Mamas make Christmas

 

If Christmas were a Broadway production, the Mamas would be the producers, directors, stage managers, and the entire crew backstage—while the Daddies would be seated comfortably in the audience, offering helpful commentary like, “Looks great, honey,” without ever leaving their seats.

Let’s be honest. If it weren’t for the Mamas, no gifts would mysteriously appear on Amazon and then magically migrate into the house. They wouldn’t be wrapped with care, topped with curly ribbon, and tucked lovingly under the tree. They’d still be sitting in an online cart somewhere, waiting for a Daddy to remember his password.

Without Mamas, there would be no sugar cookies shaped like stars, angels, and something that was supposed to be a reindeer but looks more like a confused squirrel. No flour-dusted counters. No sprinkles in places sprinkles should never be. Certainly no taste-testing “just to make sure they’re good.”

Stockings? Please. Without Mamas, they’d still be folded neatly in a storage bin labeled “Seasonal,” because the Daddies were busy watching football or knee-deep in a garage project that absolutely had to be finished right before kickoff.

Yes, many Daddies do bravely attempt the holiday honey-do list. Some even cross a few things off. Others stare at it thoughtfully, nod with confidence, and then… somehow end up reorganizing the tool drawer instead.

Every now and then, there’s a Daddy who steps in and handles the Christmas prep like a pro. We applaud those rare and magical creatures. Truly. But most years, God clearly knew what He was doing when He gave Mamas extra stamina, an internal to-do list, and the ability to function on three hours of sleep and leftover cookie dough.

Mamas stay up late and rise early, making Christmas merry and bright. They wrap gifts in secret, assemble toys with instructions written in five languages, and silently thank the delivery drivers who bring not only presents but also dinner—especially when tipped just right.

So here’s a big, jingling, tinsel-covered shoutout to the Mamas. The magic-makers. The cookie-bakers. The gift-wrappers. Without them, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas at all.

It would just be another night—with the TV on, the garage light glowing, and no cookies in sight.

Impromtu getaways are the best!

It was an overcast day and we were bored, so we got in the car and started driving. Where to go? What to do? We were on an adventure! 

Our first stop was to a new little coffee shop in a nearby town. It was quaint and tucked in an out of the way place. We went in and ordered coffee along with a pastry for each of us, then got cozy in some nice chairs toward the back of the shop. After chatting a bit, we headed out still unsure of where we were headed. 

Clouds were building and we wondered if it was going to rain. As we passed beautiful farm land, we decided to try for Callaway Gardens. This time of year it would be lush and green. Flowers would be in bloom and it would probably have many tourists, but we wanted to go anyway. 

The more we thought about it, the more we realized we wanted to spend the entire day there, but we'd failed to pack a lunch. No problem, Dollar General to the rescue! Though not our typical preference for picking up lunch items, we knew we'd only need a few things - some bread, PB&J, chips, and drinks. In and out in less than 10 minutes, we were on our way. 

When we got to the gardens, the sky grew even darker. We decided to find a covered picnic table just in case it started to rain. We drove to the beach area and found a great spot. As we ate, we watched some brave youngsters swimming. They were having so much fun and reminded me of a time from my childhood when one of my aunts took me swimming in a lake. I loved it and had the best time!

After lunch, we packed up our trash and headed to some favorite parts of the garden. We loved Mr. Cason's garden, the Discovery Center, and the Butterfly house and normally tried to visit those each time we came. We also loved the chapel but didn't get there today because of the changing weather but were thankful we got to enjoy some of the beautiful scenery before we had to go. 

On our way home, we were almost in a wreck! It started to drizzle and then the rain began coming down harder. Suddenly, a large deer jumped out in front of the car and scared us half to death. Thank goodness my husband was paying close attention and reacted quickly. If he hadn't slammed on the brakes, we would have damaged our car, killed the deer, and possibly have both been injured! It was quite an eventful day.  

