Twas the night before the night before the night before Christmas...

...and everyone settled in for a long winter's nap!

I had to snap a picture of the kids last night, both sacked out. Jason asked why I keep taking pictures of them sleeping. My only response is that it so rarely happens that I find it interesting and unusual...and therefore bloggable. This was particularly odd because Lauren hardly ever stays asleep when I sit her down in her chair, but our big day at the mall and Kohls must have really played her out. She didn't sleep like that for long, but it was long enough that I got a load of laundry going, so that's a major plus. Joshua had been sitting upright three seconds before this picture was taken, and when I turned around, he had laid down and was snoring. I guess when you're tired, you're tired.

I won't go into the gory details about the trouble I got into at the mall yesterday. Shall we just say that perhaps it's a good thing that I haven't been able to do much hands on shopping since September? I did some damage at Gymboree, Gap and Kohls for the kids and managed to find myself a new pair of brown shoes to replace the ones that are just about to bite the dust. It was a fantastic day for Lauren and I---out of the house, not at the office or Wal-Mart, among people, soaking up the last little bit of pre-Christmas hustle and bustle. I kept looking down at her in her stroller thinking about the days that we have to look forward to when Daddy and Joshua are out playing golf or doing some masculine thing, and we'll have each other to go shopping with. We'll get in trouble for buying too many shoes or outfits and we'll enjoy being together. That is until she turns the age where she hates being with her mom and finds me repulsive and totally no fun to be around. I chose to focus on the times before that actually happens when I was daydreaming yesterday.

Just like Willie Nelson, we're on the road again this afternoon to go back to Lewistown for the holiday. We'll return on Saturday morning to celebrate the other half of Christmas with Jason's parents. Hopefully Santa got the memo and will deliver half of Joshua's presents to our house (we made a special request for the bigger stuff to come here for logistical purposes...hopefully that wasn't too much to ask).

Merry Christmas everyone! May the true meaning of Christmas find its way to each of our hearts this holiday and make every moment we get to spend with those we love so much more precious.