I love Christmas time! Every year I am determined to have shopping and Christmas card ordering and planning done by Thanksgiving so I can just enjoy all the festivities and reflecting that comes with the month of December. And, just like every other year, I ordered our last gift to arrive on Christmas Eve with 2 day shipping, and the kids and I were still racing around making deliveries just moments before Christmas Eve dinner. I guess it is all part of the fun!
Fun would be a good word to describe the past few weeks. We started by putting up our Christmas tree on December 1st (pictures in a previous post). We followed that up by our traditional gingerbread house decorating gathering on the 9th. We invited over our friends the Beckers, the Mullens, the Tenneys, and the Rosenbaums- the biggest crowd yet! There were so many kids that we had to set up a long church table in our living room. I was sure it would be total chaos, and it was, but it was enjoyable chaos!
We split up and went in three different vehicles to doorbell ditch the gingerbread houses. The kids were so excited, and I’m sure it was pretty obvious when 8 kids went “sneaking” up to the doorstep yelling at each other to be quiet! We were probably caught a time or two, but it was entertaining and fun!
A couple of days later was Derek’s big holiday musical at school. I realized the morning of that Derek needed a “Christmas costume” to wear, so I ran to the fabric store and bought some white fluff. I thought he had a red long sleeved shirt, but upon getting home I realized that the only ones we own are the boys’ school uniform shirts. I sewed the fluff to the uniform shirt and then took it apart after the show. It left a few minor holes in the shirt that I had to patch up, but I guess that is what I get for procrasitnating! Derek had one line (the last line). Glenn was out of town for work, so he asked me to video it. I had the 3 kids and went early so we could get good seats. I had the camera ready and the nice lady sitting next to me helped with Amelia. When it came time for Derek’s line, I was distracted and saw him give it, but missed videoing it. Poor Glenn. At least I got some good pictures!
We decided to invite another group over for Family Home Evening the next week to play our Christmas chimes. Our minds were still recovering from the chaos of the gingerbread houses, so we opted to invite only adult friends this time! We had the Chambers family and Carol Jeppson over. I really enjoyed sharing that Christmas tradition with some good friends.
Adam had an appointment at The Children’s Hospital a few days later, and we just happened to be there on the day of the big celebration that the Police Officers put on there. There were over 230 uniformed law enforcement officers. They arrived in a big motorcade with 100 police cars and motorcycles driving through in front of the hospital with their lights flashing, then they parked and the officers lined up and paraded into the lobby. We got out of our appointment right as the motorcade was starting, and understandably couldn’t get our car out, so we had to stay and be part of the festivities! It was all very exciting!
We ended up right in the corner where all the officers were turning to go into the hospital. At first it seemed like a terrible place to be standing because we ended up being pinned against the wall with lines of officers filing past us. It turns out it was the best spot, because all the police officers on the end of the lines had to basically brush up against us. They were SO great with Adam, and every single one gave him five as they went past. Adam thought he was pretty special! They had us come and sit on the front row during the little ceremony in the lobby, and when Kathleen (the volunteer coordinator we work with every time we do the blanket drive) saw us and heard that Adam had surgery, she went and got stuffed animals that the police officers were passing out to patients for both Adam and Amelia. I had to force Adam to leave the hospital when it was time to go, and whenever you have to force a child to leave the hospital, you know it is a pretty special place!
Here they are during the appointment…
And at the celebration…
On Sunday (the 21st), we did our second annual “sleep around the Christmas tree.” I used to try to read a Christmas book to the boys every night during December, but life just kept getting in the way and I kept feeling guilty. So, we decided just to cram it all into one evening. We spread our pillows and blankets and Glenn and I take turns reading Christmas books to them by the light of the Christmas tree until they all fall asleep. Or in the case of this year, I fell asleep and Glenn kept reading until the kids fell asleep. The kids love it when we cry while reading touching stories, and we all love sharing those Christmas memories.
That was our December! A wonderful lead up to a wonderful Christmas. I love this time of year!
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