Even last year when we had Christmas in our motor home and there was no snow outside at all in California - it was still magical!
We really keep things simple around here (though some may think differently just from seeing a few pictures..... with 9 kids there are lots of presents even though everyone only gets 2). Last year 2 of my kids got American girl dolls and that was only because I saved up some of my piano lesson money for a few months. We spend about $50 on each kid usually, so handmade and heartfelt gifts are more special.
Christmas Eve dinner is always my favorite. Ham, scalloped potatoes, etc. We always eat with only a few candles and no other lights except the Christmas tree.
Then we open our Christmas jammies (this year we weren't able to do jammies, unfortunately), and our new Christmas book.
We go driving around looking at Christmas lights and singing Christmas songs (We Wish You a Merry Christmas - starting over every time we see more lights. It gets so ridiculous and I can't stop laughing. Always a good time!).
We read Luke 2 and A Night Without Darkness (Christmas in the America's), and then all the kids sleep together in the theater room watching The Santa Clause.
Dave and I always end up with a few things to wrap, put together, and fill (stockings).
This year was interesting..... we had our paper route to think about. They delivered it to us at about 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve so we could deliver it that night. We loved the idea of "sleeping in" on Christmas morning so we got everyone involved and got it done in about an hour.
Because of the late night the kids didn't get up until about 8:00 Christmas morning!
We had a few tears - we got Akayla a laundry basket filled with dishes and cooking supplies for college.
Before she opened it I told her not to cry - it was just exciting!
But we both ended up crying because she realized it's her last Christmas being home.
Everything will be different next year.
I choose not to think about it.
I know there will be plenty of time for mourning, but if I think too much about her leaving I start to panic.
I don't like to feel that way so I'm just enjoying the time we have with her!
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| since I made their dress-ups I spent about $10 per girl even with the shoes and the feathers.....much less than they would have been! |
good things:
cleaning up the Christmas mess
breakfast in the stockings
staying in jammies all day
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