christmas has come and gone, and what a wonderful one it was! every year i think to myself, "i don't think this christmas can be topped," and every year it is just as wonderful and magical, if not more so, than the last.
it was a busy month as usual, with all the different parties we hosted and attended. throw our anniversary into the mix, some birthday parties, all the shopping that must be done and bam, christmas is here before you know it! its always a little sad to me how fast it passes, and i think from here on out, rather than feeling embarrassed or ashamed for putting my tree and decorations up mid-november, i'm just going to embrace it and stretch out this favorite holiday of mine for as long as possible.
christmas eve is my favorite. dare i say even more so than christmas morning? it's a close one, maybe a tie? i think the anticipation of the big day is what makes it so fun. celeste took some pictures of us that morning, since zac and shrimp were in town. lance has been so busy with work that he wasn't able to make it, but maybe celeste can photoshop him in? haha after that we all did some christmas shopping, prepped for the annual family party at grandma and grandpa hansen's house and headed on up for my favorite party of the season. that particular party is christmas to me. some of my fondest childhood memories are from playing with my cousins christmas eve, singing christmas carols, listening to my grandpa read luke 2, taking group pictures, then getting in the car and heading home, the anticipation of the next day bursting at the seams, opening our one present when we got home, which was always pajamas. nothing has really changed after all these years - that's the way we still do it, same order and everything.
after getting the kids in bed christmas eve, we got to work putting things together. really all there was to do was put the legs on sam's train table and then put the train together, which didn't take nearly as long as i thought it would. lance went to bed around 11 (party pooper!) but i was up much later, getting everything all ready. i wrapped almost everything that needed to be wrapped a few days prior, which definitely saved a lot of time. santa doesn't wrap presents in our house, which makes things a thousand times easier. i think one of my favorite responsibilities as a parent is staging christmas, and i am certain it is because of how magical my mom made christmas for us growing up. in fact, i know that is the reason i still find this time of year so magical, more so than most others i'd guess. my mom just did such a fabulous job and i am finding myself appreciating it even more so the older my kids get. man was a i lucky! anyway, after the stockings were stuffed and the presents set out just so, i took a hundred pictures then went to bed!
i woke up early christmas morning, panicked because i forgot to start the dishwasher the night before haha so i went out to do that then caught a few more z's before just getting out of bed and waiting for the kids to wake up. they've been waking up pretty early lately, around 7:30, but they slept in till about 8 or so. finn's reaction wasn't what i thought it would be. i thought he would be immediately psyched about his reindeer, but he seemed pretty overwhelmed and didn't give us much of a reaction. sam came down and said his usual, "good morning everybody!" then went straight to his train table where he literally was 90% of the rest of the day. i knew he'd love it, but i think even i underestimated just how much! after a half hour or so, he came and sat down by me, and with his sweetest little high-pitched voice said, "fank you fo ma twain mommy." melt! its those things that make the day so magical and make all the stress and money spent and sleepless nights of the previous weeks worth it.
it didn't take finn long to warm up to his toys. he was so excited when he realized santa brought everything on his list: a yoyo, ties, a reindeer and a skeleton toy. one of the toys i was most excited for finn to open was the "big Zurg" from disneyland. he wanted it when we were there last month, but we talked him into getting the smaller version. a few weeks later he mentioned how maybe he could get the big zurg when he turned 6, haha and he never said a word about it again. i knew he'd be surprised so i paid double on ebay to buy it (it can't be found in any stores because it is a disneyland toy, so lame!) but his reaction was priceless! while ripping the wrapping paper off he quickly figured out what it was, and said "a big zurg!" then sam came over and said, "wow!" with such awe and wonder. that was one of my favorite parts of the morning.
the day was spent lounging in our pajamas, cooking and eating, watching movies and taking it easy. normally we go to the osborne's for breakfast, but vickie had surgery a few days before so they rescheduled their annual breakfast for new years day. although we missed everyone we didn't get to see, it was such a nice relaxing day, spent with most of the people we love dearly. my dad spent christmas eve with us, but left early christmas morning (like we are talking at 9 o'clock, mid-way thru opening presents haha).
i'm so grateful for the testimony i have of our savior, jesus christ. of his birth and extraordinary life, his atonement and resurrection and the pathway he has forged for us to return to live with him again someday. in all the hustle and bustle of the month of december, the true meaning of the season can often be over-looked, and i can only pray that as my kids get older, i will strive to focus on the true meaning, so that they, too, can develop a testimony of their own of the wonderful man we are fortunate enough to call our brother.
merry christmas, to one and all!
