Christmas Ain't for Sissies

Thanks for one of my favorite gifts, Mom! Love it!

Christmas is wonderful, joyous, and full of fun, but let's face it, it ain't for sissies. Our presents have been opened. The wrapping paper has been collected and thrown out. We've enjoyed multiple feasts, parties, and holiday merrymaking. And now.....we're tired!

I want you to know that even though you may feel that much of the planning, execution, and follow-through that went into your holiday went unnoticed, I know you worked hard. Here's to you, my dear sisters! Let me thank you for all your tremendous holiday efforts.

• For the two loads of laundry you did on Christmas (one in the wee hours of the morning when your preschooler yelled out "help! I have pee pee on me!" and the other so that your family could wear their awesome new clothes to church tomorrow), thank you.
• For the 5,000 times you loaded and unloaded the dishwasher in the past two days, thank you.
• For the lists made, grocery shopping endured, and unloading of groceries, thank you.
• For the abuse you've put your oven through in the past weeks, baking, roasting, sputtering and spattering, thank you.
• For the thought you put in to the "perfect" gifts, the wrapping, the sending, all so your immediate family members can say "your welcome" when thanked for a gift they've never seen, purchased or even imagined, thank you.
• For the creativity and care you put into making your home into a North Pole wonderland, thank you.
• For attending and hosting parties for folks you vaguely know, thank you.
• For answering endless questions about baby Jesus, reindeer, St. Nick, and the movie Cars, thank you.
• For stuffing a few veggies in your fridge that's currently overflowing with yummy/unhealthy holiday fare, thank you.
• For accurately informing your children of the answer to, "how much longer 'till Christmas?", thank you.
• For scavenging a family pic where everyone is sort of smiling, uploading it, ordering your photo card, addressing, stamping, and sending out your cards, thank you.
• For teaching your child the words to "Away in a Manger" so he can stare blankly at the church congregation during childrens' choir, thank you.
• For the sugar addiction you will need to break yourself and your children of, thank you.
• For making the call to the Radio Flyer company (who goes on Christmas vacation quite early, by the way) when you've assembled a rockin' read wagon only to find that the last screw hole won't line up right, thank you. (Thanks to to my wonderful hubby for drilling a new hole. Worked like a charm!)
• For keeping track of which family members you still need to call, call back, or screen calls from, thank you.
• For rarely being seen in pics because you're the one taking them, thanks. (This is a good thing in my case, because I don't need photographic evidence of my mismatched pj-wearing, gnarly hair-sporting, Christmas morning 'look'.)

For all you've done, and for all you do each and every day, let me be one of many to say THANK YOU!

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ “Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

(Proverbs 31: 27-31)