Holly Jolly Blessings

It happens every year. Thanksgiving and Christmas feel like siblings some times, oh so close that you continue to remind yourself of just how thankful you are, and yet, they are completely different.

We're trying to create our own traditions and memories, trying to teach Cameron what every little piece means, but it's hard to explain it all. It's difficult to understand how out-of-this-world some of the Christmas stuff seems and to really think about how a 2 year old sees it all.  

Favorites of life during the holidays:

* Cameron singing Christmas carols and trying to hit every note

* The 5 year old in Tim that tries to amp up Cameron's rookie Christmas knowledge

* Hearing Cameron talk about the Christmas lights that are so pretty

*  Payton army-ish-crawling towards the train that wraps the tree and Cameron becoming so protective of all of it

*  that real tree smell

* the daily dose of Christmas and Holiday cards that we all fight over to see at the end of the day

*  the annual competition between Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus as to who will win the gift giving competition (Mrs. Claus continues to argue that it isn't a competition.)

*  the discussion of when certain gifts will be age appropriate

*  family, family, family and more family

There will be matching pajamas, a dose of Christmas movies, milk & cookies for Santa (carrots for the reindeer) and lots of merry & jolly.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this Mama can make it to Midnight Mass for her own dose of Christmas blessings & prayers, but even if it doesn't happen this year I know that God gets it. There's lots of learning going on for this little family unit of mine, adults included.  From our first Christmas together arguing over tinsel or no tinsel to now, we continue to grow and find our Christmas blessings.  

Beyond the hooplah, here's to that first glimpse in the morning.  The peak of a million moments hidden in one little exciting glimpse of wonderment and love.

((Oh and one more... here's to those that are away from their families this holiday season protecting everything we know, you bless our lives.  May their families be given extra pieces of love while they are away.))

Merry Christmas. Happy Everything.

Holidays

These two.

I love the traditions, the events, the lights and decorations, the sounds of Christmas, but I find myself falling out of love by the time Christmas actually arrives.  Our two little munchkins are our gifts, even when they're a little rotten.  I want to soak up every minute of the new-ness that they are seeing in Christmas right now, and it seems that so much of the other junk gets in the way. I want to sing Jingle Bells with Cameron and giggle as he tries to follow along. I want to buy silly matching Christmas pajamas for them to wear on Christmas Eve.  I want to teach him the pieces and people of the nativity scene that was passed on to me by my Grandmother.

We're not canceling Christmas, but we're going to try a new twist. If our kids receive gifts all year long and they know nothing but a blessed life, then why does our house need to look like Santa threw up this time of year?

It doesn't.

If we start a twist on tradition this year, then maybe they'll never know any other way?  Then perhaps we'll prevent them from only seeing visions of presents in their precious heads. 

I don't want to be scrooge and not participate or tell Grandparents people that we won't be receiving gifts, BUT we are very lucky and very loved and sometimes it can all become too much.
We have to want to maintain the meaning of Christmas in our home, it's so important. 

Here's to a lighter, leaner Christmas filled with stronger moments.

Here's to keeping it simple.

Here's to spreading Joy.

Here's to Jingle Bells and cookies with Santa.

Here's to this kind of magic and preserving it for as long as possible.

Dear Nugget

8 months? Is it so? I keep counting it over and over to make sure, I even used my fingers a couple of times to double check.  I can't believe it, everything is moving so fast.  I'm not sure if you're moving in your Brother's foot steps on your own or if we're creatures of habit so you do what your brother likes (or did) because it's what we know. 

That little bout of worry that I had thinking you were too skinny is long gone, you're rounding out and I think you're happy about it too.

Now, on to the list of fun:

Favorite Snack: anything and everything, but Mum Mum's are in first place and puffs seem to be a fun treat right now. I don't think we're very far from pizza crusts and waffles!

Favorite Food:  Fruit tops the list, but for the most part you'll eat anything

Best Thing To Calm You Down:  TV! As strange as it sounds a Mickey Mouse cartoon or a Sesame Street episode work like magic to entertain you. -- your thumb isn't half bad either --

Favorite Past Time:  watching your brother and taking a bath

Favorite Toy:  anything Cameron is willing to give you to play with that you can chew on, that brother of yours is the President of the Toys! 

You love seeing yourself in the mirror and you still kick your legs like a wild man when you're really excited.  You smile at strangers. You're not quite crawling yet, but scooting like crazy after that big brother who is always just a little out of your reach.  You are vocal (I say that nicely) only when you need to be, even it's not always most convenient for me/us.  You are beginning to have your favorites and you're not scared to share your opinion on who or what you want.

Payton you are a joy.

You are so handsome and such a charmer already, definitely a Benton!

Thank you for your sharing your magic with us little man.

You are loved, so much so.

To the moon & back.

ThankFull.

We took an adventure.

One vehicle, two parents, two children and a bag o snacks went on a sassy road trip to Thanksgiving. When Cameron was learning about Thanksgiving he and his friends at school talked of turkey and pie. They talked about traditions and families and what makes up Thanksgiving. Right now, in his eyes, Thanksgiving is a place, a thing, a moment all wrapped up in a cabin in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  It's a place filled with noise and people, moments of laughter and love. It's a big picture of family. It's standing outside and looking in at our time out for ThankFull. Our thankful world. I like his picture. I like his Thanksgiving. We didn't have turkey or pie. We had each other. Just see for yourself, it was 4 days of together. Four days of giggles in the kitchen, cousins becoming friends, cups of coffee in pajamas, of taking too long to get our group together, of telling stories around the fire pit, of blushing when someone took a joke too far... it was 4 days of family.

 (yes, even if it's cold, I soak up sunshine wherever I can.)

 Learning how to roll down the hill.

Showing lots of thanks when it comes to brothers.

I hope that you all had a blessed Thanksgiving; If your turkey was ham and your pie was a cookie, I hope that you made the most of it and celebrated togetherness.  It doesn't matter what you eat or where you are - family is our beginning.