With a heart full of memories and sand in the floorboard of the car, we made it home.

More importantly, we survived the week back in school with the kids.

You’ll be happy to know that we are bathing in Christmas spirit over here. I can’t tell you the last time we had our tree up before Christmas – if at all.

Monday night we told Alexa to play Christmas music, cranked up the volume and serenaded the decorations as they made their way down from the attic. Everyone in the house participated (yes, even Papa Jack). We danced, laughed and argued over where the ornaments should go.

You won’t see our tree on the pages of Southern Living Magazine, but it’s special to us. The ornament pictured above is the only one mom won’t hang on the tree. My brother, JP, made it for her before he died. She sits it on the mantle so it doesn’t get broken. How it hasn’t been broken in this house is beyond me.

I’m sitting here now in front of a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. The living room is lit up and smells like peppermint. JP on my left and Preston on my right…

Just kidding!

They’re in their rooms playing Fortnite. Honestly, it’s killing the Leave It To Beaver holiday vibe, but such is life with two boys.

Anyway. I just wanted to drop in and let you know that we are experiencing all the December feels for the first time in a long time and I look forward to posting photos from all of our adventures this month.