December comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. I know it's not spring, and I probably have that lion/lamb thing all backwards, but it accurately represents how I feel.
I always look forward to Christmas. I love the "magic" of it all, lights, a beautifully decorated home, doing things out of the ordinary and special for the holidays, and friends and family. I have great anticipation for this time of year, so I'm full of energy and a to-do list a mile long. And my December 26 I'm pretty done.
This year is no exception, I had a great couple of weeks in early December when my energy was high, and then a super busy work load and feeling the need to create a fantastic holiday gets the best of me and I have a couple of rough days just before Christmas. But it turns out by Christmas Eve when there is nothing left to do, or rather when everything is done whether it was how I had pictured it or not - I am content.
This year my (future, official) brother-in-law gave me a boost in my joy when he asked Mike's sister Jennifer to be his forever and ever. We were in on it from the before he popped the big question, when Joe called Mike to have "the talk". When Mike called me with the news I cried (of course - that's what I do). I'm so happy for them, they have lots of love for each other and take such good care of each other, they are blessed to have one another in their lives and now they'll have a piece of paper to prove it. So two days before Christmas it was just the boost my Christmas spirit needed.
So here is our holiday season in pictures.
Creating the Advent Log is a MUST.
Walking and knocking through a neighborhood with scouts for a community food drive.
Decorating Jackson's room with his tree and special ornaments. I love putting the special winter bed linens on his bed and getting it all ready for him as a surprise when he comes home from school the first day after Thanksgiving. He loves that too.
The scouts ran an Elf training course at one of our December meetings. It was the cutest!! They had to put on an elf hat, put a package in a big bag, run through someone's legs, put the package under a tree, eat a cookie, put a candy cane on a stocking, and run back to tag the next elf in. The pack was split into two and they raced each other. Fun!!
And then a fun little gift exchange (that included siblings - hence the little cutie next to Jackson). One of the Den Leaders told the night before Christmas adding lots of "right" and "left" and the kids passed the packages all around the circle. I love that one!
Of course somehow yet again we managed to find the perfect tree. Happens every year amazingly enough.
We traveled to the North Pole on the Polar Express. Although since we recently drove to Vancouver, Canada and Jackson knows the North Pole is further than Vancouver, he seriously doubted how we could make it all the way there in about 30 minutes. Ah the magic of the season.
And then Christmas morning. A giant basketball hoop just for this boy! He was so excited!
Christmas was a joy. We created wonderful memories with friends and family throughout the season. We saw plays, we played games (Christmas-oploy), we watched movies (A White Christmas captivated Jackson this year). There were crazy things too, like Grandma Sharon telling Jackson that Santa stored the hoop at her house, Jackson didn't believe her. I was reminded that when I wrap the gifts early it makes me feel organized. And a simple meal is really delicious on Christmas day.
Merry Christmas 2011, and welcome to 2012!!
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