You guys! This is my final post of 2012! I am always sad to say goodbye to the old year, and excited about the new year, but I long ago gave up on New Year’s Eve properly representing my feelings about the transition. That holiday has let me down too many times, and I’m not even a little bit sad that we’ll be flying across the country on New Year’s Eve, with our plane touching down at midnight. 

We attended Christmas Eve mass with my side of the family, where Graham loudly proclaimed the children’s rendition of the holy family’s story “not as good” as the Christmas program he had seen a few days before. If you’re going to get your baby Jesus on, step up your game around my kids. Apparently.

I learned some important lessons this Christmas, which I shared in my Post-Christmas Analysis, like how to get your family to think you’re pregnant, and how not to steal Christmas gift thunder.

While we were at the in-laws, we ladies dumped our pile of kids with the men and got pedicures. It was awesome, and not just because I got a butt massage.

The Crock Pot Thursday recipe was White Bean and Kielbasa Stew. I didn’t make it because we were traveling, but since the families that did make it loved it, we’ll be making it very soon.

Lily was rock, rock, rocking away in this adorable rocking chair made by her great-great-grandfather, saying “Grandma, you can’t sit in this chair anymore because your bottom is way too big.“

This chair has been loved by my husband’s family for sixty some years.

My in-laws had to band one of their bull calves this past week. This entails slipping a rubber band over his balls, which causes them to shrivel up and fall off in two to four weeks. Since all kinds of animal mothers are kindred spirits, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the momma separated from her baby, even though it was only for a few minutes. I imagine if I wasn’t a mother, or if I had balls, my sympathy would be for that poor little castrated calf.

I came up with an amazing idea for a blog post after a few hours at the bar, but I can’t remember it because it didn’t get written down. If I retrace my steps will it come back to me? Pass the Fireball and let’s find out.

The Doctor resealed his mom’s grout, and I gotta tell you: There is something very sexy about a man on his hands and knees scrubbing his mom’s floor. Yeah, baby. Reseal that grout.

On the last day of our trip, three of our relatives threw up within a 12 hour period. I always get a little stressed about traveling across the country with my kids, but the anticipation of a stomach bug adds a fun anxious element. I packed everyone an extra change of clothes (two for the kids) and said a prayer that if we were gonna get sick to pretty please hold it off until we got home.

The team at Aiming Low called one of my older posts “mucho haha” and featured it this week. I’m never going to get tired of seeing my words on sites I love. Starting this blog was the coolest thing that happened this year, and I am so thankful for those of you that support me by reading and commenting. It makes my heart sing!