Holiday Break

My holidays were a bit like this post..... a jumbled, fun, somewhat confusing, collection of gatherings, events, parties, and special moments.  I'm always a little sad to see it come to an end, but also a little relieved to get that corner of the house back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the holidays.... I love the excitement, I love the time spent with others, I love my ugly Christmas shirt (& my 'tacky' elf yourself picture... thank you Sarah), I love that everyone becomes a little more childlike, I love my family, I love the thoughtfulness of others, I even love the hectic schedule before the big day.  So much to love is what keeps us clear of all the hype.  

We each have our own traditions surrounding this special day.  I enjoy hearing of others as much as I enjoy my own.  How boring would the world be if we each didn't do things a bit different.  I'm thankful for each tradition and custom we participate in during the holidays. 

I was able to handle a few handmade gifts this year.  Although a nasty flu bug kept us away from our favorite holiday handmade market, we managed some homemade love in the form of sweets, cards, hand warmers, sugar scrub, and one large teepee.  There was a few times that this giant teepee project made me regret my 'handmade gift tradition', but in the end it made the deadline in time for Santa to hide a hand full of presents in. 

There is not a Family Christmas Party that I can remember without a visit from that sweet white bearded man.  And it's unfortunate that my brother always seems to miss our somewhat intimate visit from Santa on Christmas Eve. 

Abe made a wonderful angel in his preschool presentation of the Christmas Nativity, and Jonas scored a front seat ride on our yearly horse drawn wagon/sleigh ride.  And surprisingly, snow and freezing temperatures came just in time for the town to flood the park and create a winter wonderland (new this year the addition of a growing ice sculpture) for ice skating merriment.  And even when things don't go as planned, we can still find the perfect place to let off our sky lanterns on New Years Eve. 

I listened and read some of what my lovely friends had to say about the holidays, eloquent and well spoken, they quoted others in ways that captured their feelings of the Holidays this year.  So before I end with my own found quote (although it won't be Charles Dickens),  I hope that your holiday break was filled with good fun, food, friends, dreams, and toys, and wish all the best in the New Year...

'A gift from the heart is cherished and true, a present is best when love is given too.  So in the end it's love that is the reason that Christmas is more than a gift giving season.  It's a time with our loved ones to show that we care, and families and neighbors come together to share.  So this Christmas Season let us all do our parts, to keep Christmas Spirit alive in our hearts.' 

                                                                                                    -Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

***Yep.... the Hallmark Channel & cheesy animated Christmas movies.....also some of my favorite holiday traditions.