Grateful....

In light of what is going on with Karin and her family, I felt the need to spend the entire day with the kids. I think we all take family and togetherness for granted. I think we get caught up in our every day lives and don't ever live like we should. Karin honestly thought that she would share many Christmases with her babies and look where she is.....we can pray for a miracle, which is what I am doing. I am going to try and look at each day as a gift from God-exactly what it is. We will never know how is His plan will unfold and we certainly can't go back and do things differently. Live for the moment.

Anyway, we got up yesterday, got dressed, and went downtown to have breakfast at the Corner Room with Santa. I don't think there is a year we have missed it. The kids grumbled and whined-all of which I ignored :) We got our favorite table and a picture with all of us with Santa (seeing that Bella HATES the magical man). Then we went and heard the Polar Express at the library and took a ride on the Polar Express to Santa's workshop where all the kids got to spend their special coin on a Christmas present (amazingly, this was all in a 20 foot radius-who knew Santa's workshop was in our town!!!!!). After that, we drove to our favorite restaurant in the next town-we used to go there all the time when I was pregnant for Elisabeth-I would throw up on the way, eat, and then throw up all the way home!!! Amazingly, she LOVED the spaghetti?!?!

All in all, we had a wonderful day as a family. I never stopped praying and thinking about Karin and what she is going to miss and what her children are going to miss. I am so grateful for what I have.....