It's the most wonderful time of the year!

First, I have to start by mentioning Happy Birthday Wendy!! Yes, I know it was yesterday and it was great to be able to talk for just a little bit. I want you to know that I wish you the best of luck with everything that's coming up for you.

Okay, now I have to admit that I haven't quite been in the holiday spirit lately. The move has really distracted me from all of the normal holiday routines and excitement. While I make sure to always have Christmas music on in the car and while I do notice the decorations, etc. in the stores, I have yet to fully grasp that the holiday has arrived. There were so many things that I wanted to get done before December ever came, things that still remain undone. The most important of those being getting the house decorated for Christmas. But if there's one thing I know, we will decorate. Even if we do it on the 24th, the house will be decorated. Reid wouldn't have it any other way. Speaking of the 24th....

We're Chicago-bound!! We didn't think that we'd be able to afford the time off of work or the plane tickets this year and so we had resigned ourselves to our first Christmas ever without extended family. But Reid found 3 vacation days that he had forgotten about and I stumbled across the best ticket deal ever yesterday--and so we will now be celebrating Christmas in style. Or at least in numbers!! Almost all of the Jones family will be there. Unfortunately, we will be missing Reid's sister's family, the Neuenschwanders, but I guess that just gives us even more reason to take a road trip out to Utah sometime soon (I still haven't even met them!!) Somehow we will be squeezing in 2 grandparents, 5 sons/son-in-law/daughters/daughter-in-law, and 8 grandchildren in one house! I have a feeling poor little Kai won't be taking very many naps! We will be in Chicago from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve and we'll return to our home in time to ring in the new year in our new home. Very fitting I think.

Well, Kai's down for a nap so I better capitalize on this time. I've been enjoying the view from our living room, watching as the clouds roll in, (a good reminder that we're at an elevation of 7,000 feet!) and drinking my first seasonal cup of peppermint ice cream hot chocolate. As I would say to Kai, "Yum yum!" I hope the day will clear up a bit as I really don't need to be in this contemplative-type mood that the dreariness brings all day. As always, there is too much to do!! Cheers.