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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Getting Excited!


Dodgeball, anyone?



Jacob with his dodgeball teammates





Mikaela performing at the speech contest




Mikaela's group earns first place and the judge's choice award



Okay, so I realize it's only almost mid November, but I'm starting to get really excited about this Christmas season. Not that I don't care about Thanksgiving. Really. I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Our family has been blessed beyond belief. But....
Our tradition is to wait until Thanksgiving to start getting out the Christmas stuff...holiday movies, decorations, music, the wreath for the front of my suburban, everything. The day after Thanksgiving while everyone else is trying to find the great bargains, our family is busy trying to find the perfect Christmas tree. You know the one. It looks perfect growing there--from every angle. Until you get it home. We spend what seems like hours turning it to hide all of the huge holes and can't ever get it to stand up straight even with the special stand.
But, I don't care that it's going to be a pain. I don't care that everyone is going to give me grief about my beautiful little white lights when they are all lobbying for the huge ugly multicolored ones. I don't care that we will probably only be able to decorate the top 2/3 of the tree so that Maimie doesn't break every heirloom ornament and handcrafted bauble. I'm excited!!



Jacob and Joseph


I can't wait to walk for miles looking for the perfect tree, and lug up all 8 or 10 bins of decorations from the basement by myself, and make really messy gingerbread houses with the kids, and watch all the holiday movies, and eat all the yummy snacks, and listen to the kids argue about how to set up the nativity scene, and tell Maimie for the millionth time not to splash in the tree water, and read the holiday stories as a family, and drink gallons of warm cocoa, and enjoy all of the fun and meaningful traditions that we do each year. Christmas has always been such a precious time for us, but it will hold special meaning for us this year as we enjoy it through Maimie's eyes. It makes me feel glad that she is home with us and we can make her a part of our family traditions.


Singing with Daddy



Earning her keep


So, it may be 67 degrees outside today, and it may be more than a week until Thanksgiving, but I'm planning to sit down with a couple of Christmas magazines this afternoon or evening and dream a little.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMEN!! This year will definitely be a memorable one since it will be Maimie's first Christmas. Remember last year when we gave you the music CD about the little girl still being in China at Christmas awaiting adoption and all the kleenex you went through every time you heard it--well this year she is HOME!
Congratulations to Mikaela and her speech team on their first place and I know Jacob had a great time at dodgeball!
How exciting to share in the joy of Christmas with you and realize what a miracle it is to have Maimie! May God bless you and yours.
In Christian Love,
Grandma & Grandpa

Anonymous said...

AMEN!! This year will definitely be a memorable one since it will be Maimie's first Christmas. Remember last year when we gave you the music CD about the little girl still being in China at Christmas awaiting adoption and all the kleenex you went through every time you heard it--well this year she is HOME!
Congratulations to Mikaela and her speech team on their first place and I know Jacob had a great time at dodgeball!
How exciting to share in the joy of Christmas with you and realize what a miracle it is to have Maimie! May God bless you and yours.
In Christian Love,
Grandma & Grandpa

Anonymous said...

Ah, the joys and fun of toddlers in the home when the Christmas season rolls around.

Glad you have Maimie home this Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and great Christmas season.

Beckie