Monday, January 26, 2009

Where to start....?

Sometimes life seems to come at you too fast and there's no time to blog. As I have been easing back into the blogging world, I have LOVED reading everyone's updates, thoughts, inspiration. I'm afraid that I've lost some of the details that I would have captured if I had kept up, but over-all I think that this has been one of my favorite Christmas season's since we got married because:

1. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day in town

We got to spend Christmas Eve at home for the first time. We had my parents, Jennifer and Jared (Justin's siblings) over for a nice dinner. Justin pounded chicken breasts all afternoon and made yummy chicken cordon blue for dinner with all of the fixen's. We baked some cookies for Santa and left them out. We sang Christmas carols and watched the touching film of "Joy to the World" that the Church put out a couple of years ago and tucked some very excited children in bed. (Unfortunately I have no pictures of the night, see #2 below) .

Sadly, Justin did have to work part of Christmas day. He was on reserve for the day (on-call) and so we weren't sure if he was going to get called in at 4am (with which I was sure we were going to have to wake the kids up and do Christmas then to have Dad around), but luckily he didn't have to leave to the airport until 9am so we were able to open gifts and have a nice breakfast with dad. Then Mom (me) got to have the fun of cleaning up and putting together toys while Justin flew a round trip to Canada and was back in time for Christmas dinner at my parents. We've been really lucky with Justin's schedule over the years and have never had him gone the entire day.

2. I took a record low number of pictures

I was very surprised after the holidays were over that I had so few pics. I got my new camera last year for Christmas and have been going picture crazy ever since. But, it was just really nice to take a few pics and then just enjoy the moments.

3. I was done shopping nearly a week or two before Christmas!

This is mostly thanks to online shopping. The internet is such an amazing thing. I laughed all month long as I saw the UPS and FedEx trucks racing up and down the street all day long for weeks before Christmas and stopping at our house many times during that period. Luckily I have children that are very believing and accepted whatever lame excuse I could come up with of what was in the box!

4. My kids are starting to get what Christmas is about!

We started doing a Christmas jar last year after a neighbor gave us a jar and a poem about saving your change all year and giving it to someone in need at Christmastime. We did add to the jar, took our jar to the change machine to find out how much we had (we decided that we wanted to do something with the money instead of give the jar of money away) and attempted to deliver, but because of complications we were unsuccessful. I was even on the phone on Christmas Eve trying to make arrangements without luck. But, my kids loved the idea and in order to not break their hearts of wanting to carry it out, I had to promise that we would save the money for next year and I vowed to follow through next Christmas. Andrew eagerly even took money from his regular coin collection jar to add some extra. It was pure joy to me as a mother to see them excited to serve! I also loved to hear all December long Ashlee squeal with excitement when ever she saw a picture of baby Jesus.

So, I did actually take some pics of the season. Here are some of the photo highlights:

Our trip on the Polar Express.... A train ride, cookies, hot chocolate. I really believe that life for Andrew in his mind couldn't have gotten better at that moment!
Andrew getting sung Happy Birthday to on our Polar Express ride (the ride was part of his birthday present and we went on his actual b-day)
My cuties in their Christmas attire the Sunday before Christmas
Ashlee eating her firsts of many handfuls of snow this season
Our house we bought to rent out. Hopefully the saying that goes with boat ownership doesn't apply to this: 2 happiest days of a boat owner-- the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it!

Andrew being a "seed" as part of his preschool Christmas program

"Oh, I got just what I always wanted!" (Mom sighs!)

Ashlee loving the Christmas gift opening thing! "A Doll House!"

Ashlee putting more candy on the gingerbread house than in her mouth-- a first.

Andrew finally getting to make his gingerbread house after being nearly in tears everyday that it wasn't the day yet to do it. He could have spent all day working on it.

Ashlee dreaming of all the fun she's going to have wearing her princess dress-ups from Grandma Todd (and never regular clothes again)

Since the holidays have been over, I've been feeling the "nesting" upon me. I have been making lists and more lists of things to get done and trying to work on them despite my growing belly and diminishing energy. Good news-- baby is no longer breach (though I probably will still have a c-section after weighing the risks!?! But, at least a VBAC is an option now), my amniotic fluid levels are still good and baby is actually showing 3 days ahead of schedule by weight! So, maybe I might have a few more weeks to work on that to-do list and not have another premie! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

3 comments:

A said...

Welcome back we missed you. Glad your doing good. AH

Becca's Blog said...

Seriously so fun to catch up on your life and here about your holidays. I am so glad that the baby isn't breech. We will be praying that all goes well.
Take Care of yourself

Parkin Family said...

That sounds so weird that Justin was in Canada for part of Christmas day...oh the life of a pilots wife. At least he was there to see them open their gifts.
I am glad you have rejoined the blogging world. I have been going through with drawls since I don't get to see you in young womens.