Christmas and Everything in Between.

Every Christmas is a little different. The ingredients generally stay the same but in different amounts and different doses – from how many presents are under the trees to the number of church services we attend to the home that we find ourselves in on Christmas morning.

This year, was one of the few years in our marriage that Ben is not working as a Music Director of a church so we took advantage of the opportunity to go away and spend Christmas at my dad’s place in the interior of British Columbia. And like most Christmas’ it was a Christmas like no other.

Other than that, I don’t know what to say about it really. We spent an evening at my mom’s before we travelled, where the kids (and us) were spoiled as usual. Then we spent Christmas Eve on the road.

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We didn’t attend a Christmas Eve service, which made the evening feel a little bit hollow but we, nonetheless, settled in quickly and comfortably as the kids opened their Christmas Jammies from Omi and Opa and left out a snack for Santa and Rudolf (this year, Jakob went the healthy route and decided to leave out fruit for Santa).

Skyping with my brother in Lebanon

These are the years.

The years when they truly believe in Santa Claus and so I find myself in this tension of balancing keeping the belief alive and excess. Christmas dinner was shared with relatives that I NEVER spend Christmas with, which was a beautiful and lovely thing. Not only were my kids filled with wide-eyed wonder but I could see my Dad savouring every moment of finally, after years of Christmases alone or with two grumpy children, hosting a Christmas dinner in his very own home surrounded by his family – his sister and her children, his aunt and his own child and grandchildren.
It was a sight to behold and I felt joy for him.

The days that followed were filled with jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, knitting, lego, more chocolate, sledding on cardboard sleds and catching snowflakes on our tongues.

And now we have officially entered the time of the year when I plummet into a haze of thought – reflecting on the year gone by and the new beginning that waits around the corner. Let’s just say 2014 wasn’t “our year” either. It was no better than the year before and yet I feel that I can welcome 2015 in a different light…for which I am grateful.

Until then, a very Merry Christmas to you and yours.