A December Update*

Has it really been a month since I lugged my desk up the basement stairs by myself and created my little kitchen nook so that I can write more often?

(I still LOVE my kitchen nook, in case you were wondering. It’s my fav.)

We’ve had a wonderful, busy month. Just after I last wrote I scrubbed my house from top to bottom to prepare for a visit with the Hubster’s mom! She flew in for a few days at the end of November and it was so lovely to have her here. We packed in as much as we possibly could during her time here, and we had so much fun. I have always wanted my kids to have strong bonds with their grandparents, so it warms my heart right through when I saw how much my sweet Ruby loves her grandma.

It just feels like we’ve had a lot on the go these past few weeks. We squeezed in quick visit with my family and a wonderful family lunch to celebrate what would have been my grandmother’s 99th birthday. She passed away in July, and I find myself missing her just a little more this time of year. We were able to get together with some extended family that I don’t see often, and it was so nice to get to know them a little better.

I also ran my fourth race! We ran a “Santa Shuffle” as a family, and I can honestly say it was my best race yet. For some reason the course ended up being only 4km instead of 5, but I felt so strong and had a good, consistent pace through out. I think my official time would have been below 35minutes if it had been a full course! This new coaching app I’m using has been amazing. I’m running better for longer distances and I feel SO GOOD. More on this soon.

And since then it’s been a whirlwind of baking and Christmas prep! I finally finished writing (and editing) our Christmas letter, and we spent a few nights getting them ready to be sent out. We mailed a few to our immediate families, and we tested out an e-version this year. I am personally such a fan of real mail–especially at Christmas–but now that stamps are $1 a piece, it was going to cost us almost $80 just to mail them… and it’s just a little more than I can part with right now! So hopefully it worked out okay, and maybe we can just rent out a carrier pigeon or something.

Other than that, it’s been an exciting few days around here. Ruby’s speech (and sense of humor) has progressed at a crazy pace. She speaks in full sentences and she understands SO much more than I sometimes think she does. She is obsessed with the dark and loves to play hide and seek with her Dad. (And yes. They are playing right now.)

For two months Hank the Tank has been doing this army-type crawl that looks like he is crawling through a war trench, but in the last few days he finally figured out the “real” way and is really starting to move around. He is also climbing and trying SO hard to climb the stairs. I don’t think it will be long before my “small” boy will be standing on his own!

It’s been a busy, wonderful few weeks, and my only lament is that I’m struggling to find time to run on a regular. The days are so short right now, and it’s hard to get out while it’s still light out. I know it’s temporary, but I really miss it. I can’t wait until the days are a little longer and a little less busy.

Well, I’m off to rest for a bit… I’ve had a mild case of mastitis through the weekend and I’m a bit wiped. I’m very thankful it wasn’t as bad as last time, but I have decided it’s time to wean the Tank, come hell or high water. Wish me luck!