We were glad to pull into the driveway. While it's always nice to take those unplanned trips, coming home always feels good. I wonder where we'll go tomorrow? Time will tell! 

It's nice to be able to come and go whenever we please. When we were younger, we were constrained by our jobs. Life is short so we're trying to make the most of each day. It's so hard to watch the days pass faster and faster. Can you believe we're already coming to the end of the first week of June?  

 

Cruise packer needed!

 

I wonder if there's such a thing as a professional cruise packer. I mean, we have personal shoppers for just about everything now, surely there's someone who's great at packing and is making money doing it, right? Well, if there is such a service, I wish I'd known about it and signed up for it months ago!

I am not a good packer. Usually, I tend to overpack. I want to make sure I have any and everything I could possibly need, no matter what. Thankfully, I have a suitcase scale, otherwise, I'd always be well over the 50-pound limit. Right now, I'm at 43 and have a couple more things to put in...

But this is supposed to be fun, they said. So why have I been running around like a chicken with her head cut off all morning trying to consider every tiny possibility that could come up and what I might need for it? Why is my husband's suitcase always so easy to pack? He never has to do anything to get ready for a trip except load the bags into the car. I wish I was so lucky!

I know it will all come together, it always does, but I wish I could revert to my camping days. Back then, I knew how to keep my pack light. I only took what I absolutely needed because I knew I was going to be hiking with that pack on my back. I think the heaviest pack I ever took was 35 pounds and part of that weight was from the backpack's frame, my tent, and sleeping bag. Very few of those pounds were actual clothing items or small essentials. 

Maybe I can breathe easy after we've boarded the ship. How I long to look out over the ocean and at a beautiful sunrise or sunset! 

This first cruise better be worth it! It's sure been a hassle getting ready for it. Too bad I didn't think about hiring a professional. And that little checklist up there in the corner of this post, it doesn't have half the things I think you need for a 7-day cruise. But that's just my opinion. We'll see. 

When we come back, I'll give an update. Maybe I packed way too much, maybe I packed just enough. Who knows?! At least I won't have to iron anything. 

Getting ready for the big day!

 

In just a few more days, we'll be on the open sea. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. 

I never thought I'd take a cruise, but after hubby retired, that was one of the first things on his bucket list. 

I've perused websites to find packing lists and think I've gotten all of the essential cruise items. Now packing them will be a challenge, especially since the ship has specific requirements on luggage including weight, width, and depth. 

Thankfully, we won't be taking this trip alone! My youngest daughter and her fiancé will be joining us. They've cruised before and know what to expect so we'll let them be our guides. 

It will be nice to leave the chilly, rainy weather here behind. We're looking forward to the warmer tropical climate ahead. And I can't wait to take hundreds of photos. I'm a huge photography buff and am excited about visiting places I've never been before and seeing things I've never seen before. 

I doubt if hubby and I will take part in all the party events offered on the ship. We'll probably spend more time relaxing on our balcony or sunning on the adults only Serenity deck while the younger ones socialize. 

This cruise is a test run. If we enjoy it, we'll more than likely take more cruises in the near future. Hubby wants us to return to Alaska. Last time we were there, we were working 14-hour days during a mission trip. We'd gone to Alaska during the long daylight time of year and had much to accomplish. There were only 2 days we got to enjoy sightseeing. One of those days was spent visiting the North Pole and the other was touring Denali National Park. 

Alaska is a gorgeous state and while I'd love to go back, I'm not sure I want to cruise through glaciers. When I think of that, my brain says, "Remember the Titanic?!" 

I'm trying hard to get excited, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe after I've packed all the bags, checked off all my things on the to do list, and have a chance to breathe, the reality of the trip might sink in. Yikes! I said sink! I didn't mean to say that. 

If you think about it, say a little prayer for us. Pray for our safety as we travel to the port and for our safety as we travel abroad. I won't be able to post until we return, so hang in there. I promise I'll share pics and news when we return.