In 364 days we'll be doing this all over again. We'll eat turkey and pumpkin pie. There will be colored lights that twinkle. And presents wrapped in snowman paper with shiny red bows. There will be trees bejeweled with ribbon and glittery silver and gold ornaments. And fat Santa statues will laze around on shelves and mantles. Baby Jesus will rest comfortably in his ceramic manger. And gingerbread houses will be constructed and munched on.
And I have such mixed emotions about it all.
Because I adore Christmas. And though I'm ecstatic and anxiously anticipating another great season of Joy and Peace with my beloved family and friends, 364 days means that this Christmas season is over.
And I don't want it to be.
The presents have all been opened now. Leftovers are all that remain of the huge spectacles of feastly dinners. The bottoms of the cookie tins and special treat buckets can be seen now and are only sporting crumbs. Santa is a distant memory, and the new toys and games have been broken in and some already tossed aside.
And I'm...well....a little melancholy about it all.
Because 364 days is a long time to wait.
And I like all of this stuff too much to have to wait.....
Like all the family that you don't get to see very often....
That's me with our nieces Moriah and Camille
And there those precious girls are again with Kirk and their brother Dawson
And there is Pop and Uncle Eugene
Those are our sweet cousins with whom we always share the most fascinating dinner conversation.
Moriah and Granny
And like all the smiles from my babies soaking up the magic....
Sawyer
Keaton
Tate
And like all of the gifty stuff and goodies.....
The blissful mess around my mama's tree.
My nephew Jordan getting his stocking on.
And like enjoying a white Christmas...
The boys....all red nosed and feeling snowerific
Our niece Kayla and my niece-dog Baby Girl
My Snowbaby
And like posing for pictures with some of our most favorite people....
My sister Michele and my beautiful mama
Jordan and Tate
Kirk and his mama
Tate and Grammy
Jordan with Sawyer and Keaton (who obviously has the same smile issues as his father..ahem)
And loving being around the people that make us who we are....
My big sissy, Mich
Jim-Dad reading the Christmas Story
Kirk's daddy
My brother-in-law Kevin
Kirk's grandmother doing what she does...cookin'. Yum.
And being silly and crazy and nutty and whacky and just doing what we do best....
That scary dude is Jim-Dad. Oh.Yes.It.Is.
All I want for Christmas is a man who don't smile. Score.
Throwing some deuces and channeling my inner 13 year old with Kayla.
Me and my sissy showing off our brand new matching furry shoes. Suhweet.
There's my husband....snorting the candy sprinkles from the gingerbread house factory. Read.My.Lips...It is ONLY candy people. It is ONLY candy.
And then there is just being with the people that we adore so much....
Sawyer and his best friend
Tate instructing his Poohpa in the art of lego science
See?
All of these things are so amazingly wonderful that I don't want to wait 364 days for them to come around again.
So I don't think I will. And I'm going to try to talk my family into not waiting for them either.
Now, sure. We may not do the whole shebang with presents and red furry stockings and lights and tinsel and obscene amounts of food..well...maybe the food.
But.
There is no reason that we can't love on our loved ones. And be family with our family. And laugh with the ones we love to laugh with. And smile at the ones that we love to smile at.
So come ahead, 364 days.
I'm ready for ya.
Because though I may have to pack away the fat happy Santas and stuff the tree back up in the attic for another year, I don't have to pack away the love. And the joy. And the magic of being with my family.
364 days.
Hit me with your best shot.
Merry Christmas to all. And to all a good night.
8 comments:
Amb,
Ok, I'm hooked. I'm with you. Let's do this whole thing, minus the few items related to the SC part - the food, yes, the fellowship, yes, the games, yes, the fun and laughter, yes.
Your picts are great and even the ones I did not know, but should have expected would "surface" in such albums.
I'm having a great time, and hope you are, too.
Love you,
Jim-Dad
I am so glad you finally were able to get this written and posted so Dad could enjoy some late night reading last night.
Love you much.
Well said. :)
I'm with you Amber...I just hate to see it all end. such fun...my daughter said...next year, let's do it all slower so it will last longer.......haha
Christmas came and went so quickly!! G just reminded me that we still have New Years to celebrate and we can really stretch Christmas out this whole week. Sounds good to me!
Fun photos....especially of you and Mich!
I agree. I remember as a kid that feeling that it was all over too fast and now, as I watch my kids, that feeling has returned.
I'm sad to see it all end too... but thanks for the pictures of your wonderful family enjoying each other. So fun!!!
You captured my feelings, exactly. Except with my family, of course. Not that yours isn't very special and all. :) Awesome pictures.
And yes, Amber, I think this is OUR year. Heart you madly.
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