Christmas

Floors full of wrapping paper, laughter and smiles seen for miles, children happy, parents exhausted, that's what the Hughes Christmas is made of...

Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve, the kids always re-enact the Nativity Story at my mil's. This year Cregan was Joseph, Elise was Mary, Clay, Papa, Ryan were the 3 Wise Men, I was the inn keeper, Collin and Garrett the shephards.






It's always fun to do this, but it was especially exciting this year because you could almost see the lights coming on in the children's eyes as they learned about Jesus birth.

Josh is H.O.M.E.!!!!

Last Saturday, I drove to Owens Community College in Perrysburg, OH to pick up Josh! We got there at 11AM and was just in time to see all the buses pull up from the airport, it was exciting to see all the soldiers coming off the buses and all the people with their signs, clapping for the guys!

I found Josh rather easily, he is so tall that it wasn't much of a problem. The kids were so excited to see Josh, we got to talk for a good hour and then the ceremony started. After the ceremony, Josh and I with the kids went to lunch with Hunter and Brianna.

It is so nice to have Josh home, I know I keep saying it, over and over, but geez it's SO true!

Christmas Party

My ward had their annual Christmas party on Friday. We had ham, church potatoes and green bean casserole with fruit crisp for desert. The tables were all individually decorated from different members of the church, and then the we all voted on the best tables. We got a visit from Santa, and all the kids got pictures with him and told him what they wanted!

But the best part of the evening to me was when the primary children re-enacted the Nativity scene. Cregan was a sheep and Clay was an angel. The best part was about 3/4 of the way into the program the little kids just started talking to eachother and running around! It was so cute seeing that, next to the more serious children trying to be reverant with the baby Jesus...

Count down started

Josh will be home in 7 DAYS!!!

That's right I said 7 days, my husband will be home, in my arms, in Ohio!! IN 7 DAYS!

Can you tell I'm a little excited...

Parent Teacher Conferences

This Thursday and Friday the boys both had the day off! They had there parent teacher conferences. What is the school system thinking having conferences in the middle of December anyway... first it's hard on mom's and dad's everywhere to figure out shopping for the kids while the kids are in school, and then there's the whole factor of explaining to the kids "oh you are out of school, but umm no Santa yet..." and finally there's the whole 2 whole days off with my kids when I'm going to be having 3 whole weeks off with them very very soon. I know, I know, I'm complaining.

Especially since I had a great too days with the kiddos. On Thursday we went to the Y, and then to the Schlastic Book Fair and the kids each got a book, and then to McDonald for lunch, and then home for naps and movie, in the afternoon we went to parent teacher conferences, first Clay's and then Cregan's (there teachers raved and raved about them), after that we went to the Festival of Lights in Delaware area and saw Santa. After that we all (Crystal and Zack came with us) went to Krispy Kreme Donuts and got donuts and milk! Great day...

Today (Friday) we went pick up lights and decorations for the Christmas party at the church, then we decorated the church. In the evening we went to the Christmas party, it was so fun, we had a nice dinner and then had a visit from Santa in the Relief Society Room and then we all came back to the Gym and the kids performed the Nativity Scene, Clay was an angel and Cregan was a sheep! It was a great evening too...

So maybe Parent teacher conferences aren't so very bad..

Not so bad

this week has been strange, I had some bad news at the beginning of it, news that devasted me. I was sad, forlorn and just plan in a bad mood. I didn't want to talk to people, I didn't want to see people, I was pissed at myself and at everyone else. Then I talk to my friend Julie, I tell her about my horrible week, I go on and on about how bad MY life is, and how hard MY life is and how much MY life sucks right now. She listens. She sympathizes. Then, she tells me something that is going on in her life, this is like 10 minutes into the conversation after I've gone on and on, she is so patient and just wait. This something that she tells me is a very serious something, and it puts my something in to perspective. My something is meaningless really, her something is reality. She put my something were it needs to be, away, my something isn't significant, my something isn't life altering, my something isn't devasting, it shouldn't make me sad, mad, or forlorn. I have many blessing and it took this simply conversation with my friend to realize that!