Christmas in Michigan

This past week the line from the song Home for Christmas keeps replaying in my head...."I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams!" Granted, I was just home last week for an early Christmas but there is just something about being away from family on the actual holiday, but good news for me, I feel like Christmas is already done because we celebrated early! Here are some of my favorite recaps

Downtown Chicago with my sister and mom.

Some of the college gang at Katie and Trav's wedding.

With the niece and nephews for family Christmas

With Cardale and Abe

Caleb in his Packers jersey. I think that's the best Christmas gift I've given so far

Happy Birthday, buddy!

 Being home always ends up a little stressful because there are so many people I want to see and spend time with, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. However, I was with my family alot and that's most important. Wednesday I went to my sisters to see the chilluns and an orphan choir my sister has been involved with. I got to spend some quality time with Isaac and played a mean trick on him by making him think he broke the car window (long story) and I have decided I definitely have some Batts in me because teasing and tricks are a large memory I have of my grandpa and uncles on that side of the family =) He thought it was funny after I told him it was a joke (I think ;) The orphan choir was awesome to see as well. You can't help but get tears in your eyes thinking about what they have lost at such a young age and pray that God would move the hearts of those who hear their story to action.
My mom, sister and I went downtown Chicago on Friday because I haven't been there for a long time and they appeased my craving by going along with it ;) It was a long day of good food, shopping and quality time with them. Saturday was my friend Katie's wedding. I feel like every time I go home it's for a wedding but it's so great because alot of my friends are there so I can see a whole bunch of people in one day =) Sunday was our family Christmas, obviously a great day. Caleb was my favorite part of the day- he gave Nate and Stacy presents that were so funny, but so sweet because he wanted to take part in the giving. I had been brainstorming a good gift for him and knowing his love for the Packers, set out to find a cheap jersey. Thank goodness for amazon.com and my parents for going in on the gift with me, because we found a reasonable Aaron Rodgers jersey that he loves! He told me it was his favorite gift, so far =) I love giving Christmas gifts, but especially when you know how much they love the gift. Score one for me ;) I love my niece and nephews so much and it's difficult being so far away from them and missing out on every day life with them. Sometimes my heart hurts just thinking about them. They are such a joy to me and I'm so thankful God has blessed our family with their cute little selves. I love that Isaac still can't say his r's and l's =) 
Monday night our family celebrated Cardale's birthday, another one of God's great blessings to our family. He is such a fun little guy who is so loving and determined, and his little brother Abe is the smiliest baby I know! How God orchestrated Jenn and my friendship and all the things to come after that is so amazing to me. Tuesday was a day of catching up with my good friends Emmie and Nicole and then dinner with the gang at Fridays- yum! I am so grateful for all my friends, but those two are so real and caring that I just crave being with them! 
Ahh and then Wednesday, awful Wednesday haha. I flew back to Denver, was in a great mood about being back home, took Katie and Trav to the airport (they were "mini-mooning" in Denver) went to the chiropractor and was on my way to a friends Christmas party and bam, car accident. Suck! Ah, the tears and stress of it all. My poor family had some good teary phone calls about how this crap always happens and I'm over it! (never mind that it was my fault haha) I really am over it now and had a great couple of nights at work and got invited to a couple from churches house for Christmas which totally lifted my spirits. 
Last night I worked and it was a horrible night- after about a month of loving my job, I have a night like that and want to quit right then and there. But this post is about Christmas, so moving on =) I'm kinda looking forward to my first Christmas away from home- my friends from my small group at church invited me to their house to bake and spend time together, and then I'm going to my friend Pants apartment to eat Christmas cookies, watch Christmas movies and then she goes to work and I go to church. Until then, you can find me obsessively listening to Michael W. Smith and Amy Grants old Christmas albums =) Merry Christmas, ya'll!