Christmas Time

We had a great Christmas season and day. Tessa Jane was all sorts of into it. I am 9 months pregnant and was as not into as I remember ever being. I was grateful she was around to restore the magic and fun and force us into participating in Seasonal festivities that I might have other wise foregone. I am always grateful for the opporunity this time of year presents to focus on how to make someone else's day really special. It's a true shame the feeling of goodwill and unselfishness doesn't last all year.

Some highlights:

1. A real Christmas tree, it smelled like a dream right up until we took it out on Tuesday.

2. Christmas cards. December is undoubtedly the best time of the year for mail. I start brainstorming my card around Halloween, ours this year was my favorite the Hunts have produced thus far. I love seeing photo's of our friends families, and seeing what other ideas people have come up with.

3. My collection of Christmas Angels. They are my most treasured Christmas decoration. Sometimes I am tempted to leave them up all year.

4. Wade did the 12 Days of Christmas for me this year. How awesome is my husband?! Everything was so thougthful and getting a new surprise everyday was pretty fun I must say. I have a myriad of coupons waiting to be redeemed...dinners cooked, house cleaned, massages...I have a mani & pedi awaiting me, treats consumed, and Lululemon patiently standing by for a post pregnancy surprise.

5. White Elephant Christmas party with friends, an annual tradition of sorts. Your stomach aches from laughter after this night, seeing what tricks people have come up with, we have some hysterical friends.

6. Emma. Some friends of ours got thier kids a dog for Christmas and needed a place for her to stay for a few days to keep it a surprise. She was the cutest, sweetest little dog and I was so sad to see her go! She made me want a dog all over again and a little one at that. She was a great sport at tolerating Tessa's "love".

7. Christmas at home. This is the first year in 7 that we have not been with family over the Holiday. It was great to be with the three of us, for Santa to come to our own house, go at our own pace and really enjoy the day together. We woke and opened presents, took a break for awhile and had the O'Farrells over for brunch, took a nap, went to see Tangled and then opened some more presents. It was a great day.

8. Christmas Eve at the Dowlings. We love the Dowlings. We had a great dinner, opened Christmas crackers (it was like being in London all over again), had candy sled races, and danced Irish jigs. David even made us try English pudding and it was every bit as terrible as you might imagine it to be.

9. Christmas morning. "It's a kitchen!" "Want some milk mom?" "Dad, you have some juice?"

10. About 6 wardrobe changes, because as you might know, everything needs to unwrapped, tinkered with and tried on before moving on to the next present.

11. Pink Sparkle Tom's from Daddy.

12. A break in the rain brought a crisp, sunny California Christmas day.

13. Christmas phone call to hear the missionary's voice. He sounds exactly the same, only better.

So glad it comes around every year.