It's a Christmas Miracle

Something happened today, something I'd hoped for, I'd dreamed of, but never thought I'd get to see any time soon....

Zack cleaned his room.... that sounds so simplistic... it's hard to explain the disaster that is Zack's room.  When he moved down into the basement, he lost a lot of space, both physical and storage wise.  There is literally no room in his room for anything but a bed, his desk and a chest of drawers.  His closet is much smaller as well.  We did offer to buy him more drawers, or shelves or anything that would help him, but he wasn't interested.  His floor became his storage space, the closet became the "lost island of clothes".  Under his bed.... I don't even want to talk about it...scary.  We pretty much gave up asking him to clean, once you get beyond a certain point there doesn't seem to be anyway to stem the tide or get ahead of it.   He keeps everything else, his bathroom, the basement pretty well under control.  So, we gave up on his room.

I don't even have any pictures of it, because, well just because... but this one gives a few hints of what it was like.

 But yesterday he asked for trash bags to put clothes he didn't want in... I didn't even dare to hope, I just got him a couple of bags....

4 bags of clothes and 2 bags of trash later... the Christmas miracle was complete.  He moved down the extra stand alone closet to hang clothes on.  He found an extra bookshelf... 

It was more than I dared hope for!  I wonder how long it will last?

Best Christmas Laugh of the Day

Zack was reading aloud his card from Grandma Karen....

"Trust yourself to love something!"

Quite a few puzzled looks around the room....  We all decide that seemed a little deep and philosophical for her as well as a Christmas card to a 17 year old boy....but after all it was Grandma Karen....

What it really said....

"Treat yourself to something!"  Love, Grandma and Grandpa

OMG, how we laughed and laughed!

Christmas in pictures

Christmas kinda snuck up on me this year.  I think getting the tree late and not decorating until even later made it feel like suddenly Christmas was just here..bam!  I also didn't get the last gifts until 2 days ago and got them wrapped at the last minute.  Anyway...was suddenly Christmas!  It was nice, John and I woke up about 7am and got up, I got breakfast in the oven, we had some coffee and the kids wandered down about 8am.

Traditional new pajama picture.

Santa didn't forget, brought plenty of loot.

The break between stockings and presents.  Zoey is worn out by all the excitement.

Sign for the Man Cabin

Big girl gifts for Brenna this year.  She got pots and pans and bath mats for her bathroom.  Of course, her real gift is her trip to Costa Rica in 2 days.

Zack got big boy clothes, running shoes, a new watch and a new wallet.  Big Boy gifts as well.

Man movies for the Man Cabin

Course it wouldn't be a Brenna celebration without some reference to bats and wine!

Really great haul for me... new running shoes, Star Trek salt and pepper shakers, a rowing t-shirt and a 2lb Rice Krispy treat that I am doing my damnedest to finish before the end of the day!

Even the pups got stockings!

Traditional Mt Burnside Feast.  Amazing food!

All in all, a very nice day.  Quiet and relaxing with good food, friends and wine to finish it off!  Couldn't ask for more!

Thought provoking Zack...

Sometimes, most times, I'm just amazed at the people my kids are growing up to be!  I'd like to take credit for it,  but mainly I just thank the stars above that we're so lucky!  I mean, who would have thought that my little Brenna, who once took a zero on her Spanish homework, because she didn't know which basket to put it in and was too afraid to ask, would be living all the way in Wisconsin getting her Masters Degree and talking about a PhD!!???

And Zack... so damn funny, it's not even fair!  Smart, kind, thoughtful and deep.... just a pleasure to be around and I'm not sure how may people can say that about their teenage boys!  He's a thinker... and quick....

He said something to me the other day.... We were talking about how much he's grown up and how when he was little we used to have to piggyback him everywhere and that now, he can probably piggyback me everywhere.   And he said.... "Just think, one day you picked me up for the last time and you didn't even know it, but it was the last day you ever did it!"  Say what??!!!  What kind of teenage boy, thinks like that.  It's a pretty deep, self-aware kind of thought.  He wasn't saying it to be mean or make me sad, he was just contemplating how fast time goes and that you sometimes don't realize how things change.  I, of course, still get all teary-eyed thinking about how true it is.  How many "lasts" do we let slip by without ever thinking about it or stopping and taking the time to really appreciate? Suddenly we turn around and those infuriating toddlers or preschoolers, or middle schoolers are all grown up and moving out and starting to make their own lives....  I know it's a cliche, put they are cliches for a reason,  it all just goes by too fast and the older I get the faster it goes!  I want to make a real effort to treasure it all.

Christmas Tree Hunt 2015

For the first time ever... we went hunting for our tree without our Brenna girl.  She's not coming home until Dec 19th and we just thought that was too late to wait to get the tree.

She may not be with us in body, but she's with us in spirit!

What do you think about this one Brenna?

Brenna holding our first choice tree, while we double check all out options.

This is it... the one... for 2015

Picking out the poinsettias

A sleigh ride together

We put the tree up, but will wait until Brenna gets home to decorate it.  She's in charge of lights and no one wants to do lights, so we have to wait for her anyway.  It's a good tree, nice and fat this year!

Things that make me happy - Dec version

A Pinterest craft - SUCCESS!

This makes me smile everyday at work!  Even Zombies like Christmas

An unexpected gift from a friend, so touching when they know you so well.

I completed a virtual 26.2 - Escape from the Shire race and got this amazeballs medal and the "one ring!"

An impulse buy that makes me smile everyday

Ugly sweaters at school!

Can't wait for winter break and Brenna to come home and for the relaxing and celebrating to begin!

Run This Year.... 1100 miles

It's getting toward treadmill season.... Have I mentioned how much I HATE the treadmill.  Now that I'm in this horrendous running funk, the treadmill is even more heinous.  I ran on it today, hit 1100 miles, and HATED every minute of it.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make it this season on the treadmill... I'm going to download some books on tape and see if maybe listening to a book will help me power through...

I did get another virtual Hogwarts 5K done.  But it was awful and painful and just plain yucky!  I'm worried that I'm not going to make my resolution...I'll need to step up the pace, and that doesn't seem very likely, unless I experience an epic change of heart.