Christmas Eve and Morning

Christmas has come and gone, and I am asking myself, "What... am I 5?"  Why is it that I always have the after Christmas blues? Since I was a little girl, I have always felt sad after Christmas day is over.  It was a good Christmas, a little differant this year, working until last friday, but it was still good.  We read lots of Christmas books together, we did a Christmas puzzle (500 pieces, their biggest puzzle so far) baked cut out cookies and made an impressive mess in the kitchen doing it, watched Christmas movies, drank gallons of hot chocolate, wrapped presents, listened to all our big band Christmas music, looked at Christmas lights, and saved the bottom 2 inches of our Christmas tree. It was all great, so why is it sad... I guess because it's over.  So then I say, why does it have to be over?  Yeah, the tree will eventually have to go, and Christmas activities wouldn't be special if we did all of it 365 days of the year, but the spending time together, and the slowing down and focusing on each other doesn't have to end.  So, instead of it ending abruptly, I am trying to keep the spirit of the season going in my heart.  I guess I will always be a sap when it comes to the holidays and start counting down to next year!

Christmas is here!

Well, the house is decorated, the outside lights are complete and last night we had our first "Christmas outing" of the season... (wait! does black friday count?!) Abbey and Olivia were both in their schools choir Christmas performance.  They did great at the singing, however I think the dressing up part was their favorite part of the entire evening.  They looked pretty sweet, and Daddy thought they looked a little too pretty ; )  As we watched the program last night, visions of them all as toddlers seemed to keep going through my mind.  Watching them, looking so beautiful, innocent, and singing a song like "O Holy Night" made me feel like they are just growing up so fast.  It was one of those moments where their beauty, both inside and out makes your heart ache, and you think it was only yesterday  when Makayla and Olivia were in flannel Christmas nightgowns that Grammie made them, with Barney slippers on.  Or that little Abbey had no embarassment in stripping down to her tinkerbell panties to try on a new dress-up dress she just opened at her birthday party.  So.... I tell myself to hold on to these moments, treasure them away in my heart, and enjoy the moments while they are here!