We're not lame. Right?

I feel the need to confess my lameness.

After nearly 21 years of marriage and 19 years of parenthood it was bound to happen once. Right?

Some excuses really are worthy excuses. Right?

Actually, it was totally planned.

We thought we would try a little something new at our house this holiday season.

We like to call it 

The First Ever

Holmes Family Naked Christmas.

Now, don't get the wrong idea.  

Allow me to explain...

Naked like no added fillers.

Naked like nothing extra.

Naked like...

Naked juice.

Naked Christmas

It was with great intention that we purchased our tree this year, sans Tanner,

with the hope to decorate it together after he returned home from school on the 17th.  

Which, by the way,

 was also Tanner's 19th birthday; 

the day he drove 14 hours home in the snow/rain, 

the last day of school for Emily Chad and kate,

the day the kids bring their Christmas presents to school,

the day I promised my seminary kids breakfast,

the day before I was to bringing 20 breakfast burritos the the ward party at some awful hour for a Saturday morning,

the day I was suppose to order our Christmas cards,

the day I realized I had forgotten to send the property taxes,

the day I started my Christmas shopping, 

the day Phillip, Chad, and Kate started to get sick,

the day my eye started twitching,

and

the day I started to feel like all the stuff in my house was going to eat me.

  

It also became the day that Tanner's mission call arrived

  AND

the day we gave into Tanner's plea to have "friends" (50) over to view the opening of said mission call by 11 am the following morning.
  

Which, by the way, is to the 

super-safe-and-not-at-all-a-worry-and-thats-not-sarcasm-you-hear 

Bogota Colombia North Mission.  

Never mind that I purposefully bought a birthday cake at 9 am Saturday morning so that we could all sing happy birthday to him and I forgot to do it while everyone was there.  

Never mind that I couldn't find the candles so I had to use a hula girl candle and a left over 9 from Kate's birthday last year.

In one fail swoop we were planning to get a missionary vaccinated, clothed, passported and visaed, and the busy last week before Christmas began.  I spent the week at the mall and after a coughing hacking weezy night, Phillip Chad and Kate's awful cold landed them in urgent care on Christmas Eve morning.  150 dollars 2 inhalers and 3 prescriptions later, we finally made it to the annual Holmes Family Christmas Party.

Exhaustedly, we enjoyed our time with family 

then made it home just in time to wrap 

every last present 

and get it under the tree before dawn. 

Sadly, my Mom and her husband also became very ill Christmas day and had to cancel dinner at their house with Great grandma.  So, we found ourselves alone...not to mention tired, sick and overwhelmed on Christmas day and eventually gave in and just ate dinner at Coco's 

if you can believe that.  

Its been a whirlwind month that also included out of town family guests, baptisms, a dance recital, baby blessings, new year celebrations, a flat tire, a broken heater and garage door opener, 2 more sickies, and a last minute disney family vacation.

Today, January 13th, which also happens to be the day before Chad's 13th birthday,

marks our first day back to regular life;

back to teaching seminary,

back to school,

back to work,

back to schedules,

back to laundry,

back to health.  

Too bad I can't say here

back to clear thinking.

As I reflect on this crazy month; (more like 3 months)

the Christmas letter I never wrote,

the Christmas card I never sent,

the Christmas dinner I didn't cook,

the calories I didn't count,

the property taxes I still haven't mailed, 

and the Christmas tree we never decorated,

I am so thankful for

the precious time we did get to spend with loved ones!

So what that it was a Christmas without any extras or added fillers.

Right?

  

Today, I am happy to report that 

we Holmes' are well on our way to a naked 2011. 

Like a beacon it still stands, 

rather metaphorically.

The Holmes Family Naked Christmas Tree.

We're not lame.
right?

We hope your holidays were full of peace, joy, family, and love.
xoxo
Sara