Where has the time gone?

Sadly, it has been a few months since I last posted. I am not saying that people are waiting on pins and needles for the next post, but this is sort of my attempt at a journal for my boys. I am terrible at diaries, and my handwriting is pathetic. Typing/blogging is my best option for getting down my thoughts and recordings of our life as I see it. The boys might have other memories of how things went down but I am the mom so what I say is truth:)
So to catch up - It is early February and Christmas has come and gone. We were blessed to see all the extended family this year during the holidays. We hosted some and were hosted by others. We had a jolly time!
We celebrated Christmas a little early this year with the whole Chism family. To kick the festivities off, we did the Polar Express Train ride in Branson, MO. My kiddos have seen the movie and liked it but my brother in-law, his wife, and children LOVE the movie. So the idea of trains, hot chocolate, cookies, Santa Claus, and the mystique of the Polar Express sounded like a wonderful way to begin our holiday. And really, it was. Somehow during the boarding process, we snaked seats in this upper section of the the train car. There were so many of us (7 adults, 1 girl and 6 boys) that no one else thought it a safe or sane idea to join us up there. They were all VERY smart people. So, we had this whole area to ourselves. The kiddos could roam freely, somewhat and just enjoy the magic of the lights and sounds of Christmas. Although the ticket prices are definitely something you have to plan for, it was really a special night that I know most of the kiddos (Mac's just 9 months so he gets a pass:)) will remember...and the adults too. The rest of the weekend was full of food, presents, and laughs. We really had a great time just being, eating, and making Christmas memories.
On Christmas Eve, my side of the family came to NWA to celebrate. It is the first time in several years that we have all been together on Christmas. We usually celebrate in hitches. (Plane tickets are cheaper that way;)) So it was really special to get to celebrate with some of our usual family of 6 traditions with a family of 9 and then family of 13. We were crowded but it was fun. Will and I prepared yummy sweets for our guests. He wasn't interested in helping with the real food. He just was frank about it and told me that "desserts were his thing, not vegetables". (And I thought he was hangin' in the kitchen to be with his mom. Now I know it was really about licking the bowl:)) Anyway, the weekend was simple but wonderful. Because Nana & Pawpaw currently live in Florida, when they come to visit, we kind of just "be". We don't go out much. Again, Nana and Pawpaw live in FL so they although they love time with the grandkids, they ain't lovin' December in Arkansas. We played the game Pit which was a lot of fun. It is a great game because it takes all of about 2 minutes to explain, and it is pretty kid friendly. My niece and nephew played with us. My nephew is 9 and from time to time would not play exactly straight. I am not sure that was because he is 9 and not totally getting the game. I think he got the game but used his age to his advantage. In the end, we laughed until we tinkled, ate until we were miserable, and loved until we couldn't stand it anymore:)
Our Christmas was merry. We spent time with family. We talked about Jesus birth and celebrated it with cake. We enjoyed the magic of the season. We were blessed!