Things I Never Had

Part of the joy of parenting, is being able to provide my children with the things I never had. The list is HUGE - but this blog was meant to be simple.... sharing photos of their afternoon spent with the joys of Christmas :D Enjoy!

They see me rollin'....

On cloud 9!

Look Ma - no feet!

Victoria has all control over the radio :D

(don't worry - she's wearing her seatbelt!)

What A Smiling Heart Looks Like...

In the sweetest, 9 yr old handwriting:
"Dear Santa,
     We left you some sugar cookies and milk. in the fridge.
                             Love:  family
P.S. don't eat the ginger bread house its not tasty. Oh and can you try to write back so I can have proof you are real. because someone told me you aren't real."

And on golden, winter stationary... in very neat handwriting:
"Dear Stevie,
     Merry Christmas! I can't tell you how much I love this time of year. Everyone is so full of joy and cheer. It really brings a smile to my face.
     I'm especially proud of you this year. Promethius, my head elf of the education tracking department, reported that you got straight As! How wonderful! It's been about 1,000 years since I've been in school but I remember how hard it was to just get one A.
     I've also noticed how much you've grown up since last Christmas. You are such a kind and generous young lady. I really liked how you were thoughtful enough to give your rollerblades to Alizeonna. The most precious gifts we can give are those given in love and self-sacrifice, which is what you've done. I'm so proud of you!
     I hear that some of your friends have stopped believing in me, which makes me very sad. I only wish I could change their minds. Unfortunately once a child stops believing I can never visit them again. That's the way my magic works. So ignore those who say mean things because its the belief and thankfulness in your heart that keeps me returning every Christmas.
     Thank you for the cookies and I hope you like the decorations. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
                                         Sincerely,
                                            Santa"

Before Stevie discovered her letter, we discovered Santa's festive decorations that welcomed us home from a Christmas with family in France:

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

It's a Christmas PARTAY up in here!

I don't have pictures of the rest... but there's cotton snow all over just about everything... My heart was too busy smiling and the paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling :D Once inside from our 5 hour road trip, the girls got down to business with the gifts!

V's first real Christmas.... Way too much fun!

All she wanted from Santa was a pink guitar, and a pink microphone!

Great... more stuff that makes noise!

Golden paper only comes from Santa! (the LPS treehouse she's been waiting for!)

I got a pink guitar Mommy!

Otherworldly

So there I was.... sitting on the toilet on the 3rd floor of my mother-in-law's house on Christmas day. No, I won't fill you with details about what went on in there!

But I took a few extra moments while emptying the pipes, to take in all the noise coming from above and below me. My two oldest daughters were upstairs with their cousins, playing hide-and-seek. Not a big deal - unless you take into account that the cousins only speak French. To hear my daughters counting in French and doing their best to get past the language barrier to have fun :D Makes for a wonderful experience.

Later on, I sat at the dining room table surrounded in loads of family... I thought back to my first Christmas spent here... Alex (my nephew) was just a baby, and Stevie was only 4. This year, there were 4 cousins running up and down the stairs chasing after one another while Victoria toddled around the living room. We've added a generation to the household. . . The presents overflowed under the tree. The love, all around. Family. Christmas. Home.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and smiled from the inside out. All that I have seems so otherworldly... but here I am :)

Alex, Stevie, Martin and Ava - jibjabbing it up!

Who is this clown?

Rudolphs, the red nosed reindeer!

Merry Christmas!

There IS such a thing as "too much Christmas."

Right Now

Borrowed this from Candie's blog... always looking for SOMETHING to write about :D

Right now I am...

Watching: Harry Potter (my husband downloaded them all... so we're catching up.)

Eating: Nothing. But Nicolas just started dinner, so we'll be eating soon!

Drinking: saliva, and daydreaming about a heaping glass of chocolate milk.

 

Wearing: My favorite American Eagle jeans and one of my PT shirts.

Avoiding: Getting up. This chair is by far the best thing I've EVER purchased!

Feeling: Unsettled. While I'm comfy in my chair, I'm thirsty... and hungry... and there's SO much that needs to be done - but not enough "want" in my step to get it done! 

Missing: My Aunt Vicki... and Christmas in Texas.

Thankful: For the little successed I've had recently that have put my mind at ease.

Weather: cold, but missing snow. SNOW!!

Needing: Something to drink... New Years plans... and 5th anniversary ideas!

Thinking: about MAYBE getting out of this chair and accomplishing stuff that needs to get done.

Loving: My family... this living room... these Christmas decorations.

What are you doing right now?