I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

One of the weirdest things about our situation with the kids is having to share them on Christmas Day. We don't get the surprise of Christmas morning every year like I had. 

It's still something I'm acclimating to. Trying to figure out how to do Christmas without breeding greedy spoiled children is a very difficult balance to find. 

This year, we decided to re do Jessica's room. Her bed was horrible to sleep on and the room was blank and lacking. So she chose the color turquoise. 

We painted about a week before Christmas. 

Before: 

We stayed up almost all night putting everything together 

And finally, the big reveal!!

Then we opened presents

Then we went to grandma Esau's for dinner and to open stockings

Later that night, we enjoyed gift exchange between Owen and I

I got Owen a toolbelt :-) 

Owen got me a speaker for my phone, blades for my cricut machine and an armband for my phone so I can work out and hear my music :-) love how much he knows me! 

Oh Christmas Time

This season has been a learning experience for me. Last year was technically our first year in this house for the holidays, but this year really feels legit. We actually have couches to sit on this year and things on the walls ;-)

The holidays have changed since I was a kid. I know many say they change because we're now adults, but honestly, even the way the kids treat Christmas is so different than when I was a kid. The magic of Christmas Eve was so thick in the air. Now it feels like with the "track Santa" app and Elf on the Shelf that makes them feel like they know what Santa knows, I get the sense that Christmas is more about proving things and expectation of gifts rather than gratefulness and joy. Still, we tried to bring the spirit of Christmas here with family events and church programs so the kids could feel something other than greed. 

We decorated the week after Thanksgiving 

We got the kids their own lit trees this year for festive night lights 

Mitchell's

Jessica's

We did our first tradition of the Festival of Trees early in December. It was beautiful this year! 

I think a favorite for the kids is always the gingerbread houses 

Owen and I have a nice time too 

Then there's the family parties starting with Grandma Esau's party where we had an ugly sweater contest. 

Owen and Ben won ;-) but we all participated 

The kids had a great time and got fun stuffs

Then we did the walker party the following day. Jessica learned as I have loved you on the organ and played it for the program!! She rocked it!!

Which of course made everyone want to play!! ;-)

Friends and family all showed up

And then of course the traditional Christmas Eve party at the Anderson's!!

Mindee sang a beautiful musical number

We did the Balloons to Santa with pride!

This was definitely a moment where I hate the whole "blended family, share the kids" thing :-( but it was still fun. Christmas Eve was intense. We were up super late. I'll put that in a separate entry for the sake of organization though :-)