Busy

Whether it's a quick phone conversation, the cashier at Target that knows me by name, or a text from a friend, I always have the same answer when someone asks me how I've been. "Busy." What a boring answer. Albeit truthful, it sounds as if I shove everything I do on a daily basis into a paper bag and scribble the word "busy" on it, and pass it out to anyone that asks. Am I too busy to really say how I am? To give a detailed account of how work is going? What the kids have been doing?

I was reading Kelle Hampton's blog yesterday and you should, too.  She said it perfectly: http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/11/busybody.html

So, as I shift my mindset to try and focus on the individual, not-so-busy moments that fill up our days, it's easy to see what makes our days go by so quickly.  We had two of my brothers and their families here after Thanksgiving and also Kevin's older brother, Todd. It was so nice to be surrounded by family, jumping from talking about soccer and football games, to promising each other we would plan a snowboarding/skiing trip. Just like his adventurous self, Kevin and my nephews tried to chop down a dead tree in our yard by pulling it down with a rope.  When they failed (it was a lot bigger than they thought, I believe!) Kevin made a ropes course by tying the rope to several trees.  It kept the kids busy for quite a while, while the babies and the adults sat on the screened porch and chatted.  The weather was beautiful.  I don't know if it followed my family from the Outer Banks, but it sure did remind me of the beautiful place that I came from.

We ate hershey bar cake, pizza, and Chick-fil-A. We played the Wii, went shopping, and made Christmas plans.  We enjoyed being around each other.  We enjoyed being a family.  We certainly weren't too busy for each other. We were busy with each other.  It was an awesome busy.

(I tried to get a few pictures of my children in front of the Christmas tree...but it wasn't working in my favor.)

Sadie Claire unrolling the Christmas ribbon!

The girls - I love how everyone is doing something different. It definitely shows their personalities!

Added Landon in...and a few silly faces! 

Reagan trying to eat the wooden garland!

I'm sure she was singing us a Christmas tune! ;)

I'll never be too busy to just be.