And so, it begins .........

It's that time of the year when I go from comfortably busy, slow even, to full-tilt flat-out runnin' for all I'm worth.

I bet that happens to you too. It's the sign of the season, I guess. The pace picks up. And the tendency is, for me at least, to have an attitude of "let's just get it done" so things can slow down and get back to normal.

Of course, in the process of thinking that way, I typically miss out on a lot of fun. And satisfaction. And joy of the season.

This year, however, I have made a promise to myself....and now I'm making it to you (you can hold me accountable)...

I WILL totally enjoy every single bit of the next few weeks.

In the midst of the craziness and busyness of the season, I AM going to experience every last minute of it all !!!

This coming Saturday is the first party of the season -- a MOPS potluck. Followed by an 80th birthday celebration for William's Aunt Irma. We're ordering the fried chicken, but I'm cooking the sides for about 25 at the family dinner. And helping decorate the tables. I woke up this morning at 3-something thinking about those table decorations. Went back to sleep, but apparently my sub-conscious worked on it til 7, cause I woke up and had it all thought out in my mind. I could see the tables decorated and WOW did they look great!

The following day is the Agape Feast. This is a wonderful time of celebrating what the LORD has done in our church and in each of our lives over the past year. It's a time to remember. I have volunteered to recruit a team of decorators to help make the tables pretty - all 80 of them ! My kind of fun !

Then Thanksgiving Day our family is breaking with tradition and staying home, instead of joining William's family at his uncle's ranch. We will have my mother and the kids that can be here, come for dinner, then the Cowboys game, followed by the Aggies game. I'm really looking forward to cooking the meal and having our family gathered together. Later that weekend, the house will be full of kids and friends as we celebrate Dana's birthday with another family meal. Yes, we celebrate with food. Yes, I know!

In another week, we are traveling to visit Dana and her family where I get to build gingerbread houses with Lily Kate. And maybe walk the Jingle Bell Run in Fort Worth. Maybe. I might just watch. :)

A couple weeks later -- we are hosting William's work staff Christmas party.

And that just gets us into early December.

I am so looking forward to every bit of this holiday season. I truly am. I don't want to miss a thing. I just want to soak it all up. And when January rolls in, I want to be able to look back and remember and know I lived it ALL to the fullest.

What does your holiday calendar look like? What are you planning? How are you coping?

Smiles and hugs to you all today ---------

Gwynie Pie