Tis the Season..

Well we have been running at about a 150 MPH these days...as I expect most people are. My last blog that my dog so neatly deleted (she knocked the keyboard out of my hands and everything disappeared) was about how my kids and I have been coping and surviving the many outings and errand running that the season demands.

As Christmas is only a couple of days away I think I can say "we did it!"...I am feeling quite ready for Christmas and I think I am a little more excited this year than I have been in years past. Originally we were going to make this Christmas a 'gift less' Christmas so we could alleviate some of the stress and expectation from the season. As it happened though I was given a bit of a epiphany. I was reminded of why we give gifts at Christmas...to celebrate the gift of Jesus!!! Since that moment I have enjoyed collecting our assortment of little and homemade gifts. I have found more joy in finding little insubstantial gifts that I hope will mean something to the recipients than in years past when I have been trying to buy the latest and greatest. I think for us finding that balance between wanting to give extravagant gifts and being financially realistic has been so freeing.

I think another reason for my excitement is being able to experience Christmas through a child's eyes again. Eliana is super pumped about Jesus birthday and talks about it alot. She has enjoyed counting down on her advent calendar and eating the "big chocolates" (they are pretty big if you only ever get a choc chip or a mini m&m :)
She has made Christmas presents this year as well which has been great to work on with her. She loves gluing things and getting to use her scissors.

Gabe is going to be pretty funny to be with this Christmas as well. He loves to eat paper and has figured out how to crawl (as of last week). So we will have our own mobile paper shredder on the day of the year that you have the most paper laying about!!! He is also trying to pull himself up on things and has done it a couple of times all ready so I am sure that I will have plenty of 'ahhhh!!!' moments.

My house still awaits a once over so that we don't celebrate Christmas in a pig sty...

So Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! I hope you find some true joy in the season.