Merry Christmas! Love, The Hoffs....oh wait- we are already well into January. It's been a while since I have blogged. I think all my blogs are starting out with that same sentence. I really do have the best intentions. The holidays made things a little crazier so that could be my excuse this time. I will have to think of something better for next time. We did have a wonderful holiday season.

Christmas 2010 was spent in Memphis, TN with my mom and her family. It was wonderful. It even warmed up at the end of the week for us. We had a few days where we didn't even need jackets and that is definitely a nice change for us Northerners. My mom took the whole week off work so we could spend some quality time together. Oh my mom! There are so many wonderful things about her. In the morning I love the aroma of coffee that fills her house. That is one smell that will always remind me of my mom and my childhood. Funny that I don't like the taste of coffee, only the smell.

Other things I love about my mom are her love for thrift stores. Whenever I am with her I find good deals or get some interesting ideas. This last time I was there I bought some fun hats and recently made my girlfriends wear them out to eat :). Thrift store shopping is one of my favorite things to do in Memphis.

Another fun thing we seem to do when I am with my mom (and my little sister) is jumping pictures. My mom is getting pretty good at them too. She probably can't believe she gets sucked into doing them. It has now become a tradition and I hope it continues. They never get old for me to go back and look at. Maybe someday I will do jumping pictures with my kids when they come to visit :)

My mom can be goofy and funny and embarrassing, but my mom also has some of the best advice and words of wisdom. She is encouraging and inspiring. She loves with a very big, giving heart. She is a hard worker. Put her in a job and I guarantee she will do it 110%. Sure, my mom has her faults but her strengths far outweigh them. She is also a very loving "mimi".

Back in Mchigan. Things are the "usual" busy here. The big boys are back in school and Sawyer is now potty trained, well, for the most part. Brody makes cleaning almost impossible. He messes up faster than I can pick up. There are days when he takes my motivation away completely. When that happens, I scoop him up in my arms and snuggle with him on the couch. I do not look forward to the day where he grows too big for that. Grandma and Papa are visiting this weekend! We are so happy about that! Since I have the BEST in-laws in the world it's going to be a great weekend.

Until the next blog...