So How was Your Christmas?

Portrait of Faith, Family, Fun

Ours was very quiet, though I still stayed busy doing mom things! Christmas Eve we attended church in the morning and then took our 80 plus year old adopted neighbor grandparents to lunch. We are so blessed to have them! They're like family and our kids have grown up with them and call them grandma and grandpa.

After lunch we relaxed at home. Then around 4pm I started cooking and the boys watched White Christmas. Nothing elaborate, but I did stick with the traditional Italian cuisine. Fish and pasta. De-veining the shrimp took a while, so I sent the kids Christmas Caroling with hubby. The day before we delivered cookies and carols to several of our neighbors. One lady was so blessed, tears came to her eyes. After the last house, Timmy wanted to sing more carols, bue we had plans to go bowling and eat dinner. We told him we'd do more caroling tomorrow (Christmas Eve) but he was so upset that he sulked for a good 30 minutes.

When the family got back from caroling on Christmas Eve, they told me stories of this one house where the black lady was so excited and gave them each $2. She said, "You kids just made my day. You're coming back next year, aren't you?" I'm so glad we've carried on this caroling tradition and my kids liked it as much as I did when I was little. The only thing missing was snow.

We had our traditional candlelight dinner and afterwards we played the "Minister's Cat." Then we gathered in the livingroom for hot chocolate and cookies in front of the fire. We took down our stockings and read the letters we wrote to Jesus each year since the kids were two. The kids really got a kick out of reading what they wrote and were thankful for. Chris couldn't believe he thanked Jesus for Joey one year, and Joey laughed at how he spelled "Juses."

We finished the last of our Christmas countdown prayer chain, read "The Crippled Lamb" and did some adornments. Then it was time for bed.

That night hubby and I hid the presents for a new tradition. Chris was the first one up at 6:20am. Okay, I did say they could wake us up anytime AFTER 6am, but I didn't think they'd actually wake up that early. We told him to come back at 7am. Funny how the one kid who sleeps until 10 am on a school day can get up at 6am Christmas morning.

At 7am, the kids came downstairs and we re-enacted the Christmas Story. Grace was Mary, Timmy was Joseph, Joey was a shepherd (who really got into his part) and Chris was a wise man.

Then we hunted for presents like the wise man looked for the King of the Jews. I haven't asked how they like hunting for their presents, but they sure looked like they had fun.

After I cooked a pancake puff for breakfast, *See recipe below, I cleaned up and vowed NOT to cook until the new year. The morning was quiet. Both hubby and I were exhausted and I was physically sore from using my early Christmas present (an elliptical exercise machine) and cooking all afternoon. Later I tried to take a nap, but only squeezed out an hour of shut eye.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was the spent the way I love to spend Christmas, doing nothing. The only thing that I didn't get a chance to do was spend quiet time with the birthday boy. Though at dinner we did have a cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus.

Even though it was a restful day, it didn't feel like Christmas. I guess when I mean "feel like Christmas" I'm remembering the magical Christmas of my youth, filled with extended family, food and fun. Nowadays Christmas is a lot more work than fun. Making the holiday memorable for the kids is exhausting and I couldn't wait for some down time.

I got some down time today and spent it at a scrapbook store, putting last year's Christmas photos in an album. Then I met the family for dinner. Then we all went home and the big kids watched It's a Wonderful Life with hubby and I while the little ones played PS2. We stopped the movie half way through at 9:30pm.

I'm hoping to get some more quiet time this week and finally be able to spend some time with the reason for the season. But right now I need to help hubby put the kids to bed!