First we decorate the tree. This always includes pjs, a fire and a warm drink. This year the kids enjoyed Chai Tea Lattes with whipped cream. Each kid gets to put their own ornaments on the tree and share putting up the other ornaments. Each year kids get a special ornament from me and now from their Oma. I mark the year and name the back or bottom. This always starts stories of "Remember when..." Oh and decorating our tree always includes a box of tinsel per person...yes that's 7 boxes of tinsel, which of course the kids LOVE! Ryan I do not think shares that love, but he loves me so at least 7 boxes of tinsel go on the tree every year!
They all looked forward to finding out what I got them this year. I always spend a great deal of time to pick something special that represents their year. My mom did it every year for me, my brother and my dad. Then she did it for my girls and so have I every year. Ryan got a Bronco's ornament because we went to our first game together in November. Dean got a string of VW Bugs or "slug bugs" (a game that we all play and Dean claims that red ones are Spartan bugs, which grant a large Spartan kick, which we do not allow him to do, though he tries). Megan got a Santa riding a dolphin for her science project of a dolphin this year. Alex got a camo-hoodie because his room is all camo. Haley got Reese's PB cup for a funny comment she made telling us she was not "over" us eating all her Halloween Reese's 10 months prior to the comment. Cassidy got a beautiful ornament covered in peace signs, her favorite thing. Next year these will go on the tree and I'm sure there will be a lot of "Remember when..." conversations again.
Our next favorite tradition that is only a couple years old is Christmas with our friends. We get together with some friends and exchange gifts. This year we got together right after decorating the tree. It was a little early Christmas. Somehow this year my house got covered in confetti but we had a blast!
Next we have our Christmas Eve celebration. Last year we had an open house as my mom had for years. Friends and family would stop by, eat yummy snacks and then go to church. This year our lives did not permit for our normal tradition. Still we had one family over for a low key get together just before service. We still had yummy snacks then went to church. After church we stopped for hot chocolate and looked at Christmas lights. We probably didn't see the best displays in town but we had a blast talking about all the things we liked and didn't like.
I think my favorite tradition though is Christmas morning. This year that happened on the 26th at our house. This is one of the things we have have had to be flexible about as a blended family. Even still, it felt like Christmas. While I am wrapping gifts the weeks before, all the paper scraps get saved into a bin that cannot be used. Then we take the scraps and make a wrapping paper wall that covers our hallway. When the kids wake up, they wait for us to "sneak" to the other side and on the count of 3, run through the wall to discover all the gifts under the tree that "appeared" after they slept. It's a tradition that Megan and Haley's dad had as a little boy and one we have cherished and kept.
This year we had Christmas at my in-laws on the evening of Christmas before our Christmas. It's always a fun time filled with family and friends and lots of food. We exchange and open gifts. We laugh and tell stories of years past. I feel so very blessed to have shared my second year with this family and love that the girls and I have been welcomed into their family as though we were always apart of it.
After our Christmas on the 26th we went over to my parent's house for Christmas. They had just moved to a new home. Dad and Diane were excited to start a lot of new memories in their home. My brother, sister-in-law and nephew Aiden were there as were Diane's boys. It was a house full and there was cooking and conversation, games and laughter. The high light is when Oma (Diane) got Papa and the kids a Wii. We actually didn't pull our family away till almost midnight. We all remarked how wonderful it was and know that their new home will be a house filled with memories.
After all the hustle and bustle, I am excited to say that I feel very blessed. Not too long ago my family was small and broken just me, my girls, my dad and my brother. Now we have a large loving family that surrounds us. I have a beautiful home and so does my dad. We talk often about not really knowing how we got here but knowing we are blessed. This is not where I thought I would be but I am so glad I'm not in charge. God has overly blessed my life in ways I could not have imagined for myself. I hope this year I will be blogging a bit more. But for now I leave you with these thoughts: If I had been in control of my life I would not have taken the loved ones I lost. But if I had been in charge I would not have been given new ones to love. I will always love the lost loved one but I am blessed to have new loved ones to keep me close at all times, even the times when I love the lost loved ones. It may be hard and confusing, but it's all I have.
