Honest Christmas…

Christmas made it’s swift appearance for the year (as you can see my blown up living room above), and then promptly passed us by. When people ask how my Christmas was I say, “it was great!” I’m not lying, it really was great. But what most people don’t know is that it had a rather rocky start.

Christmas Eve morning looked nothing like the Norman Rockwell type day-of-readiness I unintentionally created in my mind.

Here’s how I hoped it would go: Husband leaves early for work. The kids and I get up, eat breakfast. Take a walk. Play time. Make food for the evening. Have some lunch. Get excited, dance to carols. Nap time. Husband comes home.

I didn’t think my expectations were too high. But they clearly were.

Here is how the morning really went: 5am wake up time due to a teething and miserable little girl. Exhausted. Husband goes to work. Fight with kids to eat breakfast. Start making food after realizing it’s gonna take a while. Son pee’s all over the couch. Clean. Remember I have to bathe the kids. Bath time. Fight with kids to eat their lunch. No time for dancing. Keep making food while continually disciplining two cranky children. Nap time, which turns into screaming time for my daughter who decides not to nap at all. Husband comes home. Mommy has exhausted melt-down.

Some of you are probably thinking, “yeah, you’re a light weight, that’s what a regular morning looks like for me. Get it together.”

And your right, I am a light weight. I make no claim at being strong. I’m terribly weak. But I am far weaker when I have not slept. And before this little out-burst I had literally not slept in over a week and my brain was beginning to reject all reason and clarity.

This served me well, because in my wasted and weakened state I was able to surrender all control and expectation to God for the rest of the holiday. Yup, He’s a crafty one that God of mine.

Christmas this year was a treat. And it was so, because I was forced to unload my baggage and take life as it came. Thank you Lord for the grace of rough and tumbly Christmas Eve morning. So, I mean it when I say that my Christmas was great, it just took a slighty dramatic perspective change to kick it off.

How was your Christmas?