Here we are!  We are moved in and unpacked and even have Christmas decorations up! Like I felt like upacking one more box! (actually several, Christmas is not just a tree and a wreath around here!).

Now that all is settled, it's time to make our real messes.  You know, the daily stuff.  We have been upacked and settled into our new home for quite a while now.  Funny how you can have more space and still make a mess! I guess it doesn't help to have 4 men under foot. My DH being the chief messer-upper!  I can make the kids clean up but how do you punish a grown man?  Maybe disconnect the computer or the TV! lol  Take away his golf clubs?

Anway, it is nice to have things in place.  In just two weeks we'll be heading home for Christmas.  I am looking forward to it.  I am asking family and friends to come to us though.  I do not want to drive 14 hrs and then spend a week driving all over to see everyone and then drive 14 hrs back home.  Forget it.  It's once a year and I should hope that any family and friends will want to come to us.  I guess if not then they really didn't want to see us.  With one family exception.  We will be driving to my in-laws for the K-Christmas.  That is a no brainer.  I am looking forward to it and to catch up with family.

Everyone else can drive to us. hee hee.  No really, I can only think of one family that it may be tough for.  They too have a little one and will also need to work the next day and we are like an hour from them.  I am thinking that maybe we will meet halfway for lunch or something.  We'll see.

I also have a friend who has a large family and we will go to see them.  I am very much looking forward to this as she has been a friend and spiritual mentor to me.  Her friendship invaluable, a rare gem.  They are an hour south of my folks so that will be a trip.  Oh well, time well spent to be lifted up with strong believers and enjoy sweet fellowship.  So that is only two days of driving and thankfully not back to back.  No way around it.  Just glad to have about 4-5 days between. 

I hope we can find Christmas in the chaos.  It will be interesting. a long drive from the 23rd to 24th just isn't my idea of fun.  On the other hand staying here in SC and not having any family or friends to christmas with seems lonely.  We will have to do Christmas with the boys here when we get back.  It gives us something to look forward to.  I won't have enough room to pack up our gifts and then the ones they will receive from family and our luggage in my small Forester so we will do it when we return.  Anyone else have this issue with Christmas?

Ok, lunch is over. Back to school!  Kids need to finish up!  Today we are going to make snowflakes.  This will be a GREAT intro to our science for the week.  We are going to study snowflake science.  This should be fun!