hamster webkinz!!
close up snowman painting by talby.
opening a family gift.
sean and his best friend….his new kindle.
talby and her new point and shoot camera.
the most thoughtful and precious gift i received this christmas.
annie's new doll.
drinking straw glasses.
two sleepy parents on christmas morning….full of happiness….grateful for all of it.
the cheapy ping pong set that turend our dining room table into a ping pong table.
the hit of the year.
the best gift we gave….the whole family is into it.
our dining room is now just a game room. :)
except the two times a year we will eat in it.
new sparkle shoes.
the fondue party with the duerksen side.
playing more of the name game.
annie won the game.
with the name Larry King.
NOBODY guessed that she would have that name….she was SO HAPPY.
i told her to write it.
but she kept it a secret and never gave it away.
my sister and i….she'd been here five minutes and my dad said "let me take your picture"
he always does that.
isn't my sister's hair color beeeeautiful?! i love it.
i am thinking about reddish. and i love hers.
i wish i would have had some lipstick on….
opening gifts with my side of the family.
"thank you for the robe great grandma!!!"
ping pong table is back to a dining room table…..
the kids table.
they sat for like 5 minutes and then they were gone to play barbies.
it's been a busy christmas.
FULL of family.
FULL of food.
i am tired now.
i bet you are too.
and….i admit to having a meltdown and crying myself to sleep on christmas eve.
just like last year.
craig calls it CCB….christmas crash and burn.
but i woke up feeling fabulous and ready.
i just needed to cry it all out before hand….
the stress of finishing it all….christmas eve being not as great as i wanted….having nothing baked….
unrealistic expectations for everyone and everything.
do you do that?
is it just me?
if it is….that's ok.
i can handle it.
i was content in the morning.
i was full of love and so happy to be right where i was with my favorite 6 people.
it was good.
the best christmas we have had in a few years….even with my crying in the dark at midnight.
how many days till these kids go back to school????? 🙂
Heather - No meltdowns on the Eve or Christmas day but my husband and I had our annual boxing day fight. 😛 I was tempted to actually put on gloves.
I adore that snowman picture!!! That’s a keeper.
And with or without lipstick, you’re purdy.
lindsey - the pleated poppy - love the pics! and i nearly fell apart christmas eve, too! we were away at the inlaws, me all proud that i was done a week ahead of time, helping my mother-in-law wrap (as i gloat) – then it hit me! i forgot gifts for 2 of my kids! not that i forgot them at home, but i forgot to get them at all! thankfully the m.i.l. had loads of extras for me to choose from. tears were definitely fought back.
julia - Info on sparkle sneakers…pleeeaassseee?
You Christmas looked wonderful.
nancy m - I have CCB every year, and I have a tiny childless family. I can certainly imagine the pressure of making perfect christmas for your large family. Thanks for your blog, I enjoy it. Love the snowman artwork – you could make that into shirts. Happy New Year!
Wendi - LOVED so much about this post – your photos are amazing, Talby’s snowman is adorable and print-worthy, your house looks festive and fun and your family seems happy and content. I would love to know how to play the name game – sounds fun on New Year’s Eve. I will google that. Thank you for the time you take on your blog. I love it!
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - no it’s not just you. it’s absolutely exhausting. lots of pressure. have to say i’m glad it’s over. oh and now i have 10 pounds to lose…whohoo! have i said lately i love your blog? well i do. have a wonderful new year meg.
Amy R. - Love your pics! Wow! I thought it was just me who has meltdowns on Christmas Eve and secretly [hates] all the pressure and stress. I actually avoided it this year because I tried to plan ahead on the wrapping and gave myself permission to cook/bake less. Our mothers never told us about CCB; at least mine didn’t. Happy New Year! My resolution is to have less expectations and enjoy life more!
karen - great pics…had a smile on my face.
go black meg!! HOT with your blue eyes!!
Chris - CCB – perfect description. It happens to me every year. Most of it because I tend to procrastinate. But definitely also because of high expectations. It’s OK. You’re not the only one:)
Sam Miller Gott - I won the name game on Christmas with St Patrick!
Danielle - I cried on two days the week before Christmas at least once on Christmas eve —-missing my mom, and things not going exactly the way I have envisioned in my head! I would remind myself that it’s not about me it’s about Jesus which made me cry more b/c I was being such a JERK!
