I still feel the same way about Christmas.... maybe even more so these days, because shopping for the kids and planning Christmas morning for them, is far more fun these days. I love the preparation time of Christmas. The days spent shopping. The preparing of the lists. Sending out the Christmas Cards. Baking cookies. Wrapping gifts. Getting and decorating the tree. Listening to Christmas music. Burning the Christmas candles. Sitting in the dark, with only the light of the tree.... just feeling the peace of the season overcome you. Christmas is the most special of times.
This year was no different. Really, I feel that this year may have been one of the best on record thus far since I've been a parent. Maybe because Luke REALLY gets it this year. He really believes in Santa. Ally still believes. My niece, Maggie (18 months) was here for Christmas morning. It was just a wonderful time....
We kicked off our Christmas celebrations with some cookie decorating at my in-laws' on the Wednesday before Christmas. We got together to watch the kids decorate (and EAT!) cookies, and share some tacos and tequila too. The kids started off doing well, and seemed to enjoy the decorating. Well, most of them anyway. Luke didn't get it. He thought he was just getting a cookie to EAT... :-)
The kids quickly burned out though... so we had to send in reinforcements...
As you can see... the kids just didn't last. :-) But, we enjoyed some the time together.... hahaha.... next time we might skip the tequila though. ;-)
My brother, David, sister-in-law, Mary and niece, Maggie arrived late Thursday night. I had enjoyed a wonderful day of shopping alone... and some salon time. The perfect breather before the craziness began. We let the kids stay up until they arrived, and they were all so excited to see one another. The little ones are so cute when they get together. They don't see one another often enough, so I think it makes when they DO get together that much more special.
Christmas Eve morning, my Dad, Geri and siblings, Kellen, Connor and Elizabeth, along with their significant others, Nicola, Brianna and Keaton, came over to celebrate with us! We enjoyed Christmas Strata... and shared gifts with one another.
We had a nice time, visiting... laughing at the kids... the dogs... and just being together. It's not often that we are anymore... one of my brothers, Kellen and his fiance, Nicola moved to Lexington this year. He is in school down there, studying landscape architecture. My other little brother, Connor, lives in St. Paul and then, Elizabeth is up at Grand Valley, in her Freshman year there. David, Mary and Maggie, are outside of Baltimore.... so we all come from far and wide, us Macklins. :-)
Christmas Eve, evening was spent with my in-laws..... and Jane, Adam, Grace, Jilli and Lyla. We had a wonderfully peaceful evening filled with wine, lasagna, gifts, cookies, picture taking and laughter. I hope Jane shares the pictures she took of the kids "before and after." Dressed in their "Christmas Eve finery" then, their matching jammies. They were quite a sight to behold. :-)
Ally's favorite gift..... a picture of her cousin Natalie.... another cousin she doesn't often get to see, so their time and relationship is special to her. The frame says "Cousins." Adorable. :-)
A great couple days for the kiddios.... a wonderful couple days for us... next up, Christmas Day!
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