Family. Friends. Fun. Our Christmas this year lived up to our expectations and hopes. We had several days together as a family and enjoyed spending time with friends as well.
On Christmas Eve, we met up with the Mullins and the Oates to go ice skating at the rink on the plaza in downtown Luxembourg. The boys were really excited about it, and the weather was great so we shed our coats and enjoyed being outdoors. Bennett and Ryan tried out sitting on the seal, pushing the seal, holding our hands, and skating solo and did a great job. Eliza skated with me and sat on the seal for a little while, then decided she was done and wanted to go inside. I felt awkwardly off-balance with my 6-month belly the whole time, so I mostly hung out with Eliza and pushed the seal.
After ice skating, we went home and prepared for the evening. We had the Oates family over for a great dinner with ham, potato casserole, rolls, and an apple pie and chocolate satin pie for dessert. We acted out the nativity, watched the nativity video, and let the kids play for a bit. It was a peaceful, happy Christmas Eve. We were grateful for good friends to spend it with, and I loved that the simplicity of our evening helped us focus on the birth of our Savior.
After the Oates left, the kids put their Christmas PJs on and searched the living room for the books we had wrapped and hidden for them, facetimed with our families, left out cookies and carrots for Santa & his reindeer, and headed to bed. Nate and I put some finishing touches on our wrapping and put the kids’ gifts under the tree.
Christmas morning, the boys woke up a little after 7 and we convinced them to hang out upstairs until almost 8, when Eliza woke up. I was worried that with just our little family, we would quickly open presents and be done, but the kids enjoyed playing with each of the toys they opened and taking their time. They checked out their presents from Santa and stockings, and we let them each open one present before we ate breakfast. I had them open a present from my parents that I knew was personalized hot chocolate bowls from the Brittany region of France, so that we could use them for our breakfast of croissants and hot chocolate, and chocolate cereal that we never buy for the kids, but that they love. We finished opening presents and played games, put together legos, and relaxed until about 4:00, when we went over to the Oateses’, where the kids watched a movie and we made Bruschetta and had Raclette for dinner. We went home and facetimed with our families again before the kids went to bed.
On the left: Eliza wearing the Christmas dress my mom made for me when I was little. On the right, me at the same age wearing the same dress (I’m the one on the right).
Our traditional pictures of the kids with all of their Christmas gifts.
We had a wonderful Christmas with our little family. It is an adjustment being far away from our families for the holidays, but we really enjoyed being together and I love being a parent at Christmas – I loved seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces as they opened presents, loved seeing them learn / learn better the story of the Nativity, and loved the little Luxembourg Christmas we shared together.
No comments:
Post a Comment