I decided something today...but before I tell you what I've decided, let me tell you about this week.

Great week. A bit of a "downer" time on Monday and Tuesday which is typical after a Musical or ZOE or anything you put months into preparing. It's over in an hour or a weekend. But, I'm used to it, and so is my family so they treat me gently the days following.

Life goes on, however, and so does the need to Christmas shop, plan worship for Sunday, continue ZOE preparations, try to get your house ready for Christmas, and so on and so on.

Lex and I managed to sneak in a few hours to shop together for the kids. A snippet of time here and there. Nothing fun and romantic like the "old days"...whatever the heck that means. Just times of necessity and "let's get this done quickly before we have to be at the next thing" kind of deal.

Our house is finally looking like Christmas after I made the big mistake of asking "Do you kids even want to put a tree up this year?" Of course, I plead insanity because it was Monday (the dark day after the Musical) that I asked this question. I knew I had made a HUGE error in judgment when my sweet daughter began her response by saying..."The fact that you would even ask that question..." (it went on from there) So, the tree went up, and I'm so glad it did.

Lex said it looks like a Christmas Elf exploded in our home. That's a compliment.

Avery has taken Driver's Education all this week and Ashley has worked so between trying to work and be the perfect Christmas wife and mother, I've driven them back and forth all week...in "week before Christmas" traffic.

Have you read anything yet about all the baking I've done? No. Why? you ask...Why hasn't this woman who bakes when she's happy, bakes when she's nervous, bakes when she's sad...why hasn't she baked?

I've not had one second to bake.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is...you guessed it...baking. Baking and visiting people and sharing the baked yummies. Not this year. In fact, not since I've had a Christmas Musical has the baking been done to my satisfaction. (this will be the 4th year).

I stood looking at all the sugar, flour, choc chips, white choc, peppermint sticks, butter, peanut butter, just waiting to be made into baskets of love for our friends and here's what I decided. (bet you thought I'd never get to the point...)

I'm going to be a New Year's baker. Yes...New Year goodies. I know Christmas is the traditional time, but I can't do it...so, the week between Christmas and New Year, I will bake and share with my friends. The only difference will be when I deliver it I will say Happy New Year instead of Merry Christmas!

I feel better.