It takes forever and then it's gone!

Remember when you were a kid and your countdown to Christmas Paper Chain was the highlight of your day?  I specifically remember fighting over whose turn it was to rip the link off the chain or who got the waxy piece of chocolate out of the advent calendar.  Anymore I feel like Christmas comes and goes before I catch my breath, sit down and enjoy the magic of it.  

Do any of you feel like this?  

I still love Christmas don't get me wrong, but something I am doing is terribly off track.  Let me explain, I vow to have my shopping done by November every year, I intend on getting friend and neighbor gifts out by the 1st week of December, I promise that when the kids get out of school we will do nothing but read Christmas stories, craft activities and sing Christmas music.  At night we will drive around smiling looking at Christmas lights, all the while sipping  hot cocoa.  There will be a continual feeling of peace and merriment in my home.  Every night we will share scriptures and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and there will never be a trip to Wal Mart without spare change for the buckets of Salvation Army bell ringers.  We will sponsor an angel from the angel tree and we will relish in old Christmas Family Traditions while making some new ones of our own along the way!  

Well......................if any of you have read my previous blog entries and saw what our month of December was like,..........I failed miserably at bringing what i thought to be, the "Perfect Christmas" Spirit into my home.  

What am I doing wrong?  Here it is January 15, 2012 and I am just getting to a Christmas Blog Post, Ugh!  I have learned some things this year and I am not going to tell you what they are because I am going to do things differently next year.  I live in fear of putting it on my blog for the mere fact that somebody might read this and next year when I am blogging in January about Christmas they will know that once again I've failed miserably!

Although life isn't like a Hallmark Movie at Christmas time there were a few things we did right, in fact........when I look back at it all, Christmas was lovely!

Number 1

These three kids were all extremely happy and even showed gratitude.  I am sure if you asked them what The True Meaning of Christmas was  they could tell you!  (Exception Layla,  She thinks Jesus and Santa both say, "HO, HO, HO" - no blasphemy intended).

I love that it is impossible to get a picture with these 3 all smiling.

I love even more that cameras sometimes capture the moment perfectly, along with multiple personalities!

Number 2

Christmas was not a flop because my kiddos got to spend time with some of their most favorite people.  My kids love their cousins and although a picture of all of them in new Christmas Jammies ends up like this.....I am so thankful that all of our family is so close.  (We are just missing ShaRee's kids).

Number 3

I love that the kids open up cousin gifts on Christmas Eve,  this is a wonderful tradition.   I am starting to think that the giver is usually more excited than the recipient.
 (Also love That "B" got to sit by Miss Malia he misses her so much when she goes back to Oregon)!

Number 4

This girly girl made any mishaps that I made about Christmas seem like silly things to even worry about.  Just the fact that she spent Christmas Day in a Cinderella dress, wearing high heels and riding a pink pony made all my dreams come true!  (As sappy as that may sound)!

She really is happy in this picture, just not thrilled about stopping for a picture!

At the end of a long Christmas Day aren't we glad we have little Cabbage Patch Dolls who look just like us?

Number 5

These two little guys were so happy with what Santa brought and I am so glad Santa knows what little boys like.

Disclaimer....These are not the best videos and there is a lot of background noise but we must see what we got for Christmas, right?

Finally, I learned that Christmas is never planned perfectly and the list is never done!  I am just happy that I got to sit back, enjoy my family and pretend like my husband has some "slammin" dance moves!  

"Oh no honey, you dance like a pro!"  He He, Wink, Wink!

Goodbye Christmas 2011