Have A Little Faith in We

Hello friends and happy Sunday! I am enjoying a little quiet time by the Christmas tree! Before you get too impressed (as I am ALWAYS so impressed when I check in on some of my fav bloggers who find themselves by the tree when it seems like they should have a lot to do…. ), I am frantically working to do lists, schedules, getting CRAZY about the week….I am just doing it all while also soaking up the beauty of our finally decorated home….and it feels good!  Danny had a little more of a bumpy week after his kidney stone surgery – but by Friday night he was feeling better and we were able to deck the halls and finally start to really feel the Christmas season. Amen!

Before we get to Christmas week though – we got to do a little rewind and get some weekend wrap ups out of the way….. so five weeks in one – away we go!

Before our whirlwind Thanksgiving change of plans, we spent the weekend pre-Thanksgiving preparing for our trip and celebrating Turkey Day with my in-laws. Friday night Danny had hockey and so I opted to avoid my on NYC trip to do list and go help my grandmother pack for her Thanksgiving down south! My cousin and her sweet little family live in North Carolina and with Ganmommy not making the journey up North for the holiday – the next best option was with her great grandbabies, Mason and Mallory!

So Friday night my mom and I got her all packed up for her Saturday depature….complete with the PERFECT sweatshirt for seeing Mason from my alma mater, George Mason.

Saturday I had to spend a lot of time on contract work. My plan was to be on 100% vacation while traveling for Thanksgiving, so I had to get a lot rolling before we jetted out of town. Luckily I had coffee and a super cute assistant to help me.

That Sunday I had signed up for a turkey trot  – which was just not going to be an option. I had been running in the morning pretty consistently….but my body was just not having success at distance or speed beyond that first mile to a mile and a half. Sigh. I was frustrated – but just could not push myself much further…..and with a long day at home plus a late night of contract work Saturday, the Turkey was gonna have to trout on its own! However – I did not want to feel like a complete loss – so I still did my own run at a home.

After running Dan and I headed to my in-laws for a mock Thanksgiving. We would not be in town – or so we thought – and our NYC Thanksgiving was going to be at a restaurant – so we figured we would get that homey Thanksgiving accomplished that Sunday. Plus – we would have a few days for leftover sandwiches. This is an important tidbit to know about me – I HATE, DESPISE, LOATHE leftovers. Always have and if I have my way….. always will. But Danny is a whiz at turning leftovers into something new – that I can even enjoy and it all started  with the very specific nature of his Turkey Sandwiches. And even I can now admit – I actually look forward to this part of Thanksgiving as a Bessette.

That night we wrapped up with mass and Dan’s hockey game that was local. It was a wonderful weekend and we were pretty excited to look forward to our week away….. that would sadly never come to be.

So you know what that means,  the next weekend – well that was hospital bound. From Tuesday 4AM until Friday Danny was in a lot of pain and needed all hands on deck round the clock at the hospital. Thankfully by the time Saturday rolled around I was able to sleep at home and enjoy Sunday morning mass and brunch with my family.  This hospital stay was a huge disappointment….and has seemed to add to the disconnect we have felt this holiday season. The beauty of the hospital stay? When we do feel frustrated or the disconnect in a big way…. we remember how hard that stay was and how lucky we are that it did finally come to an end.

The next weekend Danny and I caught up on life. After a hospital stay the house sorta looks like a tornado hit it, the mountains of laundry are every where you turn, mail is behind, cupboards are bare – you are coming off survival mode. So the weekend after Danny returns home is always about climbing back out of the hole and getting back to life as usual – cleaning, running errands, doing to dos. But even amongst the mundane to dos – we had some really fun moments too!

On Friday Bridget came over for Chinese and a Macy’s Day recap. We heard all about her trip and got a chance to relish her Senior year memories together. Bridget holds such a special place in both Danny and my hearts. She is so kind, so mature, so smart – we love having her around and enjoying new adventures just the three of us. The first summer we started dating – Bridget, Danny and I took a few day trips together to see baby tigers or play in DC and from that time forward the fun shared between us has never run out! And now as we are getting so very close to her start of college and truly the beginning of her adulthood, I really soak up these moments for all of us to just hang out. They will be gone before we know it.

