Christmas 2022

 

I set a goal for myself this Christmas to eliminate some of the stressors and enjoy the holiday some more.  So that's what I did.  Luckily, it was Heidi and Darby's turns to host Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I was able to check that off the list easily.  Then I also eliminated preparing some of the food I usually make.  Homemade cinnamon rolls and charcuterie board were replaced with store bought and nobody seemed to notice.  The kids actually had so much fun going to the grocery store and choosing what they wanted to eat on Christmas morning.  Muffins and a can of cinnamon rolls were the winners.

I have to say, it was the most enjoyable Christmas I have experienced in many years and I hope to recreate the same peace for myself next year because when it comes down to it, my kids don't need the bells and whistles, they need me.

Christmas Eve was spent as a day of preparation.  The kids and Eric helped put a couple of things together for dinner at Heidi's house later that day, I went to a yoga class, Eric got a work out in, and the kids put together their sleepover space in Nolan's room.  We went to the children's service at 4 o'clock and then headed to Heidi's for dinner and some time with Eric's parents.  It was a nice evening and the kids were ready for bed and Santa once we got home.  They set out the cookies, milk and carrots.  Nolan chose to read The Night Before Christmas this year and then they were off to bed.

Christmas morning kicked off around 7:30 which wasn't too bad.  I actually sat down with a cup of coffee and watched the kids open gifts.  It's always fun to see their reactions to everything.  There were a couple of heated moments where things got wild and they started to ramp up the speed but, all in all, they were really appreciative and took their time admiring their new things.  My Dad, Mary and Mackenzie drove down and went straight to Darby's house so we had a quiet afternoon and took our time getting ready to switch gears to the next event.  We headed out for Darby's around 3 o'clock for some more family time and dinner.  Darby made a really nice dinner of pasta, salad and bread and we played a game of Pit which everyone enjoyed.  Everyone decided not to do gifts this year on our side of the family and it was a nice break from all of the extra expectations that come along with gift giving.  We just focused on spending time with one another and I hope that we can repeat this next year as I think everyone enjoyed eliminating the gift giving.

My Dad, Mary and Mackenzie came back to our house at the end of the night and stayed here since Darby, Bill and Finley needed to be out of their house in the morning for and Ivan Christmas.  Everyone lounged and continued to look at their Christmas gifts the morning after Christmas.  It was a slow day of organizing and trying to get back into a routine.  Overall, Christmas was really great this year for so many reasons and we are thankful for our family and the nice things we were able to provide to the kids this year.

                       

Poor Quinn has grown so much her Christmas pajamas were a little snug.  She was a good sport for a group picture and then quickly changed into something more comfortable.