Christmas was wonderful. So grateful for the birth of the Savior, and for the many blessings we have because of Him. We changed our gift tradition this year - we used to do the 3 presents per child, but every year, by the time our kids got presents from their grandparents and Santa, and each other, it seemed that they still ended up with way too much. By too much I mean that a week later, some gift is forgotten or they have lost interest in the gift. Not that getting a lot of presents is bad - who doesn't love to receive lots of presents?
We are not being Grinches by any means, we love to give our kids anything that they ask for -- it's also just that we don't want them to grow up thinking they can have anything and everything at Christmas if they wished for it, and feeling entitled. We want them to appreciate every gift they get - and to love and enjoy them a lot. But more importantly, to understand that Christmas is more about giving than receiving. So this year, instead of 3 presents, they got 1 present from us. Because they knew that months before, they only told us the 1 thing they wanted the most, and the other things on their very short wish list - Santa happily brought. I second guessed our decision - thinking and worried that maybe we didn't do enough for the kids.
But you know what? The kids didn't mind at all. There were no comments of "this is all I got?" or faces that said "oh man I didn't get a lot". What we saw instead were faces of gratefulness and faces filled with Christmas wonder and magic. Happy faces, even though they didn't have a big pile of gifts this year. We participated in two secret Santa projects the week before Christmas, which made a big difference (at least I'd like to think) in the way they thought of presents and gifts - I know it did for Kevin and I. Later that day, Collin told me how he loved this Christmas even more so than last year, he didn't know why, even though he opened fewer presents. He played all day with his Legos from Santa and read books and played games on his new Kindle Fire. Allie was just in heaven with her iPod touch, which she was proud to pay half the cost (when our kids want something expensive, they pay for half). Allie got a few new sets of Church clothes from her Grandma Beth and Pappi, so she was excited! They were super cute and her stylish Aunt Andrea helped picked them out.
So the kids woke up at 2 a.m. but their Aunt Andrea who was sleeping in the guest room (adjacent to the family room) told them it was way too early to wake up to open their stockings. I of course was the main excuse - that I would want to watch and take videos and photos, so they probably ought to wait until it was a bit later. They agreed and went back to bed. They were up at 6, still super dark outside, and asked my sleepy head if they could go ahead and look in their stockings and Santa presents. Kevin and I went downstairs a little after that to watch them.
Opening Santa presents - Santa actually wrapped his presents since the kids used the Santa bags as blankets!
Maddie asked Santa to bring her "just one thing" - a pet unicorn. Santa was very creative and got her a pillowpet unicorn.
Belle pajamas from Aunt Andrea
Collin's beloved soft blanket (his old one was so loved and tattered)
Santa brought Zane this ball - which is all he really needed. He was so excited. Oh the simple joys of baby!
Allie worked hard to pay for half of the iPod touch - she babysat, did chores and handwrote 20 scholarship thank you letters for the BYU Alumni Association.
Of course she spent the day texting and setting up her new thing.
Maddie's jeep was a hit with Zane. And has been played with every day since we got it.
My sister Abby sent us presents in the mail - so thoughtful. Andrea in our matching pajamas.
Me and Kevin with our small gifts from my sisters
Zane loves his new ride-on
After we opened presents, we enjoyed wheat pancakes (yum!), hash browns, sausage and eggs for breakfast, then got ready for church. Kevin's parents came and brought their presents to us - 2-day hopper passes to Disneyland! The kids were so excited to get those, and look forward to going with their grandparents this coming year. We went to our Church meeting at 12 noon (such a perfect time!) and had such a great and wonderful time being uplifted by song and testimonies. It was nice to come home after that and enjoy the rest of the day with family! On our way home I decided to go and take pictures of the kids in their Sunday best. Of course since my Baby 365 project was over, I forgot to take Zane's photo. We forgot to take a photo in front of our Christmas tree, and I knew that photos were going to be out of the picture when the kids got out of their clothes. We hosted Christmas dinner at home and enjoyed the company of family and friends.I love Christmas!
Our family, Christmas 2011
3 comments:
lovely!
Good idea...glad it all turned out good. :)
Time to catch up with the Harris Family! I could not agree more with keeping Christmas simple! We have been "blessed" to be "starving college students" for such a long time that we have always had a "simple" Christmas. This year was the first year that we could do more and Dan & I both agreed that our Christmas's past weren't bad being simple, and our children enjoyed them. We had family hurting this year with medical and financial problems so it was a perfect way to help out children understand what Christmas is all about by sponsoring their children for Christmas. Our children didn't complain and there was a sweet spirit too! I like that. I want Christmas to be like this every year!
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