Stopping in from the craziness to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful morning watching the kids open and enjoy their gifts and are finally finding some time to relax. We have been very blessed this year and can’t wait to see what is around the corner in 2012!
I’ve been trying to write something, anything, for days. But the words just won’t come. I want to write about what a special, amazing, yet simple, Christmas we had, but I don’t think words can convey the feelings in my heart this time around. All I really can say is that it was filled with fun, good food, and people that I love dearly. I didn’t feel stressed, even though I rushed to get everything done. The kids were so excited and so much fun. We had Hubby’s parents here again this year, which makes it even more special. It was just a perfect day all around.
Zach was thrilled that Santa did indeed bring him a DSi. He was convinced he was getting it, so I’m glad it turned out that way or we would have had a very unhappy little boy.
Evie was pretty happy with everything she got, but she especially loves the little trampoline. She’d be much happier if she didn’t have to share it with her brother though. She really got into opening the gifts this year and it was so much fun to watch her.
After the gifts were all opened and the kids had some time to play, we headed over to Grandma’s house where Hubby was more than happy to try out his new turkey fryer. Zach had an extra surprise at Grandma’s when he bit into an olive and out came a tooth! It was his first one to lose and he was so excited!
(apologies for the bloody picture, but I haven’t managed to get a better one yet!)
We had a delicious dinner and opened gifts with the family, visited, played, and finally came back home when we were completely exhausted from the day.
Then we got up the next day, headed to my Dad’s house, and did it all over again! The kids enjoyed having another day of Christmas and it was nice to spend some time with my Dad and his wife since we don’t see them often anymore.
We even managed to get a picture of all six grandkids together again. They may not be smiling or looking in the same direction, but they are all in the picture.
And that was our Christmas. It may seem a bit hectic, but to be perfectly honest, it was one of the best (and most relaxed) Christmases I have had in a while.
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We had a hard time fitting it in this year, but we finally made it out Saturday for the annual visit with Santa. The kids were so excited and knew exactly what to do when it was finally their turn. Zach told Santa the only thing he wants for Christmas is a DS and a game to play on it. I sure hope Santa brings him one or he’s going to be a very disappointed little boy Christmas morning. I’m not sure what Evie asked for, but I’m sure she will be happy with whatever Santa brings.
I didn’t have a chance to speak to the big guy myself, but honestly, all I really want for Christmas is to be surrounded by my family and enjoy the time I have with them. It is all I really need and I’m pretty sure I’ll get my wish.
1 CommentSaturday was a fun but super busy day. After my two photo shoots, hubby met me at my sister’s house to drop the kids off for the night so we could go to a friend’s party. We rushed home to clean up and get dressed, and before we headed out the door I suddenly decided we needed to take a couple of photos. It is rare that we are both dressed nicely and have no kids to get in the way so we went for it. I set up the tripod and my wireless remote and started snapping. I was very happy with the results. These are the best photos we have had of the two of us in a while.
In between photo shoots, editing photos, Christmas shopping, two Thanksgiving dinners, a birthday party, laundry, bill paying, and just generally putting out fires in every direction I turn, we somehow managed to get the Christmas Tree up and decorated. To be perfectly honest, I put the tree together, strung the lights and garland, and then pretty much let the kids go crazy with the ornaments. I put a few up toward the top where they couldn’t reach, but mostly just let them go with it. They were thrilled, and continue to re-arrange it on a daily basis. We have yet to find the time to hang the lights they begged for on the house, but we’ve still got a couple weeks for that.
Every year I swear I’m going to not let things get so hectic this time of year, and every year it does. As I scanned through the few snapshots I took of the kids while they were decorating the tree it struck me just how much they have grown over the last few months. They both required new shoes again last weekend as their feet just keep getting bigger and bigger. My babies are not babies anymore. Even Evie, who is still only two for a few more months, talks and acts well beyond her age at times. They just look so big sitting there next to the tree.
I also realized, as I was uploading photos to Flickr, that I took very few photos of my kids over the last month or so. Very few compared to what I normally take anyway, and it makes me a bit sad. I know I overdo it on the photos most of the time, but I absolutely love looking back at all those captured moments when – on days like today – I realize just how fast they are growing and changing.
December is certainly not slowing down. I have so many things I want to write and post here, but there is so very little time to accomplish that. This weekend I’m doing two photo shoots for friends/family, have a birthday party to attend, and then hopefully can squeeze in some time for my own family’s photos. Next week we have our first appointment to start evaluations on Zach for his sensory issues, then my cousin’s wedding that weekend where I am also helping take photographs. The next weekend is my nephew’s birthday, and then my in-laws are coming to town and suddenly we’re at Christmas.
Somewhere in there I need to finish buying /making Christmas gifts, edit all those photos I’m going to be taking, AND try to find time to hang out and have some fun with my own family. The kids are so excited about Christmas this year and I really want to enjoy that with them, including fun things like making cookies, watching Christmas movies, writing out their wish lists, as well as reading and talking about the story of Christmas and helping them to understand what it is really all about. I wish I had a giant Pause button so that I could get all of the things finished that I need to do, then catch back up with my family.
Whew! I’m not sure how that all reads, but I’m talking a mile a minute in my head as I’m writing. That is how rushed I am feeling with everything right now.
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