It's the people...

...in our lives that really matter. But before we get to that I have to go through my fun weekend and why I haven't had a chance to post. Yes, I am going through some serious withdraws about not posting in 3 days! It was such a busy (& FANTASTIC) weekend. I just couldn't be still long enough to gather my thoughts and write them down. Today is busy too, but I am making the time now. No guarantees on grammar, cognitive flow or sentence structure. I'm writing what I am thinking! So very quickly.. wow... wow... wow what a weekend we had! You would have thought there was 25hours in a day. We started the weekend with a Friday night basketball game. We went to see our Nephew's team, Mount Dora Bible play in a tournament at Winter Park High school. Awesome game, they came from behind to win it 57-54 against Oakridge. Then it was a late night dinner for Rich and I at Chillis. Saturday morning we were up early to start preparing for Christmas decorations. Rich made a mulch run for the backyard (not really Christmas related, just needed to be done) and I got the house ready to go find a tree. We went to Santa's Tree Farm in Eustis which is about 45 minutes from our house to get a tree. We went with the purpose of cutting down our own tree. However, when we got there I realized the tree farm was indeed a Florida tree farm (not sure what I was expecting) and although the trees were pretty, they did not smell like pine. So we walked around the tree farm and finally decided to go with a pre-cut northern tree. Not just any pre-cut tree by a crooked Dr. Seuss tree! We fell in love. It was 9ft tall, with two crooked trunks. We had to take it home. But before we left, a kettle corn purchase was in order and Bekah and I had to go pet animals at their petting zoo. Silly fun we had.


Once home, it was time to get ready go to dinner with friends and to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. An awesome night!


The next morning, I admit I slept until about 10:30 AM... we had lunch plans with friends at 12:30. Wonderful friends we hadn't seen in at least a year. I can't believe I'm even saying that. We just love being with them, so much fun..talking, laughing and just being ourselves. We were at the restaurant for four and a half hours! I guess that's what happens when you don't see someone for a year! Food was good, company was even better. I will not allow another year to go back before we see them again. Hopefully they will be going on a Toys for Tots motorcycle run this weekend with us.


After lunch, home we went. I made dinner, Rich put the outside lights up. Then the three of us decorated the Christmas tree in our traditional way of listening to Christmas music and enjoying Christmas cookies and eggnog. We finished up the tree at about 11:30 PM Sunday night. Our Dr. Seuss tree is beautiful!

Every ornament on our tree means something to us. Rich and I, when we first got married, made our own ornaments because we couldn't afford much or ornaments made by our children or our nieces and nephews, given to us by friends, places we traveled or the annual ornaments we pick up based on our taste that year. So many wonderful memories. This year I loved watching Bekah pick out the ornaments she made as a little girl and put them on her own section of the tree. "This is my area" she said.

It is so easy to have anxiety this time of year, the pace, economics, family, I could go on. For myself I am learning that things do not have to be perfect, the tree doesn't have to be perfectly straight and in a perfect triangle, the floor doesn't have to be needle free 24 hours a day. It's not all about the gifts, its about spending time together, fellowship with friends, helping one another (a hug & smile can do wonders!) So try to relax, people love you for you... not your house, your gift, your Christmas tree, but for you and what you mean to them.

In this crazy fun and busy weekend...
one thing stands out above all else.

It is the people we love and spend time with that matter. It is the people in our lives that make our world meaningful. Remember... "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world." - Josephine Billings

So thank you, thank you to all my friends and family for being my world and contributing to my joy!

(As you might imagine, I have lots and lots of pictures from this weekend. I am only going to post a couple for now, but will probably have to come back and add more!)

Peace & Love,
Kim