A family visit

We made the drive to see Sean and his family for the day. We had a really good visit - easy going and the kids had a blast getting to hang out with their cousins. Man it was cold though! I had hoped to send them outside to play but no go. We headed back home around 4:30 making us realize how we really should do this more often. Usually it seems that they come our way but we should be making the effort to get down there!

Indulgences

Oh yes, there are a few indulgences that I partake in over the holiday season. Should I make a list? In reality not that many come to mind. Certainly cookies or squares or baking is top of the list. I rarely make cookies any other time of the year but when I do? Not too many make it out the door. I also love the music. I mean technically we could listen to Christmas music all year round couldn’t we? Yet I don’t. So I really try to get my fill during December. There is also sleeping in, real apple cider, visiting with friends. All of these things we could really do any time but just seem to focus on at Christmas. Oh and of course picking up a few extra trinkets for myself along the way (not that I don’t do that normally either!) so are these really indulgences? I guess when you really think about it just the baking will suffice.

Sleeeeeepppp

One thing I love about the holidays is the opportunity to sleep in. Most days it is up early with the kids to get them off to school. Christmas break this year only gave us a few days before the “big day” and we had daycare kids coming in each of those days. Christmas Eve was a bit later then I had anticipated and of course there was no sleeping in then. But ahhhh Boxing Day. We stayed in bed until 10:50! Such an awesome feeling. I love that the kids are old enough to take care of themselves for the most part and allow us to do that. It’s not going to be much longer that we can do that! Today we had church so we were up around 9 am but oh am I looking forward to tomorrow…

Boxing Day

Another fulfilling day. Matthew actually slept in until 7:30 and then was directed downstairs on his own. Marlee rose around 8:30 and was directed to do the same. We finally staggered out of bed at 10:45 realizing we were supposed to head to mom and dad’s for 11:30. So the bite to eat, showers and dressing all madly took place, only for us to get to their place for 11:45ish and no cousins in sight. Oh well. We enjoyed visiting, they came around 1:30 and more visiting ensued. We finally got eating around 3:30 (yes the kids were FAMISHED), and gluttony and more visiting prevailed. We finally left after more food and talk around 9:30 pm and let the kids crawl into bed. Literally. The place is a complete mess but the couch calls. All can wait for tomorrow. It was a good day.

Merry Christmas

It’s 12:10 and I should be heading off to bed. We just wound down by watching a (pretty bad) movie and are ready to move on. All in all a very good day. Family, festivities, fun, food. What more could we ask for. The kids seemed to appreciate all of their gifts and I think I did a better job with Drew this year. He outdid himself and got me a new digital SLR camera. I should have known – he seemed to have been hinting at it for the last week or so. Now I just need to learn it. The gifts we gave seem to have been appreciated as well. We had a late night last night and the kids were up at 6 – then sent back to bed. After a few more interruptions we got out of bed at 7:20. Stockings and then right on to gifts. So much for waiting. We had a bite to eat (amidst dozing) off and on until Cierra came home around 1 pm. She opened her gifts (with the usual display of gratitude - I do love that about her!!!) and then Drew's family came shortly after. We opened gifts with them and eventually headed over to my family around 4:30. Gifts and then dinner and a little relaxation. That and a sore back – all brought about the cluttered house which was left untouched and a restful movie. Perhaps we should have seen It’s a Wonderful Life but who knew. Now it is off to bed. Merry Christmas!

Stockings

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care;
the presents are ready – we hope they are fair.
The fillings from Santa, some practical, some fun.
Start off the day right, one by one.


Our goal is to give three gifts to each of the kids for Christmas (like the gifts from the wise men). They come from us, not from Santa. Santa gives some things in their stockings and also before Christmas, but aren't actually labelled "from Santa". If we go over our gift quota, the stockings usually get whatever else we wanted to buy or saw at the last minute. Not truly keeping to our 3 gift rule but it does make it fun none-the-less. I don’t think there will be much room for candies and fruit this year…

We also give family gifts when they apply and this helps eliminate the "That's mine" problem. It's not that we don't believe in Santa, we just don't stress Santa. Christmas is about receiving the ultimate gift from Jesus and trying to live out the spirit of giving as He demonstrates and as Saint Nicholas also tried to promote. We hope they get the message.

On a side note - it's funny about the stockings. That is the one thing that Cierra has been preoccupied with this month. We don't usually put them up until a week before Christmas but she has been asking about them regularly. To her that must mean Christmas.

Still to Do...

I don't think my list is tooo long but there are definitly a few things left to do:
turkey stew;
wrap;
cards/ letter;
year end album gifts;
menu contributions and shop;
3 gifts for you know who;

I still have a few days right?

Right here, right now...

Our first day of holidays inevitably has brought about ANOTHER Pajama day. I spent a lot of the morning on the couch just snoozing and reading a book. Don’t get me wrong – there are still things on my to do list but I definitely didn’t feel like doing them today. Maybe this evening. The kids have had a full day of electronics and are about to head outside for a much-needed breath of fresh air. I think the evening holds a movie night. Way to get into the holidays! I do need to do some planning for Matt’s birthday party tomorrow though…

Tales of the Unexpected

Things have been going along pretty tickety boo this year. I’m feeling rather in control despite the fact that I still have not looked at the “holiday planning” sites. The one bit of unexpected news is the family separation – silly in many ways and yet there in the back ground. I’m glad we are still getting together even though it won't be all of us. Otherwise no surprises, no unexpected news, nothing out of the ordinary, at least yet!

Dear Santa

If I could ask Santa for something this year it would have to be a renewing of the holiday spirit for all we encounter. That I would have a better understanding and appreciation for our fmaily members and that they would see the value in compromise and togetherness.

