little blessings.

Hi everyone, and Merry Christmas! I hope you all had an incredible day filled with blessings! I didn't get to spend the holidays with my family this year (which was so weird), but we talked on the phone throughout the day so it definitely felt like we were together! I did, however, get to spend most of the day with Claire, which was glorious. She even helped me open presents while I was on the phone with my mom and sister. And can I just say how brave my aunt was to send me another new pair of slippers? Claire has a fascination with slippers and can't resist tearing them up. Seriously, in the past three years, she has shredded more than six pairs. You would think I'd remember to put them away so she couldn't get to them, right? Well, I'm determined to keep this pair around for awhile. Of course, I barely got them unwrapped before Claire bounded over and tried to take them from me... I think she has some kind of radar or something, because she is ridiculously drawn to them. I've never seen anything like it. Anyway, not only was I blessed to be able to chat with my family throughout the day, but I also got to spend time with some friends who couldn't go home this year, either. We had dinner and dessert together last night, which was wonderful. Claire was invited too, but I decided that Otis (our houseguest) could use some company while I went out for a few hours of "adult time", so the kids stayed at home ;)

As for a Christmas miracle, I got mine a day late but it was not a moment too soon! I was on my way to drop off Claire at school this morning and had just turned off the highway when I realized that I had a flat tire - and no man to help me, no Triple A membership, and no idea if I even had a spare in my trunk. Thankfully, I was only a quarter of a mile away from Firestone, so I rolled on down the street and pulled in. They didn't have anyone waiting, so they got me right in. Because I hadn't had a chance to drop off Claire at school yet, I asked if she could come in while they fixed my car. The manager was so nice and said that he didn't have a problem with it, so she was really excited to go and make some new friends in the waiting area. And guys, let me brag for a second: she was an absolute ANGEL. She sat quietly right in front of me and I gave her a little puppy massage while we waited. I was so proud of her excellent behavior! Unfortunately, the guys couldn't patch my tire (and I actually ended up needing TWO new ones), so when I realized that it was going to take awhile, I took a chance and called Stacey, the owner of Claire's daycare. Oddly enough, Stacey wasn't completely swamped with work when I called, and she was incredibly sweet to come and pick up Claire to take her to school. I mean, if you're going to get a flat, there's no better circumstance! When I finally was able to make it to work, I was just so grateful for all of the help that I didn't even mind the unforeseen expense!

What did you all do for the holidays? Any Christmas miracles for you?