NOT always a MERRY christmas...

I don't lie well
In fact I despise lying and liars!

When asked if I have had a merry Christmas or a great Christmas, I give a simple quick response....
 "fine and yours?"

Honestly....I'm glad its over.
Typically not the way I view the holidays....
my holidays are typically very merry and a happy joyous time...
but not so much this year.

I won't be airing out my personal, dirty laundry here but I also can't come to my blogging platform pretending
things were a "holly-jolly christmas."

I will say I am great at making things great for my kids in spite of the sick pit in my stomach.
Seizures don't stop because it's a holiday, the stresses and crap of life endured doesn't stop on the one day called Christmas....and trust me...it didn't!
Yes.... this is a Christmas I am ready to forget about....and put behind me...

I am grateful for Who the Christmas season is really all about...Jesus...his birth....his sacrificial life and love that saves us from all the burdens and heaviness of what this earthly life is...
I am grateful for His birth, His redemption,His presence in my life....so that I can focus on the big picture and not the here and now.

The first year (in 18) no Christmas cards from the Austin's

I made the decision a while back that I was not sending out Christmas cards.
Even before we had little ones, I always did our annual card, letter or both.
We have family and friends in CA, Chicago, and of course here in WA. I am sure many will
at some point realize the annual greeting was never received.
Usually when something like that happens people tend to think major crises....
but really...you can't get much more "major" than the Christmas 3 years ago (2007) when Hudson
started seizing and the nightmare began. In the midst of all that....I got cards sent out.
This year, other than it adds up $$ wise after the cards are made and stamped, I just let it go...
figured I wouldn't beat myself up over it....

so to those who read my blog, and normally get a Christmas card, I am certain one of our pics from our amazingly fun weekend in Seattle would have made the grade. Since I am not doing cards...I don't have to pick...

Merry Christmas 2010

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and now some picture fun from our holiday weekend....

All set to see Santa

 

 

waiting in line for the holiday carousel

 

kids with Uncle Marc

my mom and Hudson back at the hotel before dinner

At dinner

one happy girl with her daddy!

 

Snuggle time while the kids went swimming

my crazy brother

After swimming and showers the kids did the gingerbread houses(at the hotel we were staying at) in their jammies...ahhh to be a kid again!

our angel boy!

Outside the 5th Avenue Theater

All ready for the "Christmas Story" to begin!

Thanks to my mom, some wonderful Christmas memories were made...
I know my kids will never forget the holiday fun we had!

keeping my fingers crossed...

For months now we have had some pretty huge plans for this weekend.
My kids know nothing of it..... Why?
Well because life is soooo unpredictable with  Hudson...and it seems big plans leads to spoiled plans and my kids end up terribly dissapointed.

My mom once again has planned and spent her money and time creating what will be a super fun weekend...
hotel booked with 2 adjoining rooms in downtown Seattle, housing Paul and I and all 3 kids, my brother, my mom and Fred and Katelyn. There will be swimming, gingerbread houses, carousels, pics with Santa, shopping, dinner at Bennihanna's, movie watching...popcorn eating, and the biggie.... A broadway performance of "The Christmas Story" at the 5th Avenue Theater. Hudson will not be joining us at the theater, that would be way to stressful for me, so Paul will take Hudson home where he can seize, do his "shout-outs" and not disrupt anyone or anything....and I can freely enjoy an afternoon at the theater!

Our family is reunited for the next week...Paul comes home late tonight, and will be home through Christmas. It doesn't sound like we will be together to ring in the new year...unless he decides otherwise....we take what we can get!

Thankfully Hudson is still on antibiotics so I am pretty hopeful our plans will go on as planned...thankfully he is stable...praise God!

Because I like to harass my kids....