it's really a wonderful life.

Leave it to my 2 year old & the old man in the parking lot at HEB to get me in the holiday spirit...
I always find myself about this same time in December each year getting slightly depressed and slightly nostalgic at the same time.  It usually (due to some unexpected person) brings me around to the same realization:
I find myself (like most) running from place to place, trying to do it all and find as many short cuts along the way, yet wanting to make the most of the season and the time with family & friends.  This year it's a pile of work and no free time, a stressful schedule at an annoyingly stressful coffee shop that makes me, at moments despise the holidays and all that we have let it become. {Is it really worth yelling at a helpless little barista who has no control over the fact that they (corp. giant) ran out of pumpkin spice???  really???}  I digress.  It's things that I WANT to do like take my kids to every possible holiday event, take pictures, bake, find the perfect gifts for the perfect people in my life, get a babysitter for parties, GO to parties, etc...  All that to say it's the stress (and joy) of all these things and the money and time they take that piles up on people and causes this to be the most wonderful & most depressing time of the year!  haha.  
So Tuesday morning I was feeling all of those things.  I, having already missed my workout & "me" time again, still on medicine to try and get rid of the cold/sinus infection that just won't die realized there was nothing to make in my pantry for dinner except baked goods - which was a thought- headed to the grocery store with the 2 crazies in tow.  Ryder just put me over the edge by deciding he needed to go potty in the middle of the freezer section in the back of the store with a cart full of groceries... ahh the fun of a potty trained child.  As I am running through the store pushing the massive racecar cart he is screaming at me as if I'm not responding to him!  When we finally checked out 1 and a 1/2 hours (and no telling how many cookies in their mouths) we headed out to the car and this sweet little man stops us.  He was clearing carts from the parking lot.  With wrinkles in all the places you should have them at that age if you've smiled all your life, he reminded me of my grandfathers.  He talked to both kids as I was piling things in the car and then as I picked up Ryder and stuck him in his seat Ryder leaned out the side of the car and yelled in the sweetest little 2 year old voice, "MERRY CHRISTMAAAAS!"  Ray (that was his name) teared up and said, in the most Jimmy Stewart like voice, "That's right, That's right!"  Then he said something to the effect of, well you sure are blessed this Christmas.  
And that was all I needed.
So yesterday afternoon I took a break from it all and sat with my {very pregnant} friend, Kristin and helped her get ready for baby and watched It's a Wonderful Life.  Because, you know what?  It really is.