Where did December go?

It happens every year.  I look at Cheyenne on December 23rd and say "How is tomorrow Christmas Eve?" He then says to me "You've said that every year for the last 6 years."  Every year for the last 6 Christmases December flies by and before I know it, it's Christmas.  I went from a job in Minor League Baseball, where hardly anyone worked the whole month of December to working for a college football Bowl game where now there are not enough hours in December for Amy.  Oh well... one day I will get my holiday back.

If you care, here's a look back at our quick and hurried December. 

Not only do we have Christmas in December, but we also have our anniversary.  When we got married in 2007, I still worked for the Sounds.  That year I worked a total of 5 days the whole month of December, it was magical.  This year, our anniversary coincided with Selection Sunday, so we did not have much time to celebrate.  However, due to a butt-load of Southwest points, combined with Southwest deals, we were able to catch a flight to Chicago for the day.  In 2006 when we were still dating Cheyenne took me to Chicago in December, so we wanted to reminisce a bit this year.  It was all of  10 degrees that day, but we bundled up and dealt with it.  We walked Chicago all day, went to Willis Tower, Millennium Park, the shops of Magnificent Mile, and most importantly, we ate meals without having to cut up anyone else's food or scream "JUST SIT DOWN!" at any point during the meal. The entire trip to Chicago was worth just being able to sit down and eat in peace.

Since Lincoln was born, one of my favorite things to do in December is take the kids to see Santa. Last year both kids did really well so I was excited to see how this year would go.  Lincoln talked a lot about Santa and Adelyn also would get excited whenever she would see "San Claw" so I was pumped to get this year's picture.  

So we packed the kids up and headed to our closest mall.  And when we saw the traffic to that mall we detoured and went to the old "has been" mall and got in the Santa line. As we got closer in line to Santa, the kids got more excited. (I won't talk about how we got there as soon as Santa got back from break and there was a line a mile long that we had to wait in.  No, I won't talk about that...).  Finally, it was our turn.  Lincoln wanted to hold Adelyn's hand as they walked up to Santa (swoon). He grabbed her hand and she immediately snatched it back and turned to stone! She would not move.  I pick her up and she started waving at Santa, so I think we're good.  Lincoln gets on his lap and as I go to put Adelyn on his lap she clutches to me for dear life and immediately starts screaming.  Now, I love me a good child-screaming-at-Santa picture, but she was just so scared I couldn't leave her there.  So a family picture it became.  

They take the first picture and say "oh, the little girl is not smiling" (um....duh) but they decide to take another. Fine, whatever.  As they take the second one I am struggling to hold on to Adelyn, who is desperately trying to make her getaway, and then, I blink.  I felt it when they snapped the picture.  But no worries, I think.  I'll just choose the first picture.  We go to the register and they have ALREADY PRINTED THE PICTURES! And they printed the BLINKING PICTURE! The one where I'm blinking, Lincoln looks scared, and Adelyn does not have the cute cry face, but more of a weird, mid-scream ugly face.  Cheyenne looks fantastic (as usual). I know what you're thinking "Well, just don't buy the picture."  But here's where's Santa's pushy little elves get you.  They make you order BEFORE you get to Santa, the bastards.  So now I have 4 terrible Santa pictures to hide forever, or bring out for whenever Teenager Adelyn starts getting sassy.

Terrible, just terrible.  Except Cheyenne, of course.

On December 20th, Lincoln was in his very first Christmas program.  He was the STAR of the program! (Ok, i mean the actual "star", but it's still fun to say it the first way).  They had a fashion show to start and I put Miss A in her Christmas outfit for the show.  She was the first to go down the "runway" and she was shy and had on her mean mug face (or, her mother's face), until she saw me and then she darted right for me! Love! Unfortunately my pictures of her are blurry from that day.  After the fashion show the kids came out for the short program.  I knew Lincoln would be a "star" but I had no idea how CUTE they would dress the kids! As soon as I saw him I burst into tears! I simply could not handle the cuteness.  I only cried through about a 1/4 of the program, so that's progress for me.  

Holy Crap! That's the cutest thing I've ever seen!!!

Christmas was great as usual.  The kids were unbelievably spoiled (ahem...grandparents).  Lincoln was present hungry and was already thinking of his next present while unwrapping his current one.  At one point the sentence "Adelyn, do you want to help me unwrap your present?" was said.  We had to reign him in a bit, but he still did really well.  Children really do make Christmas so much fun.  I give them a lot of grief, but those babies are my heart and soul. 

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas pictures.

Lincoln "helping" Adelyn unwrap her gift

I LOVE this picture of her! She looks so grown up and chic

Putting out cookies for Santa.  Santa understands how busy Mommy is in December and that she completely forgot to "make" something for Santa and then had to buy cookies at the last minute.

Another favorite.  And I love Adelyn's Christmas outfit, made by Crystal Rigsby at For the Love of Your Baby

 Christmas was good to Mamma as well! My family knows me so well.

I stress ate 2 of those bags during Bowl Week....

And then December 26th arrives, I go back to work, Bowl week begins, and Christmas is long forgotten.  Sigh...  It all goes by so fast and every year I say I'm going to do better next year and then the next December arrives and I get too busy and stressed and then the next thing I know I'm at Walgreens madly grabbing at gift cards because once again I've waited too long to buy anyone a decent present.  Oh well, next December I will do better....