Christmas Break Highlights: Embracing Fun and Family

I've been enjoying a wonderful Christmas break with my girls and husband. I look forward to this time every year. I'm very fortunate that my husband's company shuts down the last week of the year. It doesn't count against his vacation time, so we can count on having this time with him.

My Favorite Moments From the Week

* Christmas morning joy: Really, is there anything better than seeing their faces on Christmas morning? They are so happy and want nothing more than to play with each other. Fighting is put aside and harmony abounds. It's short-lived, but man is it sweet.

* Family bonding without the pressure: Time is proving to go way too fast, and I try to always focus on enjoying my family. But it's so much easier when there aren't any evening practices, homework assignments, rushed dinners, and tight schedules. Sometimes it seems all I do is beg them to hurry or finish an assignment.

* Getting away from it all: I work from home and am responsible for the majority of keeping the house clean, laundry, cooking, etc. My house can feel like my work place. To truly relax, I need to get away. This year we went to Williamsburg, VA and enjoyed Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. So much fun and no cleaning, cooking, and laundry fell on Mama (until we got home anyway).

* Seeing life through the eyes of children: Too often, our fast paced life robs us of the opportunity to enjoy the little things. A week full of scheduled posts and focusing on family allowed me to see the joys my children find in the simplest pleasures. A card game, making cookies together, taking a walk, or even snow. Although this year our snow came from the fake snow machine at Busch Gardens.

I won't pretend that it's been perfect, the fighting has definitely crept back into our daily existence. But a perfect family would be boring, and I'm all about the joy of imperfection.

Hope you and yours are enjoying the last week of 2011. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year's!

What has been your favorite part of the holidays so far?