Amy Sawyer - THANK YOU for making me feel “normal”! Relief to know I am NOT alone…. or crazy!
Bethany - My husband says, “It’s not Christmas until Mama cries!” So I can totally relate! Thanks for sharing your beautiful family and Christmas photos!
Jenna - Your blog always makes me happy … even when the subject matter isn’t happy, your openness, honesty, and pictures are. I LOVE the drinking straw glasses: you must have read the Real Simple gift guide? 🙂
Elissa - you make me smile. i cried on christmas eve too. my kids made me SO mad. but, yeah, all was good in the morning. beautiful pics…
Cynthia - Love your sweet family, fabulous house (just my taste) and your down-to-earth attitude about so many things. My youngest (of four) is 20 so I’m past the younger-kid phase, unlike (I suspect) most of your readers. But I still find so much to admire. Today I’m especially admiring Talby’s snowman; it is a true work of art. And yes, I’d pay for a print of it too!
Nicole Q. - Loved all your pics . . . I want to live at your house – you have the best set up for entertaining! The holidays do bring such a mix of emotions – extreme gratfulness and meltdowns. I had mine this morning and we have another round of celebrating over New Years. I think I’ve pulled it together. I think?? Hmmm.
Kirsten P - Loved all the great photos from your family Christmas. Did you have scrambled eggs, sausage links and monkey bread for breakfast?
kristiina - Our kids are still too little for Christmas to be crazy yet…but I wanted to drop a comment to tell you how much I LOVE starting my day with you. I love how you are so open and let us, the readers, into your life. Thank you!!
Julie - I also love Talby’s snowman! And who made that amazing quilt? I’d love to know – it’s so beautiful!
Alicia - That was me on Christmas Eve too- just upset that it wasn’t going as I’d planned in my head! And disappointed that i hadn’t done any of my baking either! So don’t worry, you weren’t alone! My mum told ne I had to relax & not have such high expectations of my family in the lead up to Christmas- she told me I’d been watching too many American tv shows (like Brothers & Sisters) where they all have a big family thing on Christmas Eve, and said “We live in Australia. This is our version of Christmas. A hot Christmas!
Jen - My Christmas meltdowns are year round. Not often.. but every now and again we all need them (at least I do!). Crying it out makes you feel SO much better. Despite the tears hangover, it’s always a good thing afterward. Your Christmas looks fab! xo
Kristy - CCB…made me laugh out loud! This post made me feel so much better about my pre-Christmas stress. My Christmas “tradition” list seems to keep growing….that is good and bad. We women put way too much on ourselves and are too hard when we don’t get it all checked off. I was able to be in the moment, finally, on Christmas day. Something to work on for 2011! Thanks for keepin’ it real Meg! ps – Talby is quite the artist….just like her mama 🙂
melissa - love the ping pong table.
love the snowman.
love the random family picture goodness.
i should have pulled my camera out more often this year…
melissa
Angela - This was the first year in a while that I didn’t have a melt down. My Daddy was killed on Christmas eve 9 years ago so every year I have gotten better and better about realizing what really matters. My oldest is 19, my youngest is 8, I know my time is limited with these amazing people. I SO love all your Christmas posts! xoxo Meg!!! ~Love, Angela~
the domestic fringe - Glad you had a great Christmas! I enjoyed all your pictures.
-FringeGirl
jennibell - Thank the Good Lord for wonderful, supportive husbands that not only allow us to have our CCB but *name* it for us too!!!
Looks like a wonderful Christmas and blogged beautifully. I read every singe comment — lots of group support out there 🙂
Happy New Year – think we’ll do a list like you’ve done in the past on Friday as a family. . .thanks, as always, for the inspiration.
amy d - first off, talby’s snowman is the BEAST!
…and where was waffle? 🙂
Michelle from Australia - My Christmas meltdown came at 10.30am on Christmas Day. I just lost it. Cried buckets, lay down for ‘a little while’ and woke up 4 hours later. At least my husband waited for me to wake up before serving Christmas lunch 🙂 So glad I’m not the only one out there who exhausts herself in the lead up or during big events.
Thanks for sharing Meg!
