Same Time Last Year

Well today I spent a moment or two reading through my previous blogs. It really did only take a couple of moments as I haven't been as devoted to blogging as I would have liked. I'm working on getting better at that.

I scrolled down all the way to the bottom and read my blog entry dated December 29, 2008. And here we are ~ December 29, 2009. I remember that day very well. I recall vividly that day at the Mall of Louisiana and the assault to my senses. So it's a whole year later and things have changed, but much is the same.

The pre~Christmas hustle and bustle was the same, but things were much less hectic this year it seemed. The Christmas cards were out a whole week before the Blessed Day arrived. Garrett and Thomas got to see Santa without a whole lot of trouble. Okay we did have to wait in a line for a little while. Mike would say it was much l o n g e r of a line than he would have liked, but it really wasn't that bad. We took the kids to Santa's Magic Kingdom in Eureka, Missouri. It was basically a Jellystone Campground turned into a huge light display, complete with the Hannah~Barbera characters all around. They weren't like walking around or anything exciting like that~ just wooden likenesses of the Jetsons, the Flintstones, and of course Yogi Bear. Mike kept saying we were experiencing a Hillbilly Christmas. I asked him if we fit in with the hillbillies or did we stand out? He said we blended in just fine. I don't know, my kids and I didn't have matching camouflage jackets like the mom and her children behind us in line. Oh well, we saw Santa, took a picture and enjoyed the lights. Christmas lights are a joy to behold, hillbilly or not.

We missed Greg that night. It was probably one of the first outings we've been on as a whole family since he left. Other than church, but that's not really an "outing." Mark brought his girlfriend, Melissa. Different girlfriend than the one from last year's blog.

Last year I wrote from Louisiana. I'm not there now, but I will be in 5 days! I am longing for some down time for reading, hanging out with family and relaxing. Plus I'm craving some beignets and poboys. It's time. But I will not put on 5 pounds like I did last year. That will be different.

So while some things are different, it's mostly the same old same old as I say. and that's good. The same wonderful feeling that the holidays bring. The same trip to Louisiana, because that's HOME. And that will never change. And my kids are a little taller, hopefully a bit smarter, but still playing those same old same old video games that Santa brought. Well, not the exact same games as last year, but they're all the same to me. And yes there were only 7 of us home this Christmas, not 8 like last year, but the love I have for all of them is the same, only I think I actually love them more. And that's really all that matters.