Christmas is around the corner!

Where is the pause button?

How can it be that we are now just 3 more sleeps away from Christmas! It didn't help that the first work week back from Cabo was insane and a definite 'welcome back to the real world'. We had 400 press kits to physically assemble, stuff, complete and ship off to the US and Europe, as well as 60 media from Europe to entertain in our studio. Busy was an understatement.

But ever since we got back, it has been a go go go and full steam ahead in getting ready for Christmas! This year it seemed extra insane. Maybe it's the combination of being super busy at work, non stop parties or activities on the weekend (not just one thing a day, usually two events a day!), and trying to get as much shopping done in the span of 1.5 hours every other night (I'd usually go straight after dinner until the stores would close at 9pm), and then every other night wrapping or making cards. It doesn't help that I hardly ever go shopping, so when I went out at night trying to figure out what to get people... it felt very overwhelming! But look, we're here now and it's all done! I'm soooo happy and relieved that the cards are sent, gifts are bought and wrapped, I'm done work for the year and I can finally officially be 'on' Christmas vacation mode! :)

Next year, I need to get tips from Mon and have all my shopping done by the end of November! That, and online shopping... that is the way to go! :)

But onto the good stuff... the reason I love Christmas season... the time we get to spend with our friends and family!
In early December, Grammy and Grampy came over for a visit and we got to check out Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt hotel. Even though the Gingerbread houses were amazing, the biggest highlight for Megan and Nora was riding up and down the escalators!

The Yorks hosted our annual friends Christmas potluck and what a lot of fun watching the kids hang out together! It's great too b/c at this age, they all could pretty much entertain one another that a lot of uninterrupted adult conversations were taking place! Even Lily and Ben had plenty of time to chit chat together :)

This week, Maya came over to stay on her own at Grandpa Bear and Grandma Pat's place, so it has been quite the highlight for Nora and Lily. Nora, especially loves hanging out with Maya, and really looks up to her. Every now and then, Maybe brings Nora out from the room, and together they have some sort of dance routine or song to sing to us, SO sweet! We TRIED for a sleepover one night (Nora only), and it all seemed like it was going to work out... but then we got the call at 9:30pm that our little girl wanted to come home... awww another time Nora! (Luckily we are only a 5 min drive away too!).

Since Maya is heading back home for Christmas, she asked if the girls could open their presents early in front of her...and boy, do I have some lucky girls. They each got a sock monkey, hand made by their big cousin Maya. Nice job Maya, the girls love it!

And now for the best part. In all the business of getting things prepped for Christmas, this is what I truly can't wait for on Christmas morning! We let the girls open one of their gifts tonight (they really are getting spoilt with so many gifts!), and the pure joy and excitement in Nora's eyes was so so priceless!

So, hope everyone gets their moment to really enjoy the company they're with and to have a wonderful Christmas! And if you have kids... LIVE IT and LOVE IT!! They are so special!