Cherie - I am a long time reader of your blog, not sure I have ever commented though. You inspire me to be a better mother. Your so creative and engaged with your children. i love it!! I get so many ideas from your blog of cool and fun crafts I can do with my kids. And your blog always makes me smile with all your fun colors. Thank you!! ~ Cherie
Oh and my kids saw the ping pong table pictures and want to know where we can get one! It would be a big hit!
Meredith - CCB is going into the family dictionary….right next to a picture of myself in the foetal position sucking on a bottle of vodka. Beautiful photos Meg. You certainly have a gift for creating a warm, inviting atmosphere whatever the occasion. I was reading about Brave Girl Camp the other day and thought of you…is that something you’ve considered attending? I actually thought you could probably run your own version of it in Kansas:)
Hope you continue to feel blessed and happy these holidays. Thank you for creating such a beautiful place to visit in Blogland. Meredith xo.
destiny perkins - That is the cutest snowman painting!! I love it! It needs to go in a BIG frame in your house! 🙂
Oh, and what a beautiful early morning picture of you!!
codi - I had two meltdowns. One a few days before Christmas, the other Christmas Eve. Hubby said we weren’t going to the Christmas Eve party (at his parents). The whole way to Grandma’s house I cried, I was in a bad mood most of the party. Then we made 150 hygiene kits, it was WONDERFUL! It brought me out of my ugly, no good mood!
Why do we do this to ourselves???
EllenVR - Awww…we played the name game!! My hubby won. He was Dr. Phil, which was REAL weird for him. Obviously it worked. Although it probably wasn’t as weird as Larry King for a 6 year old!
Grace - CCB—love that you put a name to this! Mine was on the way to church Christmas morning, until the following afternoon.
Thanks for sharing your family with us!
sara's art house - Love it all!!!!!!!!! Can I live at your house!?
Serena - LOVE the picture with great grandma getting a hug from the little one. Made my day, and was a good reminder of true living. And yes, thank you for your honesty. You’re so not alone! Lovely pictures. thank you for sharing.
Alison - I cried too, during Candlelight service. My whole family visited my sister in Michigan. My Mom and Dad showed up on the 23rd, Dad was super sick. We found the ER in MI, never been there before. He got drugs, my 2 nieces where home with stomach aches feeling very sick, my kid got the stomach flu and it felt like a big mess. God reminded me during the candlelight service that he was the center of our holiday, not the flu, ER or toilet in the potty. It worked out just fine and is a good reminder that Christmas is only one day. We have 364 other days to be happy and thankful too. And God is with us all of the days. Thanks for sharing your story.
Beth - I always love reading your column. But one thing that I have learned after almost being done raising my 4 children is to let things go at Christmas– it doesn’t have to be perfect and some things can be done after Christmas– cookies taste just as good after the holiday when there is more time.
Tracy Fisher - Loved your Christmas story… especiall the Christmas Eve cry! I remember my mom saying to me this year “You can stay home and wrap gifts and have some quiet time instead of goin to church with us this year.” Funny things… church was actually just what I needed. I wrapped fast so I could go. And it was quiet (in my own mind). Christmas is real. Everyone has chaos… I think..haha. Can’t wait to hear your 2011 stories. Happy new year to you and your family. Tracy (www.tfisherart.com)
shauna reed - oh meg.
i am glad you said this, cause i sorta thought it was just ME.
i was also getting sick, which doubles my inablity to look at things from a realistic perspective.
also we have had alot of “family time” which means not just our family of five, but also my husbands family. i love that they come but by the end i really need it to be just us! please! don’t tell, kay?
Kat - No it’s not just you.
I have been cranky off and on since Christmas day.
I think with all the build up, busyness and hype it is only natural to have some Christmas crash and burn. (nice phrase Craig, I may steal that one.)
Life with a large family is busy and I know I have my fair share of Mummy meltdowns.
The important thing is we do enjoy those special moments.
Enjoy!
Connie - You and Craig are too cute…and I LOVE Talby’s snowman…what an artist
Is the Dining room finished? I love the stars you have hanging in the window..Where did you find them?
.Also, I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one that has a meltdown on Christmas Eve..I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to give our families the perfect Holiday..Every year I make a list of more traditions that I want to add the next year.
Happy New Year Meg…I look forward to your blog everyday
KTG - Out till 12am with a 2 year old and 7 month old on christmas eve–ra b/c others had a late start. meanwhile I scrambled littles there on time.
