Away in a Manger

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:8-11)

Putting up my mom's manger scene means it's Christmas. Without it, Christmas is not happening. As a kid, it was always my favorite part of decorating: finding where each piece should go, situating them just right. Every year, when I set it up, I feel my mom's spirit guiding me. 

This year, especially, I need her guidance. It's been a rough year, and the roughness is not quite over yet. I have had a hard time finding my Christmas spirit this year. But every time I look at the manger scene I am reminded that she is looking out for me and my family, especially when times are toughest.

30 Days of Thankfullness 2017

I am thankful for

1. Hot tea on a cold morning.
2. Isabella's love of math.
3. Aiden's laugh.
4. Riley's hugs.
5. Getting homework done at a reasonable hour.
6. Chocolate.
7. Friends who understand.
8. Being done with Christmas shopping.
9. Warm kitten snuggles.
10. A good book.
11. Our veterans.
12. Colder weather.
13. The end of the term.
14. Riley taking his flu shot like a champ: "Wait, you already did it?"
15. Having an amazing grandma for my kids.
16. Warm sweaters.
17. Being safe.
18. Riley turning seven.
19. My kids' love for God.
20. The library.
21. A scripture you find at just the right time.
22. Hannah.
23. Thanksgiving.
24. Not needing to talk.
25. Christmas traditions.
26. Isabella's heart.
27. Aiden napping.
28. Aiden being the baby.
29. Diet Coke.
30. Netflix

My Three

They fight. A lot. Over Legos. The last juice pouch. Which show to watch. Who gets to sit in my spot on the couch.

Two of them are always fighting. The third is always trying to be the peace maker...or instigator, depending on the day.

They are also amazingly bonded. Nobody comes between them. They have each other's back in a way that makes me proud to be a mom. To be their mom.

Fridays bring sleepovers. The three of them piled into one bedroom, usually the boys' room. It's loud. There is a lot of giggling and playing. Not a lot of sleeping goes on. But one thing always happens: they sleep right next to each other, in weird positions, sharing blankets, always together.

Even better than all of that? I know their secret: deep down inside, they really love one another.

On Friendship

Growing up, I had a lot of friends. There's nobody I wouldn't befriend or at least be nice to. The older I get, though, the more introverted I get. Most of my friendships are online.

There's the friends I have known since kindergarten. There's the friends I made through high school.

There's the mom group friends that started as, literally, virtual strangers and are now some of my closest friends. We've been there for each other through childbirth, weddings, divorces, cancer, the loss of a child; all of the ups and downs you can imagine.

Through that group I have some of the closest girlfriends and the absolute bestest friend I ever could have imagined. Those girls that are there for you at 2 am, always take your phone call, send you Game of Thrones memes, etc. And that bestest friend?

She's the sister I never had. She fits in well in this adoptive family I have made for myself. My godmother has essentially adopted both of us. But she's more than that. She's tough on me when I need it. She's got my back no matter what. She gets me in a way that I didn't think anyone could.

Every once in awhile I need a reminder that, no matter how lonely I feel, I am never truly alone. There's s always someone out there that will listen to me vent, cheer on my successes, understand my anxiety, and love my whole family.

Friends are precious. Love them well.