Christmas Break and a New Year

I have such grand ideas of what Christmas Break will be like.

(I know, I know.  When will I ever learn?)

Movies and hot chocolate and baking and Christmas lights and board games. . . you get the idea.

We've done some of that.  We have.

Being a teacher/coach's wife, all of the extra evenings and weekends and planning/grading time at home, are but a distant memory when my Coach is home for TWO WEEKS at Christmas.

But we spend it catching up on what he wasn't here for during football season and the first half of basketball season.  Never mind that he's had practice most days.

Carpet cleaning, repairs around the house (and trips to Lowe's), cleaning grout, sealing granite and working on the mess in the garage.  The yard, the cars, organizing paper work and cleaning out closets.  Great fun.

EVEN if we didn't have anything extra that has to be done, dealing with the kids is a FULL TIME JOB in and of itself… for the bigs, can I go, do, get, watch, have over??  For the littles, learning to work things out and get along and play together and enjoy one another.  OK.  All of us need more of that.

It's been a good break.  It has.  Family.  Laughter.  Sweet times together. And we've gotten SO MUCH done. I'm grateful.

Even if looking at the calendar for next week makes me sweat.

This is a season.  For the Coach and I?  A busy one.  I know we won't EVER, again, have all eight at our beloved school, together, each day.  In four short years?  We will have three in college.  Lord willing.

I know this.  But it doesn't make it any easier to keep up right NOW.

In this New Year?  Lord, help me to continue to learn to allow You to lead me.  Every moment.  Everyday.  To let some things go (and I don't mean the living room - which right now is a frightful sight).  To hold tightly to others (like sweet moments with my family).

To hold tightly to YOU.

Now if I can just remember to order decaf next time I take Daughter (#2) to Starbucks at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Happy 2014 to each of you.  With my gratefulness for you and the blessing you are to me and to my troops.  With my prayers that in this coming year, you will know Christ more fully.  And most of all?  That you and I will understand that HIS righteousness is completely sufficient and if you are IN Christ, it is YOURS.  Thank you, Jesus!