Woke 6am christmas to bake monkey bread, herded everyone to in laws. Greeted with “aren’t you All about xmas!” -It was 9am.
“We were about to call you everyone here is vomiting”.
Had my CCB on the way back to my house a few hours later when we were to host christmas day impromptu for the rest of the not sick family members.
Every year it’s something.Next year I will embrace my CCB!
purejoy - thanks for inviting me over for christmas. great photos. love the sparkle shoes. my favorite.
totally get the CCB. i try really hard to lower my expectations and stress level. love that you are surrounded by so much family. what a blessing.
flowerpowermomma - Time has a good way of adjusting some memories of Christmas’s past. I look back on when the kids were little and remember the good times, tender times, silly times. We had the same struggles everyone else has, but now I remember the good.
The tears may still come, that’s okay. God gave them to us…He understands completely.
Sweet pictures Meg, and yes, a sweet family.
ps. my hubby and I sometimes anticipate having the house back to ourselves, which is our version of counting down until school starts back up!!!
Jennifer - Your husband nailed it with that term. I thought I was seriously the only one who did that. My kids are so young but I’ve done that the last two years on Christmas Eve. And the worst part is I lash out at my poor husband because I feel like I’ve done everything even though its me who puts out the advent calendar and we have to have a million little things that I HAVE to do every year. But its really me who expects all of this.. not my 3 small kids who just want colored lights, to hold a candle at church, and for santa to show up 🙂 I also woke up completely refreshed in the morning.
Thanks so much for the honesty. Made me feel not so nutso. I rarely comment but I just had to for this one. We had a great Christmas too. We had a ping pong table growing up and it was the best. We still have lots and lots of very exciting games when we all get together there. Plus its in the basement with the fridge with the beer in it which could explain why everyone ends up down there.
Love your blog! Jennifer
holly - i would seriously PAY talby for her snowman painting (or a print of it)…
my boys and i have had hours of fun with that lil’ ping pong set…
and yes, tears galore… but a wonderful christmas!
Linda - First of all I love your home it is so bright and colorful it just makes me happy and makes me want to either live there myself or at the very least copy all your ideas! Every time I see part of your home I just want to see more and more of you amazing ideas! And yes I have the after Christmas crash. Mine usually doesn’t hit until late Christmas day but than it tends to linger on for a good day or two. This year in particular. I think it has something to do with our crazy weather here in the Northwest. I really can’t wait this year for my kids to go back to school. How sad is that. Oh well Merry Christmas. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and family traditions with us crazy bloggers! Hope you have a Happy New Year!
Rhonda - Love these pictures! Love the new sparkle shoes pic too!!!
I admit to having about 3 Christmas meltdown’s this holiday season…but, life is beautiful and we’re human. 🙂
Sarah - Same here….CCB…..totally. I always set my self up for it though…..so many beautiful projects I want to complete, things to cook and bake…beautiful packages to wrap….wanting things to be so picture perfect….things that nobody else notices, but it always gets me…I think so many women do the same….but I just LOVE the holidays, even with the crash and burn.
Dishes in the Dryer - Wow, I don’t know how many different houses you were at but I loved the room colors and the floors and everything about the decorating in the pictures.
I am a new follower…Merry Christmas!
Meredith - I was more pulled together this year than last and I think it was because I start the calender now of when I want to have things complete. Still goes by way to quickly. I feel organized at first and then “bam” there it is. I did not make cookies, but I was not wrapping presents for my family in the afternoon before we go see them. They were already done. My husband also takes my oldest to Chuck E Cheese one night before Christmas so I can wrap his presents. Next year he will have to take the little one too. Best year, can’t wait till next.
Leslie P. - CCB is classic. We all have it. That syndrome comes right before CDIH – which is what our husbands get: Christmas Deer In Headlights. I just ended my most recent post with the same sentiment! When??
Lisa - I so know where you are coming from!!!! We hosted Cmas Eve at our house and I definitely bit off more than I could chew. In the end it left me disappointed and I never got to truly enjoy the holiday for what it was. I do however have twelve dozen extra cookies/candies to show for it. So not worth it!!
Heather Young - Meg, I absolutely love your house. It is absolutely everything I would ever do/ pick out if I could start from scratch. Your design is unique and eclectic- you should consider showcasing your rooms again, and share how you came up with your decor. Anyways, love, love you and your family and enjoy following your blog!
