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" />Dear Apple Cheeks,
I blame my Christmas spirit on my mother. As far as holiday cheer, goes, she set the bar pretty high. Each December, my childhood home was filled to the brim with twinkle lights, a tree in every room(including one by the [ahem] toilet [cough,cough]), and motion-activated figurines that belted out Christmas tunes when we walked by. A perpetual soundtrack of The Carpenter's Christmas carols filled the house all month long, as my mother tirelessly produced batch after batch of homemade goodies...fudge, her famous divinity, and pies. Basically, girls, your granny is the "Queen of Christmas", which makes YOUR mother the "princess of Christmas", and I am more than willing to own that title, so bring on the glitter and fake snow....let's make some magic!!! Because that was what my mother was REALLY doing all along, and we didn't even know it...she was creating an atmosphere of magic, wonder, anticipation, and joy. Every strand of lights she strung, every dollar she sacrificed to make a wish list come true, every batch of finicky divinity candy she coddled on the stovetop....it all added up to an entire childhood of Christmas wonder. I can still recall the excitement of Christmas Eve as a child...laying on my sister's trundle bed beneath the old, frayed quilt, straining to hear the faintest jingle of sleigh bells or thump of reindeer hooves. I know what it's like to be so excited you can hardly breathe, let alone SLEEP!!!! The gifts I received are a memory I can't recall, but the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning and walking down the hall to see what Santa brought? Well, that feeling is etched on my heart forever.
Oh, childhood, sweet childhood....mine just a memory, but yours here for the moment, fleeting though it may be. I vow to revel in it, savor it, dwell in it, and take advantage of every second of it! I hope that I can somehow create for you what my mother did for me....a sense of wonder, and the firm knowledge that you are loved and worth the effort. You are worth every light strung, every decoration, every special tradition we create together. So lets' make some magic this Christmas, girls. Let's create a season that has little to do with gifts, and everything to do with feelings...an overwhelming love for Jesus, a deep comfort that comes from being together as a family, and a sense of wonder and joy. Let's sit together under that old frayed quilt and drink hot chocolate. Let's cuddle on the couch and giggle together while watching Christmas movies. Let's make cookies and ornaments, and laugh instead of cry when we ruin yet another batch of Christmas candy ;). Let's make memories that will last a lifetime...the kind of memories that can bring warmth on a chilly day, and bring you back home when your childhood seems very far away.
Christmas is in your blood, girls...embrace it!!!! :)
With love (and glitter),
Mama
Just a few of our outdoor lights :)...
painting nutcrackers...
my vintage kitchen chalkboard....
snuggly sisters :)...
Gardendale parade...
Watching the fireworks at the parade!
Daddy's firetruck ;)!!!!!
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ReplyDeleteI love your chalkboard!! And Addyson's face as she looks up at Santa! So sweet! I love reading your blog, Julie! It's a reminder to soak up these precious moments with my girls. Thanks for sharing! :) ~Breanna
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