It's been a magical December for all of us here at Tweetle Dee! Our family gathered together as often as we could and enjoyed every second of it. We had a Kiddo Christmas with just the kids celebrating...it was crazy elfin fun. Then we had the family party with food, games, and an ugly Christmas Cookie decorating party. It's a real thing at our house.
Christmas morning we woke up to a heavy blanket of new fallen snow. It was pure magic. If you follow me on Instagram you know that this shot of our back yard is our one of my favorites. I take it every year, and sometimes more than one shot shows up on my feed...but this Christmas morning with the silence of the snow, it was especially beautiful.
Many of our children were in other parts of the country, so it was a more quiet Christmas than we are used to. We miss our family, but with the different parties and Face Time we were able to feel close. This will be Adam's last Christmas with us before he leaves on his mission, and my Mom heart could feel it.
We bought him luggage and mission scriptures and a special wallet engraved with a Mother's wish for him. He cried, I cried and Mike had to get busy picking up wrapping paper so he wouldn't. He is the youngest of this big family and I think all of us will miss him being with us for the next two years.
It was also Molly's first Christmas and she loved the sugar cookies and her presents. It took her a while to figure out what to do with them, but she hugged them all. Gracie is almost at the age to figure out the whole Santa story and had lots of faith that the giving of the Christmas season is real, no matter who the giver is.
One of the best parts of the season was the prayers that we gave asking to find people we could give to, and we found our hearts growing each week as opportunities for giving came in ways we did not expect. I really know that we are given what we need and this year I think my Mom heart was held whole as we gave more than ever.
Christmas morning with a house full of kids sleeping in every room, left me one quiet place, this seat on the couch. No one wanted to wake up early, so I sat in silence and watched the sun come up over the mountain and cast a blue light through our windows. It was the reflection of light on the new snow and I was a gift for me.
I love this season more now than at any other time in my life. I recognize the calm of peace more than ever and love the stillness it brings. I hope this season was a beautiful one for you and your family, and if it wasn't, let me send you a hug and a hope that time passes and things that are hard change in time. I send you my love for the rest of 2019 and will see you in 2020 with an exuberance for the new year!
