Day 8: Christmas Cards Orders

Because it's late and not all of our lovely new family photos made it on the front of our Christmas card, I'm just going to leave a couple for you right here!

I love these little girls heart and soul.
They are precious to me.
They're my favorite little girls in the whole world.

Grace and Peace

Day 7: Morning Time

Life. Is. Busy.

So busy that no good words are coming out tonight. I keep typing and back spacing.  I'm trying to make space for all that I have going in my head, but not able to squeeze out any worthwhile thoughts.

This old blog used to be a space for me to pour out every feeling I had, but by the time I get  around to tapping out these Christmas posts, it is late and all I can think is "I am so tired, take me to my bed."  I actually think I wept when I finally laid down last night.

Since it is much the same tonight-late, I'll leave you with these pictures from morning time.  Everyone woke up happy today.  We played a round of Christmas memory, read a sweet story called "The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy for Christmas" and recited  phonics and math flash cards....

Life is busy, but life is good and we are blessed.  Please don't ever confusing my tired state of mind as complaining.

Yes!  It's good.

Grace Peace and Rest

Oh Christmas Tree Part 2

I know that I already wrote about our Christmas Tree, but I thought it was worth mentioning again because the lead up excitement to decorating it was huge!  Every kid in my house asked everyday, can we decorate now, can decorate now, can we decorate now?  This went on right up until the moment of actually decorating, when one child ask why I never let her have play dates with so and so.  I gently responded, BECAUSE WE ARE DECORATING THE TREE, REMEMBER THE THING YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING TO EVERY THREE MINUTES SINCE FRIDAY.  There was one point that I looked up and realized that I was the only one in the room decorating.  

Ah family togetherness. 

Tonight, I remembered that I had taken a few pictures of the joyous event.  I think they'll paint the picture nicely of how we gathered as a family to make a beautiful Christmas memory.   I don't know which picture is my favorite, the partially lit tree, or Cooper lying on the floor expressing himself.  You pick!

Holly jolly friends!  I'll try to snap some better pictures tomorrow.

Just a Little Sadness: Day 5

The very first time I ever watched White Christmas, was at my Gram's house in Florida.  If I close my eyes I can picture it in mind, photos of every family member taped together in frames draped with  palm fronds, knick-knacks on every shelf and red jello in the fridge.  The candy dish on the coffee table properly stocked with Werther Originals and Coffee Nips and the neighborhood phone book stacked underneath.  

I can hear the way my lovely Grams would say my name, "Hi Car," never my full name, which maybe is why I shorten just about everyone's name I know. I can hear her saying "you take care, ya here," at the end of every talk. Oh, I can hear her laugh!

I got a Christmas card in the mail today from one of my aunts and just for a moment, I thought it was from Grams.  Their handwriting so similar, I thought for second that even in her absence she was prepared to send me a Christmas card.

I do miss her.  Sometimes I don't think it's possible that a woman with such energy and zest for life could be gone.  I've  reached for the phone just to chat with her because I forget that she's left this life for her forever home.  She is at rest with in the loving arms of our Creator but she is so dearly missed.  So just for today, I'll bring the Christmas hype down just a notch to say that  losses are hard, goodbyes are sad, but Christmas is good.  The promise of Christmas is that we do not mourn with those that do not have hope.  We know that we will see her again.

She'll be the one on the dance floor, laughing and smiling and having the best time.

Christmas Photos: Day 4

Dear Kids,

Mama needs a good picture to mail to all of our friends and family this Christmas.

Could you
1.  All smile at once
2.  Not run away from the camera
3.  Not cry while pictures are being taken


Thanks.

Love,

Your Doting Mother

Oh Christmas Tree

We have the most beautiful Christmas tree this year.  It is sitting in our living room with no lights and  only the bottom half decorated.  We might get it decorated by December 24th. Maybe.  We also have to demo the kitchen, do the laundry, close out my business for the year, educate children, go grocery shopping, and the list goes on and on.

We promised the kids on Wednesday night that we would take them to get a tree, but that fell through.  Then we promised to take them on Thursday night which also fell through.  Friday night we were really tired, but we sucked it up and took them anyway, and had a great time.  The kids ran through the labyrinth of tress, too excited to actually help us pick one.

They hid behind the giants and claimed they wanted the small ones all for themselves.  To make their night even more special, right before we finally picked our tree, our friends pulled up  to pick their's!  So what was already a fun night, turned into a Christmas Tree picking party!

Happy tree trimming folks...I hope that ours will get there eventually.

Grace and Peace

Any Excuse To Get Dressed Up: Day 2

My sister told me that when we were little my Mom took us to see the Nutcracker.  I might have a vague recollection of this but it's a fuzzy memory at best .  Today, I took Libby and Maggie to see the Richmond Ballet and Virginia Symphony Orchestra perform their rendition of the Nutcracker.  It was so beautiful.  I wish I had a picture to show you because everything from the costumes, the set design, the dancers, everything was beautiful.  By the end of the second act, Maggie was twisting in her chair and asking for a snack, but other than that, it was perfect. The girls favorite part was when the little brother in the beginning of  the ballet gets a spanking for being naughty.  My favorite part was the Snow Queen and King dance with the Snowflakes.  Here are a couple pictures I snapped of the girls before we left this morning.  They were excited to wear their Christmas dresses for this year.

December is off with a bang.  We got a Christmas tree tonight and I'm happy to report, there was no repeat of last year.  I'll save the Christmas tree story for another night.

Grace and Peace

Dear December: Day 1

Dear December,

Welcome back!  It's time to dust off this old blog and bring it back for another Christmas countdown.  I know, I know, at this point I might as well just use some other form of social media since I've all but left this one behind.  But the truth is that late at night, when everyone else is sleeping I visit this old thing and remember how charmed our lives have been for the last eight years.  I just can't say goodbye yet.

Somehow, we are facing the end of another year, but first Christmas!  December, on your first day you brought excitement to my children that only an idyllic picture on the front of a Christmas card could.  The kind where snow gently kisses the branches of evergreen trees and the warm glow of a fire lights tiny houses.  The kind where cookies don't cause you to gain pounds and children are always nestled snug in their beds never fighting bedtime one bit.

I'm glad your back. I have been trying to create traditions  and memories for my darlings for years now, but this year I hear them taking ownership of our traditions. Ready to hang those stockings just where we do every year.  Gently reminding each other that the handless wise man goes on the other side of the Nativity shepherd, and be careful with that that camel, remember what Coop did to the head last year.

No one ever told me how fast all this would go, a sentiment that I've said a million times before.  Tonight my little girls sat together in bed and told stories of Santa and everything they loved about Christmas. When they weren't looking I wipe a tear from my eye and wished so hard that I could freeze time.

I'm happy you're back December,  your memories are some of my favorites.

Grace and Peace