You are my jingle bell

I am your caroling; you are my jingle bell.

I am your bundle up; you are my dash outside.

I am your uphill pull; you are my fast sleigh ride.

I am your glass ball; you are my popcorn strings.

I am your decorate; you are my tangled lights.



                                    -"You Are My Miracle" by Maryann Cusimano Love

Christmas memories

Christmas came and went so quickly. After spending time in San Diego with Paul's family we headed home to celebrate with mine. We were all able to come together, under the same roof, for 10 whole days. It was 10 days packed with walks in the park, a trip to the city, get togethers with friends, treats, birthday celebrations, card games, driving around town in a 15 passenger van and lots of Christmas traditions. It was so relaxing and fun spending time together celebrating.

When Christmas morning came Paul and I were so excited to give Owen his gifts. We had each picked out something special for him. With Owen's new love for hiding under blankets and making forts I wanted to make him a tee pee. I made feathers out of fabric, a matching elephant pillow and some mustard pom pom's to go with it. He woke up to find it set up amongst the other packages under the tree, just like I envisioned. The rest of the morning he wanted to take all his presents and all of us in it. Paul picked out some soft dinosaur fabric he really wanted Owen to have a blanket made out of. One of Paul and Owen's favorite things to do together has been reading dinosaur books. Owen hasn't been attached to blankets or stuffed animals yet but Daddy knew he would love it! On Christmas morning he opened the blanket, wadded it up in his arms and crouched down on top of it to give it a big hug. He calls it his "deep-dee", I guess thats sounds like "blankie" to him. He likes to take it everywhere we go. It brought us so much joy to see him enjoy his gifts! He got so many fun things from everyone!

It seems like every Christmas theres always that one gift that makes all of us cry. This year it was when my Grandma opened a package from my sister and brother in law. As she pulled the frame out she got teared up before we could even see what she was looking at. It was a beautiful picture from our trip to the San Juan Islands this past summer. My Grandpa had always wanted to take her there. The bottom of the picture said, "Remembering you Grandpa. Friday Harbor, San Juan Island". We always miss him extra around the holidays.

One of the sweet memories I won't forget from this Christmas was when Owen first saw his stocking. We each have a homemade stocking, sewn in different fabrics, made with love by each other. Last year my Mom and I made Owen's. Paul and I picked a fabric with a manger, Mary and Joseph, Baby Jesus and some sheep scattered around on hills. Owen has a Little People Nativity that we get out at Christmas with all the same characters. We would always ask him, "where is baby Jesus?", and he would bring us the baby out of the manger. When he first saw his stocking he looked closely at the picture and then pointed to the baby in the manger and said, "Baby Jesus!" It was the sweetest thing! 

What is a memory you don't want to forget from the holidays?

San diego christmas

We caught a short flight down to San Diego, before Christmas, to celebrate the holidays with Paul's family. Owen had so much fun despite coming down with a fever the first night. This year we have two new girls in the family! Two of Paul's brothers got married this past summer and fall. I am sad, in the midst of Owen being sick, I didn't capture any pictures with them. They are both so sweet and I am glad to have them as sisters. It was so fun to have four of us girls to go shopping, make dinners and chat. With Owen being sick we spent more time resting and playing games around the house. The guys took several trips to the beach for surfing while we stayed in for naps. It was a good time with family.

Oh christmas tree

We have enjoyed our beautiful tree this year. It has ornaments from our childhoods, that we have made and that Paul and I picked out together as a married couple and a family. I love that Owen's eyes light up every time the twinkling lights turn on. And look! Its still decorated! We put ornaments that were less breakable on the bottom so he could carefully play with them. Amazingly he never took the lights off. He has his manger scene from Granddad and Grandma Worcester and his basket of Christmas books tucked under the branches. I had to get a picture to capture our tree before we packed up and headed over to my parents house. The days before Christmas all of the siblings and our families go to my parents for a big sleep over till Christmas day. It is some of my favorite days of the year! 

How lovely are your branches

We pile in my parents suburban and drive up the mountains to search for the perfect Silver Tips. We bundle up and march around together looking through groves of trees for that one that catches our eye. Owen got to come for the first time last year but he never made it out of the car. There was a big snowy wind storm and it was way too cold for the little guy. This year the weather was perfect! It was sunny with no wind and just enough snow to enjoy. Uncle Tim taught him to eat the snow and that was all he wanted to do the rest of the time. He found the cutest little tree, just his size, he sat by it stroking its branches and then gave it a big hug. Going as a family to get our Christmas trees is one of my favorite traditions because it kicks off the Christmas season! Does your family get a tree? Do you get a skinny tree or a big bushy one? Our tree is as tall and skinny as it gets, just the way I like it! 

The christmas preview

Every year, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, our city does a Christmas preview downtown. All the stores have a special Christmas exhibit in their front window. The ballerina's from the nutcracker are always my favorite, this year the older gentlemen singing were pretty adorable too. We walk around as a family, run into friends and enjoy treats being passed out. It is a fun way to start off the Christmas season!

Christmas day

We woke up at my parents house to the smell of apple oatmeal in the crock pot. Owen was the last one to wake up, I'm sure that won't be the way it is when he's older. We opened our giant hand made stockings together and then had the most delicious breakfast. I'm not much of a breakfast person but Christmas breakfast is one of my favorites. Apple oatmeal made overnight in a crock pot, egg casserole with green chili's, sour cream and salsa, cinnamon rolls and fruit salad. yum. After breakfast we opened our presents together. Everyone picks out special gifts for each other and we open them one at a time. We spend the rest of the afternoon being together as a family and slowly opening each others gifts. It was fun to see how excited Owen was about opening presents. He loved the colorful ribbons, ripping the paper off and trying to put the tissue in his mouth. It was very cute! He is such a little snuggle bug. It was a wonderful first Christmas with our boy.