Jennifer VeStrand - CCB in our house too! Two questions: would you please explain the name game? And where did you get that ping pong thing? I KNOW our boys would LOVE that.
Merry Christmas Meg!
DanaD@BoysMyJoys - Completely understand CCB!
I didn’t get anything baked or any of my Christmas goodies made this year.
That made me sad, but then it dawned on me that I just needed to let it go and live in the moment.
I survived!
Life went on!
But, I’ve decided that my word for 2011 is “No.”
I’m going to learn to say no, so that I can say yes more to my family and myself during the holidays!
Because all too soon my children will be grown… and I don’t want to have missed it.
So glad you and your family had a great Christmas.
And Laurel’s hair looks ahhhh-mazing!
P.S.- We got a ping pong set like that for the boys, too. We could have saved a lot of money by not buying the other toys, because it’s the ping pong they’ve played with the most! 🙂
Tara - it’s me, too.
i cried christmas day.
pretty sure my family has confirmed that i am psycho.
loved your pictures….
especially the ones of your kids while they are smiling really big and laughing.
april - CCB….Im gonna have to use that one…lols…looks like a wonderful christmas….love your pictures!!
Gina - Great photos! Yes, I have meltdowns too sometimes. This year it was during our family get together with my husband’s family. Nine kids 11 and under, seventeen adults, my two barking dogs…it was just too much this year. I was soooo overwhelmed that before people could leave I had determined NOT to have a get together next year but the next morning I got into God’s Word and it was medicine to my bones. Yes, I will have a family get together next year but I will have some type of quiet (yeah, right) activity for the kids. I already promised my husband I wouldn’t vent about his LOUD family either. 😉
MGF - You are always so open with your true emotions.
Melanie - I love the photo of Annie winning the game. Priceless!
amy j. - Did you read about our Christmas Eve? 🙂
Jodi - It’s not just you! I had a melt-down of sorts too, but I couldn’t express it to my husband b/c most of the meltdown had to do w/ his side of the family… So, my Mom got to see my meltdown instead. But it all turned out ok. It always does right??
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Talby’s snowman!! Snowmen (or snowPEOPLE if I want to be PC about it) are my favorite. I have them all over the house during Christmas.
Katy - Did you see this post of Julie’s? http://www.joyshope.com/2010/12/how-i-stopped-being-psycho.html
It was like she wrote that post about me. I am totally an “over the edge freakshow” when it comes to ANY event or get together that involves me doing all of the work.. It always ends in a meltdown.
And can I just say that I will never be tired of your blog? Your pictures always make me smile. 🙂 Hope you all have a great New Year!!
Curious Details - are YOU the only one???
heh heh heh….
I’m STILL crying!
Holly - we had snow on Christmas which was cool….I almost had a meltdown on Christmas morning when I realized that it was time for us to pack up and go on our Christmas suprise and I wasnt going to get to have my post presents recovery nap! Alas, we had a great time nap or no nap!
pam - Great pics. I LOVE the sleepy morning shot of you and your husband….beautiful. We have that same kind of ping pong table…sew together fabrics and keep it on your table…a HUGE table for large gatherings.
jodi @ back40life - ooh I totally get it! We had sworn we wouldn’t work right up until Christmas, and still ended up getting our last 8 orders out on the 24th…and that morning, the 2 kiddos both melted down and were crying and I knew they just needed some attention, but I had no time to give to them because I had to get those stupid orders finished. sad, sad moment.
and then Christmas Day was fabulous…we even got snow, which NEVER happens for us, especially not on Christmas!
and then the 26th was HORRIBLE. I had such high hopes for it being a fun family day, and instead we spent the WHOLE day putting the house back together which put me into a terrible funk…miserable.
thankfully God’s mercies are new every day. loved seeing your pics…your fam is beautiful…thanks for letting us peek in!
Shann - I totally understand your meltdown. Things did not go “according to plans” at my house either this year. My dad had a quick trip to the ER and the flu bug showed up and brought nastiness to my house which resulted in less than joyous moods. Just to name a few. I do think I try to hard at times to paint this “perfect” picture in my head of what Christmas “should” be. When really it is all about the baby. I get side-tracked sometimes. Sigh… Thanks for sharing your pictures and your sweet family with us. 🙂 p.s The kids go back to school in 5 days…but who’s counting? HAAAAA!!!
