Christmas has finally arrived! For most of the country Christmas has come and gone but for us it has just arrived. There is so much to share but I don’t want to make this post 2 pages long so I will spread it out to the next few days.
We do not start celebrating Christmas until advent is over. We spend advent preparing for the coming of the Christ Child by doing penance and offering little sacrifices to empty a space in our hearts for the baby that is coming. My kids all get together and they each decide to give up a little something to offer Him. This year I had a few kids give up sweets and one gave up using his pillow (which made me suffer for him but I dared not discourage him).
The only sign that Christmas is coming around here for the past few weeks were all the projects (some secret some not) that are scattered in all my stashing spots for those on my list and the nativity missing the Infant Jesus until Christmas Eve. All the decorating around here happens on Christmas Eve making for one fun and busy day.
I have learned from previous years not to wait until the last minute to get our tree (one year we had to purchase a display tree from Michaels because all the real trees were gone). We get our tree the week before and keep it in water on the porch which makes the porch smell lovely. This year I asked the manager of our supermarket if they had clearanced the few trees left. She recognized me as the lady with all those kids and said “I don’t know, lets check it out”. So we went outside over by the trees left. She asked me which I wanted and I said I would love the huge one depending on the price. She said “Well, its yours Merry Christmas” That was such a great surprise and another reason I love living in a small town.
This Christmas has been so crazy with Poppa losing his job and a few major things that have happened to me. I have honestly had the blues and the more I try to break out of it the blue-er I feel. I had a list of so many wonderful things I wanted to accomplish. So many projects to get done and looking back I did none of them… Then I realized that the most important thing that would happen around here was not on my list of projects. It would be the meal we would eat together, the preparation of the tree and decorating on Christmas Eve, the majesty of our choir at midnight mass and the anticipation in my childrens hearts for the magic of Christmas morning.
On Christmas Eve we cooked and laughed and put up all the lights and manger outside. We ate dinner and then decorated the tree just as we do every year and it was so wonderful. New pajamas mark the first of the 12 nights of Christmas presents and they were given to each child right before we headed out for midnight mass. When we returned from midnight mass with a few little ones asleep, they headed up to bed with the happy nervousness of what the morning may bring. Then Poppa and I as well as my brother (who brought my nephew and niece and spent these days with us) put all the treasures under the tree and I hung each stocking and put little goodies in each one and finally headed to bed a few hours before the children woke us up again.
Christmas morning came and everything we needed was in place, a few gifts for my babies, my husbands strong arms hugging me and the love we each have for each other. It was all just as it should be and the rest of those projects may or may not get done in the next few days and weeks because Christmas has just arrived.
One of the things I did not get to this year was my childrens favorite sugar cookies (and I am sorry that I promised my sugar cookie and icing recipe a few days ago and did not post it). I am hoping to get some time to bake with the kids this week and will definitely post the recipe then. The other major thing that did not make it under the tree was the girls Waldorf dolls, everytime I tried to work on them it seemed like climbing a mountain and I realize that the blues can even stop you from doing those things you really enjoy. I decided to give them as Epiphany presents so I need to get back to work.
I hope your Christmas was and is wonderful and that you got to spend it just the way Baby Jesus planned for your family. I am including a linky at the bottom of this post in case you would like to share how you spent your Christmas Eve and day celebrations.
Praise God for your penitent observance of Advent. My family focuses on the season of Advent as a time of strict preparation. We delay all celebrations for Christmas Day and Christmastide. It's not always easy but dad and I pray that it is pleasing to Him.We just put up our Christmas tree and decorations. Baby Jesus is officially in the manager. Majority of the decor will stay up until the Octave of the Epiphany. The tree will remain until Candlemas.I know how challenging it can be, dealing with hardships during holy seasons. It's become my new normal. Dad and I give thanks for the timing of His refinement. It has led us closer to Him and keeps us little.You and your dear family will be in our prayers. May you have a fruitful Christmastide and may His joy and peace fill you during this time of refinement.Ad Jesum per Mariam, Lena
I'm a reletively "new" Catholic by way of my husband and I love that Christmas doesn't stop on December 26th – I was looking at our missal on Christmas Eve and saw that we get to sing Christmas songs for another 2 weeks. I know it's silly, but it made me happy! As I was just telling the hubs, in the churches I grew up in December 26th rolled around and it might as well be Valentines Day for all intents and purposes.
This year we spent part of our Christmas Eve at a Butterfly Conservatory. I have posted some of the pictures on my blog to share the experience.Thank you for sharing your celebration. I found there was a lot of pressure this year to start celebrating earlier than I like. You inspire me with your post and leave me with something to think about for next year. Thanks again.