on christmas eve
It’s Christmas Eve, and as I type this — with my hands smelling of butter and vanilla — the pumpkin pies are baking in the oven, the cornbread dressing has been prepared and is awaiting its final bake tomorrow, the sugar cookies for Santa have been decorated, there is a fresh batch of fudge cooling on the counter, and the kids are riding their bikes outside.
It’s unseasonably warm — close to 80 degrees this last week. I’ve done my fair share of complaining about the warmth, but truthfully, it’s great weather for sending the kids outside to play. And, boy have mine needed to get out and run some energy off.
Our Elf on the Shelf, Ollie, has been probably been filling Santa’s ear with enough fodder for years to come. Madeline has been the sweetest child ever, but Oliver…well, Oliver is a boy and he’s five. That’s probably all I need to say for you to understand what we’re going through. Ollie the Elf got ticked off this morning at Oliver’s behavior and took a hike back to the North Pole earlier than planned. Turns out that Ollie leaving early seems to have helped matters some.
I’m just thankful that the Elf finally had a positive impact on behavior. We’ve sure waited long enough.
So, tomorrow is Christmas. What I’m most looking forward to is spending tomorrow with my family. The kids will wake us up early, but the excitement on their faces as they open their presents and dig through their stockings will be worth any amount of aggravation from lost sleep. My parents and in-laws will come over for an afternoon meal, filled with more food than any of us can eat. I’ll be thinking of my sweet brother, who won’t be with us tomorrow but who I’ll hopefully get to see again in the spring.
The beauty of Christmas is that there are no expectations for the day, other than to relax, enjoy each others’ company, feel blessed, and of course, to eat well.
And, of course, we’ve mastered the eating well part.
My wish to you is that — whether you’re celebrating Christmas or not — you enjoy a day filled with love, joyfulness, beauty, and peace. Thank you for being a part of my life. I’m grateful to you for that.
*Photos by Shandon of Lifeprints Photography.
Merry Christmas to you!! Your family is beautiful!
What a beautiful photo of you all! Happy holidays, MJ, to you and your whole family.
That is lovely. As the mother of two boys I totally understand. But they eventually grow up. This year my son is hosting Christmas at his house for the first time. I’m a little sad at having ‘passed the baton’ but at the same time proud he feels ready to take over.
Such a lovely Christmas post,even if someone wasn’t a perfect angel. Happy Christmas to you and your beautiful family, MJ..
Such a sweet family you have. Hope you had a lovely (relaxing) holiday.
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! 🙂
Beautiful family! Hope you had a great Christmas 🙂