Then Saturday night – we had our FIRST Christmas party of the year!! The Coopers have been hosting Christmas party for years….and with the exception of being sick – we have not missed many. This year Danny and I got dressed up, threw on the Christmas jams and met up with many of our friends to toast the official start of the Christmas season. It was a lot of fun and we are grateful for our friends who not only know how to help us laugh and make merriment….but also wanted to be part of #BessetteDaily2015 !

The following weekend we had planned for that to be our big CHRISTMAS PREP! We had our list and needed to check it twice – and then get cracking! We had plans to get our Christmas tree – one of my favorite things to do with Danny of all time. We even had a big Sunday night date planned for Old Town – the first area we ever called home as a married couple – to go to mass at our old (and favorite) church, dinner, and enjoying the beauty of the seasonal festivities. But Thursday my family frustrations hit and this weekend was spent – honestly – hiding away from the world. It was not pretty and I lost my excitement for the season pretty quick. Not fun – but I can say I was blessed with all the friends who heard of this rough patch and visited, called, reached out, I even received an electronic Starbucks gift card.  I am still in a difficult period of my life -but I am feeling very lucky to be so loved by those who choose to call themselves my people.

And that gets us to this weekend….. our last chance to get into the Christmas spirit. And ya’ll – it worked. Friday night I got home from work and crumbled a little bit. It was busy week at work – Danny had been down and out a little longer than we thought – our house was not at all ready for our guests coming to stay Saturday night or Christmas. OK – so I totally lost it. And Danny promptly told me to get up and get over it. In the moment it had felt really harsh. And I promptly let him know that….. But as he headed off to his hockey game and I took a few quiet moments alone – I realized he was right. What other choice do I have? Life is going to keep going and I can get with the program or crumble. So I got with the program.

That night I was up cleaning and decorating until 3AM. But as I crawled into bed next to my two boys that night – I was so grateful I had forged ahead. I am still not myself, but I am feeling grateful for my blessings….excited for the season…and remembering why this time of year can mean so much, it is a chance to celebrate my family. So with the best husband and little angry dog around – celebrate I shall!

Saturday we ran some errands, decorated the outside, got our tree and took a few moments to savor the season as a couple. I love decorating my home and I get that from my mom. She does an AWESOME job. Throughout the day, I had to really swallow over that lump in my throat hard as I saw more and more of my new home come together, wondering if she will be able to see it this year. No matter – my mom always does such a good job, for her family. She wants anyone who comes there for the holidays to feel the warmth and magic – and you know what? I want that for my home too…so for now I will be grateful for that gift she gave me and enjoy the time – which we really, really did.

That evening we met our friends that were staying with us, Matt and Jessica, for dinner and then all hit up a birthday party for our friend Mark. Both Matt and Mark are good friends of Danny and I from high school – so spending time with them both this Saturday and more of our high school favs, we had a really good time and decided being behind on decorating and shopping and wrapping are not the big things – celebrating the lives that grace our world – THOSE are the big things.

We made it home late that night and all hit the hay pretty hard, therefore starting the morning pretty slow. As Matt and Jessica ran errands and did their own thing as they prepared for a week with family – Danny and I caught up on what we needed to do for the week, Christmas….which meant I got stressed and promptly headed out for a run. Stress and fear sucks – but the way it helps me run so much faster and further is awesome. So that almost made it worth it. After our mornings apart – we all had lunch at our place and then they got on the road and the Bessettes all took naps!

We wrapped up the night with mass, the store, contract work planning, Christmas plotting and getting ready for the week. WHOA – it has been a whirlwind and we are gearing up for a busy holiday season too. And although we are still a little disconnected – we are committed to being happy, being grateful – and keeping running shoes close in case those emotions run high…. and you know what? That is pretty damn good for the here and now.  I have a few posts planned for the week and I hope to keep celebrating the season with all of you…. so let’s all enjoy a peaceful Sunday night and get ready for a big week!!

Thank you for reading and remember to make it a great day!
Jackie