his phone at a restaurant with that 'funny' banner you added on it... to the tune of 'My wife kicks @ss'. Even better, you may have to identify that same phone with the restaurant manager to prove it's yours, with your very words. Note taken... leave the phone alone?

Signs romance may be fading... but not dead.

Each December my company throws an awesome get-together for spouses and the gang. With this comes a small pang of (WOOOT!) from me... 'cause if you know me, you know I love sparkly and pretty things. These are, admittedly, things I can't necessarily pull out through the year and LORD KNOWS in a houseful of men I'm often more sweatshirts and jeans than swank and swagger.

So I get out shopping and find a killer shirt with some swingy black pants and (how handy!) I have a silver wrap in the closet. I'm thinking 'this girl's gonna look great to-night!' Finally I'm dressed. I spent extra time on my hair (it rocked), found the perfect nail polish (totally rocked) and I've got my black sequined shirt (100% tasteful black sequins, I might add) and swingy pants on. And? OMG! I have sparkly shoes in the closet, too.

Fast forward: I head downstairs. Jackson's eyes bug out and he says 'Have fun getting married tonight! You look pretty! Then comes Matt's homerun: "Wow, you look like a fishing lure... all sparkly and stuff."

Fading romance? Maybe. But he won it back when he held my hand during the party and whispered I was pretty... and I know he meant it. One hall pass for a Mr. Matt Tuneberg, coming right up!

I blinked, then I had this.

HS hockey boy... we're proud!