"Ready or Not, Here I COOOOOOME!"

Just like a good game of "Hide and Seek," I can hear the Christmas season calling from at close distance..."Ready or not, here I coooooome!"

My most recent Christmas seasons have left me feeling a bit like the hiding child. The anticipation of Christmas...each individual party, and the reason we celebrate to begin with (the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ!!) fills my heart with such excitement, merriment, and wonder!!! But Christmas...as a whole...ALL OF THE PARTIES/EVENTS together in one thought, can just about eat you alive!!!

However, this year, I am feeling a bit more optimistic about the overwhelming nature of the season. Mostly because, this year, I have a lot less responsibilities on my plate. In year's past, I have been an employee...I had the commitment of daily work, AND a holiday-work-party of some sort. For a few years, I was the director of MOPS at my church...again, there was the commitment of regular work, and that group alone brought with it 3.separate.Christmas.parties!

Without those 2 factors in my life this year, I am feeling like my holiday satchel is a LOT lighter! Don't get me wrong, we still have plans and parties and gatherings, but our little home/world is a lot more manageable/peaceful/calmer than in prior years. There is room on the calendar to go do something festive...just because. There is room on the calendar to make new traditions. There is room on the calendar...to just breathe.

Breathe in...peppermint.

Breathe out...hot chocolate.

Breathe in...pumpkin pie.

Breathe out...egg nog.

Aaaaaah...Christmas feels/smells/tastes WONDERFUL!!!

This week we had a taste of Christmas before AND after Thanksgiving. :0)

Before Thanksgiving, we went to Sea World for all of their holiday fun with 2-B and her crew...

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of that day was getting to ride the new roller coaster "Manta" for the first time with 2-B. :0)...

 

The kids' favorite part of the day was getting to play in "Snow World"...

 

 

We will definitely be going back to Sea World in the "just because" portion of our season...there were a few holiday shows that we didn't get to see this week...AND our Sea World passes expire in just 21 days. :0(

After Thanksgiving...the day after, to be exact...we continued a Black Friday tradition that we've upheld the last few years...nooooo, we did not go shopping. In our family, on Black Friday, we always take the kids to see a movie at the movie theater...

 

 

This year, the little girls started a new tradition with their Grammy (and Auntie Anna) of going out and buying their Christmas dresses on Black Friday. So for our movie experience, I was only responsible for my little man...

 

After the movie, and after we were all reunited as a family back at our house, we super excited to put up all of our Christmas decorations!!! :0)

One of my favorite corners...

 

This is "home" to me :0)...

 

We even got the lights hung up outside!

 

Beatrice hung the first ornament on the tree...a Beatle for the Beatle...

 

And then Wyatt had his turn...

 

The kids did 75% of the tree decorating all by themselves! Which of course has it's "pros" (total togetherness/cuteness)...

 

and "cons" (self explanatory, lol)...

 

We think they did a GREAT job!!!

 

Wyatt was quickly inspired to put his voice lessons to good use, and sing us many a Christmas carol...

 

The "party decorations" are now up...we are so excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus all month long!!!