1. Our Christmas tree died on Dec. 6. It was a sad day for me to hear ornaments dropping like flies. I’ve never seen anything die quite as fast. This was our first real tree in about 8 years. Now I remember why we go fake.
2. My hubby got on a “What do you want for Christmas” ask-fest. I finally answered: for all the kitchen cabinets, drawers, shelves, to be organized and cleaned.
3. Christmas came early for me.
4. Related: What is it about a man tossing out old batteries, wiping down sticky shelves, cutting new contact paper that is just plain old sexy?
5. My local Chick Fil A considers me a regular customer. At the drive-up the other day,  they handed me a large plastic up like they’d been waiting for me. And now I’m allowed unlimited sweet tea for .75. I wept.
6. I’m done Christmas shopping. I’m a terrible wrapper.
7. We celebrated my youngest’s birthday early. For the first time, we tried tricking her since it falls so close to Christmas and our anniversary, etc. Turns out she’s smarter than we thought and her birthday lasted a full week this year.
8. My neck pain has been much more manageable  thanks to a new little pill.
9. Related: don’t mix said pill with your first ever margarita at your husband’s Christmas dinner.
10. Unrelated: I am not a druggie.
11. Today is my 39th birthday (for the first time, really)
12. When Maureen and I Skype, we use a lot of emoticons. And lately, we’ve been planning her wedding. It’s going to be lovely, we just need a groom.
13. There’s a small colony of fruit flies living in my kitchen. They are multiplying as I type. Halp.
14. Our 4th Mercy House baby was born just a few days ago! We now have 3 boys, 1 girl all under the age of 4 months! Another on the way….
15. I mailed the last of the Mercy House Shop orders on Friday. A host of volunteers helped get the hundreds of packages ready. I was in a hurry and took the last box to the post office. I was taping with one hand and talking to my mom with the other. About an hour later, it dawned on me that I taped up all our family Christmas cards inside a strangers’ order. Oh, and a rented Redbox movie.
16. I need a break.
17. I have a couple of posts scheduled this week and reruns for next week. I don’t know if I’ve ever looked more forward to time with my kids and family.
18. I don’t plan on being on the computer much the next couple of weeks. I do plan to make some cookies for neighbors, put some puzzles together, create some family art and a lot of new memories.
19. My youngest had her last Christmas Preschool Christmas program ever. She was an angel. Again, like last year. I thought she might take Mary down. #bitterangel 
20. Yesterday at church, our family read Scripture on the stage. It was beautiful. Only people didn’t know that my son was so nervous, he whispered he might throw up about 2 seconds before we started reading or that my youngest thought her puffy Christmas dress was stupendous (her way of saying stupid). 
21. Just keeping it real.
22. My hubby got our son a Daisy BB Gun for Christmas with a scope. I’m pretty sure he’s waited his whole life for this. #redneckChristmas
23. I woke up the other morning and discovered my hubby had gotten up at 5 am to drag down and decorate our old fake tree. It was such a sweet surprise. I married up.
24. Our neighbor’s little boy asked me how old I was turning. When I said 39, he did some quick figuring and said, “Wow. You are 10 years older than my Dad.” Even I was surprised.
25. The dead tree is just outside Bake at 350′s kitchen window. (Sorry, Bridget, we will dispose of it). My 5 year old asked me if it died of old age.
26. Yes, I think it was 39.