We celebrated Christmas away from our families for the first time in our entire marriage this year. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to being away from home - but happy to report that Christmas still felt like Christmas!
I decided a few weeks before Christmas that I was going to have a positive attitude and make it special for our family. Mike got us off on the right foot by taking us to get a real Christmas tree right after we came back from Colorado. We all loved it. Asa rearranged the ornaments on a daily basis while Annabelle always seemed to find the ornaments with bells to ring as she danced to Christmas music. I loved the smell and how happy it made our house look.
On Christmas Eve we had our friends over for appetizers and dessert. After we visited and ate, the kids helped put on the Nativity story for us. With 4 girls and 1 boy around Asa was a shoe-in for the role of Joseph. He refused to wear a costume but was much more willing than 'Mary' to hold the baby while the older girls acted out the parts of the angel, shepherd and wise WOman.
After our friends left and we were getting the kids into their jammies my sweet friend and what must have been her husband's entire family came caroling to us. They sounded wonderful and it totally made my night. Afterward Annabelle exclaimed "I don't know why but I just couldn't stop smiling! I tried to stop mom - but I just couldn't stop". 
Christmas morning was so fun. We decided to encourage the kids to play with each toy as they opened them. Annabelle was just as enthusiastic about her new clothes as she was about her new toys. Asa now has a plethora of boy toys and will yell "Go, go, go!" while raising his fist at his train, fire truck, dump truck and cars.
2 comments:
hooray! Anna's face while opening that [resent is priceless!
The last 2 year we have been away from family! It is weird but nice all at the same time. I enjoy starting our own traditions but miss family!
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