Of course I always have an ongoing wish list for "things" but really - these would be better to receive.

What's for dinner?

What's on the menu for this year? Actaully we haven't talked about it at all except for the fact taht we are having it at mom's house. I know it will all come together. Here are some holiday questions to get me thinking about it though.

-who does the shopping - both Drew adn I depending on how organized we are or who is already out and about
-what's on the shopping list - the turkey comes from an organic farm family contact; veggies, bread, desserts - the usual
-who does the cooking - whoever is hosting does the turkey and the potatoes; everyone else contributes the "accessories"
-how long it takes - depending on the size of the turkey of course - usually it is big because we all like leftovers! dinner is usually mid to late afternoon (depending on who is hosting)
-what recipes are used - I'll have to ask about this one - I don't think we have any family recipes handed down; every year the veggies are different. We do always have pumpkin pie adn applie crisp. My sister has requested plum pudding and hard sauce as well as mince meat pies. I think they may be a fmaily recipe.
-where those recipes came from
-who comes to Christmas dinner - the usual brood - both sides of the family, any relations who can make it - the more the merrier!
-where you eat (whose house? What room? What table?!) This varies from year to year between the 3 houses; always the dining room at the dining table with an additional fold out table to allow room for all of us.
-how long it takes you to eat dinner - reading of scripture, crackers, eating, break and then back for dessert - it probably takes us a good few hours! What a great time!

I saw this and thought of you...

I did see this really cool shirt that I thought Drew might ‘actually’ like at the One of A Kind Show. It was a polo style shirt, simple grayish colour, with a silk screen design in the top left chest. The bottom left side says "we rented a tv series and watched 14 hours in a row”. We’ve done that – with 24, Alias, Prison Break… so it just seems like him. I hope he likes it ‘cause there’s no way to take it back.

I don't often like to "Take a leap" and buy things that can't be returned - I guuess I just like to be safe. Sometimes boring, but safe.

Busy but Bountiful

I had such an awesome day today! I got so much done. I (ah hem) did drive the kids to school and then raced to do a LOT of shopping before my 12:15 Doctor's appointment (for which he was on time I might add). What all did I do?

- Swiss Chalet for gift cards (not open yet)

- Tim Horton's for gift cards and coffee

- Sweet Oven for gift certificate

- Staples for stocking stuffers for Matt and myself

- Chapters for gift for dad

- back to Swiss Chalet (they were open)

- Canadian Tire for gift for Drew, Sarah and kids

- Michael's for teacher gift card

- Walmart for a few things

- Zehrs for groceries and stamps

- Gas

I ran out of time for Costco but all in all it was great!

And so that leads to my grateful list. I am so thankful for the following:

- That I got so much of my shopping done

- That I made plans to meet up with Sean and family
- that I am feeling the baby fluttering tonnes!
- I have great families to work with
- for the Jesse tree interest by kids
- for the Advent focus on family activities
- that we got snow!
- for the smells of candles and baking
-

Who's coming to visit?

It looks like we'll have the usual visitors this year except that Sarah and John are coming YEY! Oh and we get to see Joel and Matthew too – whom we haven’t seen in a few years so that will be really nice. We’re working on going to visit Sean and Samantha too since they won’t be coming up here. So I guess when you think about it not so usual - lots of visiting!

And this gift goes to...

I got the hint that we might be mean parents for letting the kids only do the stockings once they wake up and then making them wait until after breakfast for the rest of the presents. We may have to rethink this one. I like to sit back and watch everyone open their gifts and have everyone take a turn. That starts to happen, then CHAOS takes over, then we reign them in…for a bit… then CHAOS… then all too quickly it is over.

Fa la la la la la la la la la

Amy Grant’s A Christmas album and Sunshine and Snowflakes are still my ultimate favourites and I alternate between them and the general mix of holiday tunes on my ipod. The kids are both into the play soundtracks that Matt did this year and last. Marlee listens to either one of them every night. I’d like to listen to some more traditional carols so that they become more familiar…that is if they'd let me have control of the ipod...

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Inspiration from here

Tales of Christmas Past

One of the main changes for us this year is the fact that we might not see Sean and his family – at least not with all of us together this Christams season. We are discussing going down to visit them on our own but who knows how our schedule is going to work out. On the flip side, Sarah and John will be up to visit – the first Christmas in about 5 years! So yes - changes. Different from the past but who knows what the future holds.

O Christmas Tree

This year we have gone into unknown territory and are using a fake tree. Why – especially from one who has been so dead-set against a fake tee? Short answer is really that we inherited it from my grandparents and since Drew has wanted one for a while now we thought we should give it a try. It does look nice but I miss the experience of getting a real one and the smell once it is here. Oh and the kids have already voiced that they want a real one.

It's all wrapped up - well not really.

Brown paper packages tied up with string… there is a lot of paper involved with my favourite things! Since I already journalled last year about my "wrapping style" I thought I'd reflect on the paper invovled with Christmas. This holiday (along with most everything these days) sure involves a lot of paper. I hope to do a collage with samples of just a bit of the Christmas-y things that come through our doors…

wrapping paper, advent calendars and decorations, lists, shopping bags, receipts, ads, cards, artwork, play bulletin, scrapbooking, muffin liners, tissue paper - I'm sure that's not all!

Traditions - on with the old and add a bit new...

This year we are starting a new tradition with the Jesse tree. So far the kids are really loving it – and are actually reminding me that it is time to read and light the candles. I love that they are so involved. What I also love is that all of the work has already been done for me! I just have to cut it out and prepare it!

I'm sure there are going to be some that we will have to forego for this year due to time constraints. At this point I"m not sure if we'll do the books and pj's on Christmas Eve again - although both Cierra and Matt could use new ones. I'll have to think about that one.