Christmas Day was wonderful, filled with family, love, and lots of smiles! Smiles of love, smiles of excitement, and even a few smiles of silliness...
After a weekend of fighting the crowds and finalizing gifts, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas was the perfect way to take a deep breath and be reminded of the Christmas spirit. It's fun to give, but it's also important to remember what we were given.
"'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'"
"...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
I love this picture of Cole. I don't have a good story or anecdote to go with it, but it is just one of those pictures seems to capture him in a way that makes me stop and think about how much I love him. This guy has completely stolen my heart, and he enhances my life in a way that I could never have anticipated. And, he's pretty darn handsome, too!
Since Franny was born, I have put a lot of effort into our Christmas cards. I've always tried to do something a little different than the normal cards. Because I've always made them myself, it does take a lot of work and that is after I have finally come up with an idea that I really like. I would assume that most people have received our cards right around December 24th. Some later, though, I am sure.
This year, I just couldn't do it. I feel a little swamped and out of balance. More than usual, that is. I couldn't find the right picture, couldn't take a better picture, and didn't want to think about it anymore. I got online, picked out a few pictures, and now they are scheduled to arrive on my doorstep tomorrow. No running around from store to store to find the right color of card stock. No going through multiple glue sticks and stacking books on all the cards so they don't warp. No shopping for envelopes, digging through my supplies for more envelopes, and no more cutting and trimming pictures to fit on the card stock that will then fit in the envelope. I rationalized that no one really cares but me. Unfortunately, I do care, and I hope that next year I can find the picture or idea that I am happy with and will do all of that again. But, the up-side is that I can replace all that self-induced stress with holiday cheer, the Christmas spirit, and a little more patience with my wonderful, beautiful family. And, that is a worthwhile up-side, because they deserve it!
My last attempt...I still love the matching pajamas...
This last weekend, we boarded Mt. Hood Railroad's Polar Express Train. It was a fun kick-off to the Christmas season. As we sipped on cocoa and ate cookies, the train made it's way to the North Pole and back. Mid-way, Santa boarded the train and made his way around to all the tables to talk to all the kids and to give each of them a silver bell. In the book and movie The Polar Express, a boy is given a sleigh bell off Santa's sleigh--a bell that can only be heard by those who believe in Santa. We all really enjoyed this trip. It wasn't just seeing Santa, noshing on treats, or singing carols--it was everything together that created that wonderful feeling of the Christmas spirit. I don't know at what age kids begin to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, but at least for now, these three truly believe they traveled to the North Pole and that is something magical.
As heard by Delaney and I on our walk around the neighborhood yesterday... Truly an example where just playing the game is more fun than strategy...