Our Party of Five Christmas

After an action-packed November, Thanksgiving, and all of the various holiday events surrounding school and social lives, we have fully relished a quiet Christmas with our nuclear family. As Tim and I discussed over one of our leisurely dinners of late, such a holiday is quite rare for us, which is probably why we were able to enjoy it so much. I don’t think any of us would choose it year after year, but as a nice pause in the usual action? Yes.

We stayed with tradition, with evening mass (Tim sang again), our usual dinner of fried shrimp and twice-baked potatoes, and the rituals of stockings and placing Baby Jesus in the manger.

Christmas Day itself was gloriously lazy, with everyone fully enjoying their gifts (ok, Danny’s soccer equipment made for a less-lazy day for him!). The photo I snuck of Laura reading one of her new books might be my favorite image from the day.

Christmas comes with so much anticipation, and we are blessed that it never fails us. A “thrill of hope” indeed.

Delightful Lights

I’ve lost track of exactly how many years it’s been, but once again we ventured to the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s annual holiday lights experience with the Francos (this year minus an ailing Isabella, sadly). It never disappoints - even if the majority of our crew was unimpressed with the special glasses that “enhanced” the view. Each year the garden adds more lights, and it’s always breathtaking.

We lucked out, too, as a rainy afternoon face way to a cool but pleasant evening. Laura was instantly smitten by the light-up necklace she saw on others and happily forked over some of her allowance for one. I feared it would quickly break, but she’s turning out to get her money’s worth, as evidenced by her ensemble the following day (complete with bed head):

It was a fun evening that reinforces how we are surrounded by light and love.

Laura the Songbird

Laura’s lovely piano teacher invited her to join a couple of fellow students and play Christmas carols at a nearby nursing home. I wasn’t really sure how Laura would react to this idea, because she does have her try moments. But from the get go she was enthusiastic about it, and was even willing to sing! This came about after she rather spontaneously sang “Silent Night” during one of her lessons, impressing her teacher - and me!

She really did a nice job, and clearly enjoyed herself. Best of all, the residents were clearly very appreciative. A lovely event that I hope becomes an annual tradition.

Here’s the link to her singing: https://vimeo.com/248081968

Angelic

One of the highlights of first grade at Christ the King is the nativity play. To Laura’s great joy, she was cast in one of the six coveted angel roles.She was also given a fairly extensive wine, which I am happy to say she knocked out of the park.

This was the third rendition of The First Christmas for our family, and it was every bit as special!

Snow Daze

We were treated to a snowy surprise yesterday, with a significant snowfall that led to a bit of a hectic dismissal from school and work, but overall went much more smoothly than the Snowpocalypse of 2014. 

It truly has been a beautiful sight, and with various activities cancelled, a welcome opportunity to stay home and enjoy the season. Laura and I had fun making making a snowgal, while Danny opted to do what he always does outside: play soccer.

It was also the perfect occasion to decorate the gingerbread house I bought at Costco! 

It's been such a seasonal weekend, it almost feels as though Christmas has already arrived. With one glaring exception: Clare is not with us! She's in Iowa, competing (very well) in a debate tournament. So even though it'll be disappointing to not have snow at Christmas, it will be lovely to have ALL of us here.

O Twelve-Foot Tree

Given the soaring ceilings in our house, I have been hankering for a *really* tall tree for years. Tim has resisted, fearing a standard tree stand would not be up to the task. This year, though, a lovely tree both tall in stature and slim in width satisfied us both!

We ran our usual playbook of a buffet feast, with chocolate fondue once the tree met our collective satisfaction. It was an all-around solid evening for all, capped off with Clare reading Christmas stories to Laura:

Our tree is tall, and my heart is full.