Time for Love & Time for Cheer

This year's Christmas was one of my favorites. The boys are at such fun ages, and their excitement is contagious. We are very spoiled and dare I say got everything we wanted for Christmas.

Joe's favorite gift was his ride-on Thomas the Train. I could barely get him off of it the entire day, and he guards it constantly making sure that his brother knows whose it is.

Joshua's favorite gift was his Dreamlite. He'd been asking for one non-stop and even though I was worried that once he got one he'd change his mind, he really loves it.

I'm pretty sure that Luke's favorite gift was the Ipad my brother got us, but the set of Theologian Coasters that I made him for his office were a huge hit as well. He's been wanting a set of coasters for a while, but after looking at a few sets I didn't really see any that I thought he'd like. I remembered seeing a tutorial for homemade coasters on pinterest a while back and even though I hadn't pinned it, I did remember reading through the instructions and thought that I could pull it off. He loves them so much he has actually  requested that I make a few more for his birthday.

It's hard to say what gift was my favorite since I really loved everything I got. I of course love the camera that my mom got me, but the gifts from my husband were all very thoughtful. Topping the list of most thoughtful gifts was the Clarinet he gave me. I already owned it, but it was a mess. I hadn't even looked at it in a few years. It needed new pads, and some pieces were broken off, cork was missing, and the metal was kinda gross from age. The clarinet had originally been purchased by my father about 12 or so years ago. It is an antique, wooden, Normandy clarinet. I played for years and years on a cheapo plastic clarinet, but my dad always wanted me to have a really nice one. I remember how excited he was the day he brought it home, he was proud of his purchase and even though it wasn't anywhere near playing condition, he told me he'd have it restored someday. As you know my dad passed away 2 years ago, and he'd never gotten around to getting the clarinet up and running. When Luke brought out the case on Christmas morning I just looked at him confused and thought, "does he think that this was lost and he found it?" I was shocked when he told me to open it. Having it in working condition was a dream I thought would never come to fruition. I held it and sobbed thinking how much my dad would have cried if he knew that I'd get to play it. I know it would have made him so happy. It made me happy. I've already been playing lots and hope to do a few specials here and there at the church (after more brushing up of course).

Luke took a few days off from work after Christmas and we've been enjoying the family time together. I've been thinking a lot this week about what a great family I have. Once I was old enough to have a boyfriend, my Grandma use to always say to me, "find a good husband, and you'll be happy in life." She'd tell me every visit and on the phone too, "You find a good man like I did, when I found your grandpa, it'll make all the difference." My husband never met my grandmother, she passed away just shortly after we were married and she hadn't been well for a while before that, but the last time that my mother went to visit her I told my mom, "you tell Grandma that I found a good man, I found one just like grandpa, just like she said to. Don't forget, tell her I found a good one." When my mom came back she told me she'd relayed the message, when I asked what grandma had said, my mom said, "well she was very sick sweetie, but she knew, and she smiled...she knows."

My grandmother could not have been more right about finding a good husband. I think back on her words often when I'm with my 3 boys and we're laughing and having a good time together. "You'll be happy, and it'll make all the difference." Luke has his faults.....which I won't mention here :) but he is a very good man. He loves the Lord and he loves his family. This year one of my most favorite things about our Christmas was just our family being together, being happy. God has given our family so much this, because He gave us eachother.

Holiday Happenings

My blog has been pretty much non-existent since my camera broke at the beginning of November. Luckily my mother came to my rescue and got me a new one for Christmas!! It's fancy, and yes, I know it should be under the tree still , but she lives hours away and even though I'm sure she rolled her eyes when I told her that I was already using it, she's knows I've been opening my gifts before it was time since I was old enough to walk. She tells this horrific story about buying me shoes one year for Christmas. The gist of it is this : I opened them one morning, wore them to school, re-wrapped them. She'd lead you to believe she was forever scarred as a parent, but don't let her fool you, she finds it funny :)

I've been reading a few other blogs lately about holiday traditions. One holiday tradition that is among my top 5 easily is the Christmas Card. I LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards. Even if I have read every post the person had on Facebook all year, I still cannot wait to read their letter! I'm like a kid in the candy store when the cards begin arriving. You can ask my husband, he thinks I'm crazy!! I will hold up the unopened envelopes and with sheer excitement say things like, "I can't wait to see their picture!" or maybe, "what do you think made the letter this year?" I love addressing them, I love placing the giant stack into the mailbox on December 1st (also a tradition of mine) and I especially love the day that you get the mail and it is ALL Christmas cards!!! It's one of my favorite days of the year usually around the 22nd and it is a day I smile all afternoon. I'm an old fashioned card nerd, it's okay I accept it!

Our entire Church is focusing on the Advent Season this year and anticipation of- as well as preparation for the Christ Child's arrival. I love advent at church and as Luke has been preaching about what true anticipation means I have seen it this year in my own home. I had forgotten what pure anticipation really looks like until I saw my little Joshua's excitement beginning to build. My heart overflows with joy as I watch his eyes light up every morning when he glimpses the tree lit in the living room. The other day he asked me , "Is Christmas coming to Colorado yet?" Almost, I told him about a week and a half still. I could see him trying to contain the excitement and think about something else, but inevitably he circled around the tree and curled up on the couch just starring at the lights, waiting for Christmas. The Lord uses my kids to open my eyes to so many things and this very instance is one of those times. What are the things that I can't get out of my head this Christmas season? The bills that need paying, the baking that should get done, the gifts that need wrapping, or is it the Birth of our Savior! I know what I want it to be.

We let the kids help decorate the tree for the first time ever this year. It was exciting, overwhelming, fun, and stressful all wrapped into one 30 min decoration session! As heirloom ornaments whizzed by and I told myself "if they break they are just things." I honestly loved seeing my kids looking at each ornament and placing it (sometimes) lovingly on the tree. The clear favorite this year is the Charlie Brown ornament. The boys are Charlie Brown Crazy this season. I think that I got the ornament in a bag of candy a few years back and just never threw it away. So glad now that I didn't actually throw it away because it has been truly loved this year. My current favorite is a set of red, glass, candle ornaments that clip onto the branches. For years growing up my parents had a "candle tree" we had real candles that looked almost identical to these glass ones. My dad would light the candles on Christmas eve while we played games and opened presents and then again on Christmas morning while ate our big Christmas meal. Even though these candles aren't real, they remind me of home.

This morning we worked hard on the kids' Christmas t-shirts, which is becoming a little bit of a tradition I guess. Last year the boys made reindeer shirts and this year it's wreaths!!!! They turned out super cute I think and of course the kids love them.

Lastly Joshua was really wanting me to take a picture of him being a "sickie" he is actually feeling much better but loves to draw out the attention for as long as he can. He successfully made a little "sick bed" for himself on the couch and is happily watching  A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.