We decorated for Christmas today. Early? Nah, not here. I love having the decorations up as long as possible, and I can't handle having them up after Christmas. It was pretty much a zoo today, trying to handle very breakable nativities, lights, and other not-so-kid-friendly stuff. I was so grateful to my in-laws for giving us a bunch of Christmas play-skool toys last year. The kids loved them, and it ended up being one of those days when you realize that one year before so much was different. We were watching Abby play with the toys, and we realized that last year Cooper was her age, and she wasn't even here.

I was sorting through pictures and I came to this one. How fun it was to see both our kids in the back seat in their little Halloween costumes. I hope that I treasure these crazy times the way that I should. Each experience is different, and usually a challenge, but each is definitely worth it. This year has taught us that life is not without challenges, and no one person can truly understand the challenges of others, but we can all be compassionate and loving.

Happy Thanksgiving and onto Christmas!