I generally like to like till December 1st to decorate for Christmas since we celebrate Thanksgiving first - but I am loving all the pictures of a cozy Christmas home gobbling down Thanksgiving dinner. It looks amazing - maybe in time we will transition - who knows?
We started the tradition of hot chocolate and donuts a several years back and it has stuck - nothing like sipping on delicious hot chocolate and munching on donuts while decorating the tree with Christmas music blaring in the background. This truly is one of my favorite things in the world.
The next part is what we all eagerly awaited. Rediscovering all our own Christmas decorating and ornaments that we have made and collected over the years. Sadly we were somewhat disappointed - setting up the tree we discovered that some of our lights had been broken during the move here. We live in the middle of nowhere with one smallish store that might have some - thank the good Lord that they had some lights and they were on sale as well - otherwise my kids might have died from a broken heart. Daddy to the rescue.
While we waited for Nate to return with the new lights we got out our nativity scene. This is my all time favourite - it is super kid friendly they can play with it to their hearts desires - and it is all handmade from a little village in Poland.
I even managed to get some smiles while waiting for the Christmas light disaster to be remedied.
The next shock that we managed to survive - most of the decorations that Ian and I made over the years were broken, chipped, and or damaged in some way. This part hurts my heart because I am sentimental. But I managed to get over it, glue together things that could be glue together, tossing what could be salvaged, and positioning the chip parts to the back (if you come over to my house don't rotate anything, okay.)
Tree decorating at it's finest - the kids moved at the speed of lighting to getting some shots was extremely challenging. But we managed to get a few.
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| This right here - makes my heart ship a huge beat! |
I also just had to do this - an oldie of Hayleigh's first Christmas and hanging her very first dated ornament. Look how much she has grown.
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| 2012 |
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| 2015 |
Also this kid is so much fun!
I have to admit the last several weeks have been so challenging in the parenting department. We had babies and toddlers down, we were good at it, we actually rocked it pretty well, traveling the world as family, but add pre-school age and toddler-hood together and you have yourself a war zone.
I have so many moments of tears and discouragement, because I have no idea how to mother little people who are no able to voice their opinions and or reason with you over every single thing.
But this right here - these moments where we get to be together and we get to laugh, have fun, and create new memories - well that makes all the anxieties and insecurities vanish away - even if it is just for a little while.
I am so lucky to call these people mine. To have the chance to do life with them - the good, bad, and ugly. I would never change a moment in the past - I would do it all over again - with precision like the first time.
This is the most wonderful time of the year, and I intend to embrace it fully and wholeheartedly.
Happy Christmas time!
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