Katrina - You know, I was worried that I was the only one who had those meltdowns. My family gives me such a hard time about it. But the next morning when the kids see their presents from Santa and their eyes light up, well it couldn’t get much better than that. Even makes the meltdown worth it in the end I think.
Desiree' - not just you…major meltdown at 11:43…I know the exact time because I saw my watch right as I was lying my crying face down onto my arms…we’re always so hard on ourselves to make everything just right…*sigh*
Love your pics…Love that God always makes things beautiful even with our meltdowns…Love that our kids never know the difference and only feel the love and joy of Christmas! 🙂
SoCalLynn - I love how much fun your family has together. We only have one daughter at home, 11 years old, all of our family lives scattered throughout the country and due to a family emergency in November where we spent all our money, we couldn’t travel this year, nor could they. So we had a really quiet Christmas…it would be fun to have lots of young cousins and aunts and uncles around but it just doesn’t happen for us.
We got that same ping pong set and haven’t used our dining table since we got it! We are challenging ourselves to get really good with both hands, not just our dominant hand!
Jen R - Your family is darling and your honesty – refreshing. Thank you for sharing your pictures! They look full of fun & love. And…you are not alone in the meltdowns. There should be some kind of Meltdown Sisterhood. 🙂 Have a Happy New Year!
Camille - Haha! I thought I was the only one with CCB – and what a great name for it! You’re right, sometimes a good cry is just the ticket to feeling refreshed and able to enjoy the day the following morning.
Heather - CCB, I love it!! That is the perfect term for what inevitably happens every year. Mine always comes on the 26th when it is all over and I feel the letdown. I spend the entire day thinking of everything I wish I had done. Next year I can tell my hubby that it is a “real”thing with a “real” name, I will just leave out the part where I found the term. Happy New Year!!
shelly - Oh my…I had a HUGE meltdown!!! Of course, I was baking bread, letting cinnamon rolls rise, trying to finish sewing projects AND cutting out sugar cookies!. I lost it when our middle son accidentally bumped the tray of drying cookies and knocked them all over…onto the floor…frosting side down of course!!! (Yes, it was my fault because I set the rack on a big bowl so that I’d still have some counter space..epic fail…major mommy meltdown!)
Staci - Wow!! So many things I love about his post….Annie’s sleepy eyes and Talby’s snowman!!! Love the tired picture of you and Craig…I think we have that same picture! Whyyyyy do we put so much stress on ourselves every year to make it perfect?????!!!! I have to admit….we scaled back ALOT this year and it felt reeeally good! Annnnd, going to Christmas Eve Mass ALWAYS puts me in the right spirit!!! Glad everything turned out for your beautiful family! Oh yea, and YES! I lovve your sister’s hair color!!!!!
Laura - I love the snowman picture, too! And your house is so cool! Love the game room! No, you are not alone. I was so grumpy because of comparing myself to another, which I know is so foolish. And I didn’t have everything the way I wanted it. But, as you said, it ends up good. We are together. We are so blessed, you know? Think of so many who would love to trade places with us. And we had a white Christmas in Alabama! Yay! I have already been assessing this year and making lists for how to make next year go more smoothly. Happy New Year, Megan!
Jessica @ My Ardent Life - I had a huge, ugly meltdown on Christmas Eve that I’m not sure I’m brave enough to blog about. I broke a lamp (on accident). I really struggle this time of year. I’m aiming for better in 2011! Even though the past 5 Christmases have been wonderful, I STILL get worked up, thanks to so many horrible ones before that (I’m talking deaths, drunken father fights, a suicidal uncle admitted to the psych ward, and the one in 2005 that I spent alone).
Heather - Love all the pics! JUst wanted to add that I, too, often see pics of myself and think, “I wish I’d put lipstick on!” Makes a WORLD of difference, doesn’t it? Little things…
Beth - P.S. I love Talby’s snowman!
Beth - I totally do that and always feel inadequate and unfinished on Christmas eve, only to feel so full of love and gratitude on Christmas morning. Not just you at all. I’ll bet you’ll get lots of comments today supporting that. We women are hard on ourselves, we expect ourselves to do it all and get it all done and never falter. Your Christmas looks like it was wonderful! And the kids go back to school WAY. TOO. SOON!!! 🙂