This year, JDubbs and I drove the kids down to Massachusetts to celebrate Christmas there for the last time (until we move back there, I hope!). Starting next year we'll be setting up our own traditions in Vermont and waking up Christmas morning in our own beds, rushing down our own stairs to admire our tree and take down the stocking hung by our chimney with care. So for one last hurrah with my extended family, we all piled in the mini-van and headed to Grammy's.
Christmas Eve morning we headed back to Civilization for a gathering of my mom's side of the family, with our aunt and uncles with whom we used to live, and with my sisters and niece and nephew. Here are many pictures to illustrate the generous gift-giving, delighted gift-receiving, and overall happiness of the day
(if you click on it, you can look closer).
Hilarious.
Christmas Eve was spent with my dad and his family at Auntie Franny and Uncle Keith's house, but since Em was being super-clingy to the point of slightly embarrassing, I was unable to take any photos. We had a lovely evening with aunts, uncles, cousins, and Nana, with delicious food and lots of spoiling of my babies, and the unexpected but exciting news that my cousin Randi is engaged to Steve! An excellent way to spend an evening, to be sure.
Then we headed back to my mom's, put the kids in their Christmas pj's, and let loose our Christmas stockpiling. All day I had an antsy feeling that I wanted the day to be over so I could go home and put our presents under the tree, read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, tuck our babies in bed, and wait to hear sleighbells ringing from the rooftop. I finally get it--what Christmas is really about--making my kids as blissfully happy as humanly possible, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending a lot of money. J and E are still young enough that we didn't do letters to Santa or leave cookies and carrots out for late-night visitors, but I certainly got the exciting feeling that next year will be the beginning of making serious holiday memories. And although I'm sad that we won't be doing Christmas in Massachusetts for a long time (if ever again), celebrating the holidays at home will be just a new chapter in our storybook, and with Em being that much older, I know we'll have years of Merry Christmases in our future.
(if you click on it, you can look closer).
And here are two of my favorite shots: my 70-year-old Uncle Bob and Jax, both looking like they need a nap!
Hilarious.Then we headed back to my mom's, put the kids in their Christmas pj's, and let loose our Christmas stockpiling. All day I had an antsy feeling that I wanted the day to be over so I could go home and put our presents under the tree, read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, tuck our babies in bed, and wait to hear sleighbells ringing from the rooftop. I finally get it--what Christmas is really about--making my kids as blissfully happy as humanly possible, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending a lot of money. J and E are still young enough that we didn't do letters to Santa or leave cookies and carrots out for late-night visitors, but I certainly got the exciting feeling that next year will be the beginning of making serious holiday memories. And although I'm sad that we won't be doing Christmas in Massachusetts for a long time (if ever again), celebrating the holidays at home will be just a new chapter in our storybook, and with Em being that much older, I know we'll have years of Merry Christmases in our future.
1 comment:
Love the new title!!!!
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