25 Holiday Memories - 2018

1. Wanting to start a new tradition of watching epic movie series during Christmas break.  Starting with The Lord of the Rings, and then having so much fun, digging up all of the Jason Bourne movies from the library + our old movie stash.
2. Beginning "What God Wants for Christmas" with the kids.  How proud + excited they were to retell the Christmas story to friends.
3. Making calendars of the kids' art for family.
4. Having a great reason to change the throw pillows to black buffalo check.
5. How thrilled and proud Charlotte was to perform in her Christmas program.  How demonstrative her actions were and how she kept looking at us in the crowd to make sure we were watching her every move.  She wore her sparkle skirt and loved every minute.
6. How proud Will was to have me come to his gingerbread house-making day and show me his new "best friend" Frankie.  How protective and sensitive and sweet he was with his friends.
7. Loving that Mark's job is so chill over the holidays.
8. Relishing every lyric to O Come, O Come Emmanuel yet another season.
9. Will asking to play Christmas music on my phone every morning.
10. A trip to Culver's and then Le Mars to look at lights with Auntie Marliss + Uncle Brent.  How Wes looked in his big boy winter coat.
11. Will being so proud to give Mark pistachios, bolts + golf tees - things he picked out all by himself.  Charlotte, the same.  She gave him a light switch and Gorilla glue.  
12. Will searching high and low for a tiny toy to stuff in Charlotte's stocking.  He was overjoyed to find a tiny fairy at the very bottom of a Wal-Mart shelf.  He insisted on the pink one because he knew it was her favorite color.
13. Making hot chocolate in real coffee travel mugs for Will + Charlotte to delight in while we looked at Christmas lights.
14. Driving around town on Christmas Eve delivering last minute gifts.
15. Will's Christmas sweater
16. Cinnamon swirl pancakes + sausages
17. Charlotte getting a toy kitchen from IKEA and Grammy making tiny cookies + treats for her to serve from it.
18. Charlotte getting millions of gifts + toys, only to tell us her favorite gift was bubble gum.  BUBBLE GUM.  I am saving my money next year.
19. How it felt to relive old memories of Charlotte's meningitis.  Four years ago, we took her home early from the DeYounge family Christmas with a fever, then to the doctor the next day, then to the ambulance and Sioux Falls the following day with meningitis.  This year, we ended up taking Wes home early from the DeYounge family Christmas with a fever, then to the doctor the next day, then home to recover from a small ear infection.  
20. Hearing Danny Gokey's song on the radio on the way home from the doctor's, the pretty piano melody playing and the snow falling beautifully in our neighborhood, fresh + white.  "Let every heartbreak and every scar be a picture that reminds you Who has carried you this far.  ...  Tell your heart to beat again, close your eyes and breathe it in.  Let the shadows fall away, step into the light of grace. Yesterday's a closing door, you don't live there anymore.  Say goodbye to where you've been and tell your heart to beat again."
21. Staying home with sick kiddos instead of traveling to my family's.  Having Grammy + Papa come our way and enjoying a relaxing, pajama + movies sort of Christmas.  Charlotte redoing her entire Christmas program, complete with song + dance, for Grammy + Papa on top of our coffee table.
22. Keeping our queen bed in the middle of the living room floor for at least a week.  Slumber parties, bed jumping and snuggle parties all vacation.  Also, old school Nintendo games.
23. Ina's mulled wine + cheesecake with friends.
24. Buttered air popped popcorn + The Polar Express.
25. How excitable Charlotte was about every.single Christmas light, gift and activity.  How Will's eyes just twinkled all season.