Sweet's & Bittersweet's

December is half gone and it's my FAVORITE time of year and it hit me... all I've been doing is marking off my to-do list and not taking the time to 'Enjoy the Journey'.  Yes, I turn on my tree lights at night. Yes I wear my cute earmuffs when I go out. But I sat down tonight after getting my kids in bed and I hurried to finish more things on my list and then I reminded myself of something.  

A busy. buzzing. bee. I'm a buzzing bee. (Well at least I'm not barfing up honey my whole life right?) 

There's so many things I just keep doing out of routine, over and over and over again! And not one of them is fun! 

"I'm a buzzing bee," I said.

-Buy milk when we're out of it

-Make lunch, do dishes, make dinner, do dishes

-Dust the fan blades 

-Pluck hair from my body ONE by ONE

-High-five my husband

-Make my husband clean the toilets...err...well...I gotta give up SOMETHING.

-Shave my legs even though it's cold out
-Fold laundry-pfff

-Exercise
-Clip my toenails

-Write out my to do list for the next day

-Rinse-Repeat

 "I don't want to be barfing my whole life," I said to myself.  My attitude has GOT to change. Because we all know that happiness is our choice. "Make each life moment a stepping block, not a stumbling block," I repeated firmly in my mind.

So at first thought, I picture myself singing Carpenter's Christmas carols while dusting the fan blades and doing my chores...eh...I guess that could work. Maybe I could smile REAL WIDE while I put my kids back in bed the 8th time instead of threatening them that the elves are watching. Or maybe, just maybe I could clean a toilet for my husband...ok...that was even hard to type, because just Saturday I helped a group of people clean our church and they asked if I'd clean the nursery room including the bathroom... I taught my 4 year old daughter how to scrub a toilet for her first time. (Well at least I think I taught her right). 

So this is my REAL plan. I'm going to write a list.  And on this list is going to be nothing but giggles and love. Nothing BUT.

-Decorate Gingerbread Men as a family

-Take homemade bread to some widows

-Slow dance under the mistletoe (while listening to Carpenter's Christmas)

-Tickle fight the kids

-Read a book (it's been over six months since I've opened one)

-Massage my husband's feet after a long day of work while sporadically pulling his leg hair until he wrestles me

-Put jingle bells on my door

-Eat a gingerbread man while pretending like he's being tortured

-Not do dishes one day...just one

Why do we make out lists of such grueling things all the time? Or why do we not make the time for us to enjoy ourselves? Maybe if I blend the two lists together, I'll find my very happy medium. Or better, maybe if I appreciate a job well done, and have a very grateful heart, I'll build a lot of stepping stones. Being self reliant means you're being productive AND happy.  I don't want the last half of December to disappear without a single memory made.

So Merry Christmas and happy loving.

Update:
I thought I should take a moment to say that everything on my list above was accomplished by the New Year with full intent.