Getting Ready ...

To say this Christmas season has come with nothing but delight and joy would be untrue. Those of you who know me know I LOVE Christmas. I love pretty much everything about it. However, this year was precluded with those I love deeply hurting or stressed or in situations I want to change but unfortunately have no control over. It has affected me more than I expected with moments of extreme sadness or most frustrating for me helplessness. I'm a fixer.

With that in mind it has taken extra effort this year to jump whole-heartidly into the Christmas spirit. Instead of the entire time being wonderful in general, I have really tried to focus on the moments. You know the moments. The ones where you realize people are being kinder to each other. Where you realize, again, the man you married is the one. The ones you realize you're healthy and your kids are healthy and warm with full bellies. The ones where you know the present you got for someone is PERFECT and it will make them happy. The ones where you have time to ponder the star over Christ's manger and you realize that you, too are in orbit for a purpose even if it isn't always obvious what it is.

I still can't listen to "I'll be home for Christmas" without getting emotional, but I've realized that sometimes the moments are what make the seasons possible. I hope you are able to find the hope in the moments. I hope Christmas is filled with magic and possibilities and love!

At the Christmas parade. You know you're in a small town when your daughter helps decorate the fire truck AND you know at least 10 people in the parade.

Decorating the tree includes putting the star on top...

and looking for presents underneath. There are no decorations on the bottom 1/3 of the tree - I'll bet you can guess why!

Santa at the Ward Christmas dinner. You can tell by her face how excited she was to see him!
The kids in their Christmas outfits for church. They're not really happy since this is probably the 20th picture I took. Let's just say Carter is super fast and does not like his picture taken.
This is my favorite picture of the season. Truly sums up the wonder of Christmas for all ages.

Merry Christmas!

Thankful times

There are many things I am thankful for but being with family is top of my list. Not to mention good food. And a snow day. Or not catching H1N1 while we were there. Or having Dad's 60th birthday party. But mostly being with family. Did I mention pie?

I only had my camera out two days so here is a brief glimpse of our awesome Thanksgiving holiday. We got to see Greg after his mission of two years (believe it or not he's even better than he was before. Watch out girls.) The Powell's were together for the first time in a LONG time (2 Christmas' ago?) and for the last time in at least a year. It went by fast but it was fabulous!

Again, there are many things I am thankful for...

33rd birthday spent in a Fire Truck

That's right. I had my 33rd birthday and it was pretty darn good. Dee took the day off and we went to breakfast and did some Christmas shopping. It was fun to be on a date with out kids for the morning.

I'm sure there's an age where I'm not supposed to admit how old I am but I'm also sure I haven't hit it yet. So far I'm liking it so I might as well live it proud! I've never felt so old as the year I was 29 and the Young Women in my class at church (13 year olds) said, "WOW Sister Treadway! I would NEVER have guessed you were THAT OLD!!!" I told them thanks and they weren't really helping AT ALL.

Back to the fire truck...
My best friend's husband is a fireman and we all went to dinner but he had to work. After dinner we went to the firehouse so we could have cake together and he let us go down the slide (faster than poles I guess?) and sit in the truck and turn on the lights. I guess turning 33 can be just as much fun as turning 5. It's all about perspective! :]