I would be surprised if any of you have any fewer tasks to complete before Christmas day.

I recently decided to bump up my trip back home, to West Palm Beach, FL by 3 days. With all of my husband's family out of town, we had planned our first quiet Christmas, with our children. By quiet I mean no extended family; it would undoubtedly be rather loud with just us! My oldest son has traveled ahead of us while the other 5 children and I are expected the day after Christmas to visit with my family. My husband, Jae, is unable to go because of work. He ever-so-selflessly suggested the idea to surprise my mom on Christmas Eve. (Secretly I believe it's because of his long-time dream of eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas will have to do.) She was going to drive here on Christmas day in order to help me drive back there, just to have us all with her.

Last Christmas was the first that my mom would have spent sans 2 of her grown children and grandchildren. But, a family reunion in Texas brought all of us together, including my brother who had recently joined the Army and was stationed in Arizona.

The trip from Greenville, MS, to West Palm Beach, FL, is almost 16 hrs, NOT including pit stops. Having made the trip alone with 2-3 kids, I find it easiest to break the drive into 2 days. So, we'll be stopping at a hotel in the FL panhandle.

So, I'm suddenly down to 3 days to clean, launder, pack, bake Christmas goodies, and make our Christmas happen (this saturday). I am right-brained and not a good multi-tasker, so I will have to be very organized over the next couple of days. That will involve making myself ridiculously detailed lists and schedules. Jae will laugh as he is a fabulous multi-tasker.

My plan is to have praise and worship music audible in every room of the house. Giving God glory throughout a busy day full of MY plans always makes things goes much better.

From today's Bible-reading:

Psalm 108:12-13 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. (even if those enemies are just every-day problems)

Blessings,

Erin