Our Aweful Beautiful Life

60 degrees and rainy/sunny/windy aren't exactly words I'd use to describe Christmastime. Usually it's snow, brisk, bright & flurries that fill my Christmas post...but not this year. We were blessed to only have a handful of places to go, but still got to see a lot of our family. It was great to see everyone, on a more spread out schedule, not making the holidays feel like  WORK. We wrapped up our pre-Christmas weekend with the Stockment Christmas and had a great afternoon with family. The weather was perfect for the kids to play outside some, which, in Grandma Pat's tiny house stuffed full of family, is a nice retreat!  It was a fun evening, and even more fun for the bigs, as they got to go home with Karlie & Luke (Isaac & Kate) for a sleepover! It was a great evening for us to enjoy/focus on Keaton and a fun way to kick off no school for two weeks! Jason and I worked Monday & Tuesday, then I was off Wednesday to do last minute shop...

So, I might have earned Mom of the year award with my kids the week before Christmas, but likely not with their teachers. I mean, we made it to Tuesday with a 8-8:30pm bedtime...but Wednesday and Thursday? Not a chance. However, I deem it okay, because in stead of focusing on the gifts and  shopping and Christmas hustle and bustle, we maintained another tradition that I am so happy to say is in it's 3rd year. When Colton was in Kindergarten, I was scrolling Pinterest (what good mother doesn't at Christmas time. Don't answer that...a smart mother doesn't...but that's beside the point here) and came across this thing called #lightemup. It was ways for kids to give back in their communities. To light up the community through random acts of kindness. I loved the idea, but it's hard to apply California based suburban USA neighborhood random acts to .....Brookston. So, we improvised. We invited some friends, and coincidentally, their siblings.....asked them to bring...

These kids mouths are on fire lately....the latest, courtesy of Emmalyn! Emmalyn: Mom, um, are Uncle T & Stefani married like you and Dad? Me: No, not yet honey. Maybe some day. She's really nice, huh? Emmalyn: Ya, but if they get married, Uncle T's going to have to like, get a job and stuff.... Don't mind the photo bomb from our ugly sweater party.... When I texted Trent this fun conversation, his response was simple. WOW. Grandma asked what she had to say about Grandpa, if she thought that about Uncle Trent! :) Out of the mouths of babes... Also, along those same lines. Jason's company bought an old short bus to transport workers from the far away parking at Purdue to the actual job site. They had it stickered to read Bouma Betten, and Jason picked it up for them, then just brought it home, rather than driving it back to Lafayette after hours. I forwarned Jason that the kids would be through the roof excited, especially after seeing a video on Dad...