We didn't travel anywhere for Christmas this year. Since the holiday fell on a Sunday it was a work day for Jeremy, plus not much could have persuaded me to travel with both Cates and Moses just yet. It was nice to celebrate together in our home as a new family of four. This also marked the year that Moses 'got' Christmas...or at least that there was a lot of fun attached to several days in a row. It was our first true Christmas as adults, I think; we were the ones responsible for making the fun for someone else. That's a whole new world and I have a whole new respect for my Mom and Dad for all the planning and execution of all the hoopla through the years. (There's a spot on Garrison Keillor quote about that, but I've searched high and low and can't find it. I will retro-post if I find it soon.) Here's a window into our efforts:
I am almost giddy about these ornaments we picked up this year. We decorated super late, like Christmas Eve late, and the only benefit of our tardiness was that these little beauties were on sale. It was also great fun to get to add a "C" to the "J", "L" and "M"!
We also picked up some surprisingly pretty shatter free ornaments since we wanted Moses to be able to participate in the decorating festivities. We put our more treasured ornaments at the top of the tree so little hands couldn't grasp them. Moses did, however, grasp the word 'decowations' and he used it in most of his sentences.
Our kitchen table all-a-clutter with Christmas cheer.
Oh, we tried. We really did. We tried to get our act together to teach Moses about Advent. There is just so much wonderful material out there to communicate the core meaning of Christmas and it is so very important. I thought I'd make it easy on myself and just copy my friends' Jesse tree curriculum. (
here and
here) What happened in actuality was that we simply used one of those chocolate calendars and Moses learned that "because of Jesus we get to eat chocolate." Yes, those are the theological words of my pastor husband. When he uttered them he stopped, looked at me and we both burst out laughing. He then led our son in a simple prayer: "Thank you Jesus for chocolate."
Hey, in our household that's as honest a prayer as any!
Our Christmas tree angel is a special one. We received her as a wedding gift from my Mom's best friend, Jamie, back in 2003. Years ago in their college days my Mom and Jamie were shopping together when they spotted these angels--one had dark hair like my mom and the other had light hair like Jamie. They bought them and exchanged them, my Mom keeping the 'Jamie angel' and Jamie keeping the 'Trisha angel'. Jamie's family used the 'Trisha angel' on their family Christmas tree every year for 36 years before passing it on to us.
In previous years we've only had Charlie Brown-esque trees, scraggly little fellas that couldn't handle the weight of even a light angel. That meant that we displayed our Christmas angel elsewhere around the house. This year was the first year in our 8 year marriage that we had a tree big enough to support her.
Our tree was surrounded by gifts, most of them from the sweet people in our church congregation. They have generously loved us as their own family. (Our familes blessed us generously as well, but UPS packages aren't as picturesque and weren't included in the photo. :))
We kept things simple on our end of things. Moses received two gifts from us. The first was a flashlight that projects 6 different space images (you can sort of see Jeremy and Moses projecting Saturn on the wall). When he plays with the flashlight he calls it "watching in the night", a line taken from one of his favourite books,
Gossie and Gertie.
The second was a little box full of foil-wrapped chocolate cars...
...that did not last long. :)
I let him eat them all at once. It was Christmas, after all. And, because of Jesus we get to eat chocolate. Thank you, Jesus, for chocolate. Moses was over the moon with both gifts and I am grateful for simple pleasures.
Cates took her first Christmas in stride. She wore the sweetest little red dress that was more a gift for Mommy than for Cates and she showed her approval by drooling excessively all over the front of it. (Cates, not Mommy.) I should also note that no one got to see her all dressed up at church since I had to leave the sanctuary promptly with both kids because Cates started wailing the instant Jeremy got up to preach. I don't think it was anything personal.
Taking in the Christmas festivities in some comfy pajamas.
Good friends Jen (far right) and Aina celebrated part of the day with us. I am sporting the fabulous hat that Jen made for Moses since he refused to wear it. Now he won't go outside without his "Jenasaurus" hat.
This final picture is from New Year's Eve. A bit of a departure from the Christmas photos, but a great way to begin 2012.
from "Ant" Sandy
Sweet Dreams shirt from the sweet Ganzers in Montreal, the striped pants from Pate in the New Mexico mountains, socks from the Amins at church,
the most adorable summer dress from the Do's that was too cute to pass up just because it was winter, worn with an essential white sweater borrowed from little Elizabeth,
(I love that she plays with her dresses, but it does make it hard to snap a photo!)
in her frog suit from Grandma and Grandpa,
in a spring green frock from Pate by way of Mama Jamie and Papa Charles,
in a movie star look with a single rhinestone from Grandma and Grandpa,
made complete with a special little handband bought by Cates's Mama, socked feet from the Colorado Rioses,
in a sweet, snuggly pair of ruffle-backed pajamas that I found (on sale) during an unexpected session of retail therapy,
looking like a piece of hard candy in the hat I made to match my own, in polka dot love from Karsen's family,
looking doll-like in another of Pate's dresses and a cap from Grandma,
blossoming in a floral outfit from Grandma,
showing off those ever fattening cheeks in one of my favourite finds,
grinning that Mommy extended a Wilson family summer dress with a pink onesie from Huong.
Would you think a baby girl lives at our house?
I think so. And I think I like her.
A lot.
And I like her brother, too. He likes to push the button on the seahorse toy attached to this gym for Cates. "Mommy, can I give her a song?"
And finally, wearing the only acceptable form of leopard print, in some kitty cat pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa. 
