Welcome to crazy.

I looked at the family calendar last night and almost fainted. The amount of activities is almost dizzying (is that a word?).

Between church musical practice, office parties, class parties, pageants, plays, more parties, basketball practices, open houses, breakfast with Santa and concerts, the cookies to bake, the house to clean…I’m feeling like now more than ever we have to take time to savor Advent.

Every evening we’ve been dutifully lighting our Advent candle and praying as a family. That’s precious time. Cue “Silent Night” – the kids are screaming over who gets to light the candle, another one is complaining about dinner, another one has to go pee and another one is royally peeved that we started praying without him/her. Yep, just another family dinner at Casa Whitaker. But, still, we take time to do that whole thing EVERY night with the SAME arguments and screaming. I have a feeling in a few years – when the kids would all rather be with their friends than caught dead in a one-mile radius of Scott and I – that we’ll really miss this. Thank you Toby Keith.

So, it is crazy busy, but that’s ok. Will made his First Reconciliation on Saturday and I could not have been a prouder Mom. I’m sitting in the pew, watching as he walks up to the priest like a pro. I admit, I teared up. More than once. I didn’t grow up Catholic and admittedly the confession and communion being the real body and blood of Christ thing took several years for me to really embrace. But, Saturday was just awesome. There are no other words. More to come.

Make it a great Advent.