It is the happiest season of all. A season full of hope. A season full of joy. A season full of wonder. A season full of excitement. A season sprinkled with enough magic and wonder to last a lifetime.
As a child, there was no other time in my life that I valued more than Christmas time. In a world that, for me, was often chaotic and unsteady, it was a time that I could truly believe in something. I loved everything that came along with Christmas - Jesus, Santa, snow, presents (times two, since my parents weren't together), family, church, love, joy, hope, dreams - I loved it all.
Now as your mother, I want nothing more than to give you both those same feelings that I had. Christmas is a great time to enjoy family, to enjoy friends, to enjoy life. I want you to have it all (and no, I am not talking about the hottest toys - though I must admit, presents are a huge bonus to the holiday season).
As an adult, and more so, as a parent, the holidays often become one long "to-do" list. At times, I have been sucked in to this said "to-do" list and have almost forgotten what the meaning of the holiday truly is. I almost forgot that all of my hard work will be rewarded, through your joy and through your spirit. You see, if year after year, you come out of the holidays with a true sense of gratitude, I have done my job. It's not if I bake all of the cookies or you have exactly X# of presents under the tree. It's when all is said and done, you are grateful and you know WHY we celebrate, then I have truly succeeded.
You see, your momma gets overwhelmed sometimes, and I all too often forget the WHY myself. So, today, on this 19th day of December, I am vowing to stop letting the little stuff get to me. I am vowing to take a step back and realize that I will never get this Christmas back again. I will never see you, Avery, opening presents, singing happy birthday to Jesus, or eating cookies, when you were two, ever again. I will never see you, Evan, stare at the Christmas tree for hours on end when you were four months old, ever again. For both of you will grow up. And yes, next Christmas will be just as magical, but it won't be this Christmas.
I guess what I am trying to say to you both, is though it is hard for me at times, I am vowing to live in the moment. To be happy with the world I have around me, for it is the best and most blessed world I could have ever hoped for or dreamed of. In so many ways, Christmas is better now than it ever was when I was your age, and that is because of you both. You two are the best gifts I could have ever asked for.
So here's to our family. Whether we added a new tradition, stuck to the old, or said that we just couldn't add one more thing to the list, we are together, and that is all that matters - now and forever!
I love you both so much. May you be truly amazed by this most joyous of seasons, and know that your mommy and daddy couldn't be any happier than we are right now.
Momma
Here are some 2011 Casa de Conner holiday family traditions:
- December 1st: Family movie night - it was a night spent with blankets spread across the living room floor, watching holiday movies, and eating popcorn with M&Ms mixed in.
- Elf on the Shelf: 2011 marked the year that our elf, Kidd, came in to our lives. He has gotten himself into some pretty precarious situations, but he is always good for a laugh, and is a great tool to keep Avery on her toes, and well behaved. P.S. Whoever thought of this elf of the self concept, can you kindly make a Valentine's Day elf, a St. Patrick's Day elf, an Easter elf, etc. Then I will be truly impressed and indebted to you.
- Holiday decorating: As a family we decorate the tree and our home. We also buy each child an ornament that they pick out for the year. One day, I will gather up these ornaments and present them to each child so they can hang them on their own tree. This year, Avery picked out a Mickey and Minnie Mouse ornament and of course, Evan got his "1st Christmas" ornament.
- Christmas lights: We hop in the car, and drive around looking at all of the beautiful lights around town. It is a great way for us to spend time together as a family and enjoy the colorful lights that the holiday brings.
- Christmas PJs: On Christmas Eve, each of us will get a brand new pair of PJs to wear that night, so we will be nice and cozy opening up presents Christmas morning, as we sip on hot coco and eat homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Christmas Eve Mass: This year will be our first attempt at Christmas Eve Mass. In years past we have always gone on Christmas day, but I am very much looking forward to attending on Christmas Eve. There is no specific reason why, just a change of pace, I suppose.
