Making Merry

Christmas feels so different this year and we're loving it! We just so blessed to be able to be together as a family that we cannot help but celebrate the real "reason for the season" and God's presence and guidance in our lives.

Mike isn't taking leave over Christmas but he's only working half days from now until after the holidays and we all love being able to spend more time with him. Yesterday he got home early and sent me off to do some errands on my own. I headed to the mall, my first trip to a mall this Christmas season and it was completely overwhelming. It was so crowded, lines were long, people were rude, I didn't enjoy it at all. Through no fault of my own (we all know I love to shop) our Christmas this year has been suprisingly uncommercialized and I'm enjoying the new changes! The kids and I made gifts for our friends and family members. They were simple and innexpensive to do and the experience of making them together is one of the things that I will always treasure about Christmas 2009! I'll post a picture of one of our homemade gifts in a few more days, I wan't to make sure I don't ruin the suprise as I haven't made it to the post office yet. A few weeks ago I found a great deal on Christmas cards (they were free) and while I had to spend more time creating and designing the card than I would on other websites and I love it and I can't wait to send them out. We put up our old artificial tree (real trees aren't an option this year because of Olivia) but we only put about half a box of ornaments on it. It looks a little Charlie Brown-esk but Olivia and Peter both love it. We haven't done any lights outside. I've been known to go to multiple stores to find the perfect wrapping paper and coordinating bows to wrap all the presents under the tree, it just looks more festive when it all matches:) This year I just picked up 2 rolls of wrapping paper on sale, no bows or ribbons. We did put out our nativity scene and it warms my heart to know that Olivia seems to have some concept of who Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are but has no idea who Santa is. It's as it should be! We received huge bags of wrapped toys for Olivia and Peter from the Family Support program at Duke (more on this later) and I think that Mike and I are more excited than Olivia and Peter are to see what is inside! It will be so much fun to watch them open up their gifts on Christmas.

We haven't gone completely non-comercial, I did buy the holiday cheese shapes for the kids and the holiday ziploc bags, who can resist such cuteness! And I've almost drank my weight in holiday flavored beverages from Starbucks, who can resist those seasonal creations (Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Brulee are my favs). I think this year we just happened upon an appropriate balance between the commercial and the spiratual side of Christmas and I know we'll strive to find this balance each year.

I've got a fun day of baking and Christmas craft activities planned so I'd better get going, I'll try and post some pictures later.