Monday through Wednesday

School. Is. Over.

This Monday through Wednesday was tough, my friends. The kids were already checked out since Saturday, and, let's face it, so were we. Proof? I'm going to 4 holiday parties in four days' time, plus, a cookie exchange. Lesson? Teachers who teach 6 days a week, coach, do dinner duties, have advisees, do dorm duties and are a part of other committees apparently work hard and party harder.

I love this season for obvious reasons: Christ's ultimate representation of love and humility, the family time, the rest from work, the special Church services, the carols, the holiday cookies (ginger snaps = Heaven), the snow, the fireplaces (or just snuggling up under warm blankets), the hot drinks, the outdoor lights, the gifts prepared in secret, the excitement for everything people are looking forward to: gifts, parties, family time, concerts.

But I find that this is also a season of extremes: some people are extremely excited and others are very sad. Holidays are bittersweet when we can't be with those we love, when we miss family members or friends who have passed away, when there's tension in families. So it's important we are all sensitive to one another and show extra grace and kindness.

In the dorm, there's been a lot of highs and lows because seniors are getting word back from the universities they've applied to. In the last week or 10 days, we've heard A LOT of squealing/jumping up and down/screaming in the dorm and we've seen some tears. Thankfully, the 4 girls for whom I wrote recommendation letters all got in to their first choice school. Yay!

And now the dorm is quiet and peaceful. We take off tomorrow for Matt's parents' house. Matt's lost all motivation for work today (yay!) which means there's plenty of options: take a bike ride around the park, watch a movie, wrap presents, go to the mall, have our own little Christmas together, read, ahhh. So nice.