It feels like Christmas now

     

It took me a little longer to find my Christmas spirit this year.  With all that has been going on with the farm and the brutal work schedule Jeff has had it was just too busy to really FEEL like Christmas time. 

We usually take the boys to his Mom’s or mine and go to town together to do our Christmas shopping.  At least the last bit of it, I’m one of those people who will start picking up Christmas gifts throughout the year as I see things that would be good.  This year he just didn’t have time.  So the boys stayed with my Dad, and Mom & I did the shopping.  Don’t get me wrong Mom & I had a great time, (I think the people at Staple’s think we’re nuts because of how we got to laughing.) but it just wasn’t the tradition that I had gotten used to.

This past week we were finally able to get to Kraynak’s to see the tree display and let the boys pick out their ornaments.  We take them every year.  Jeff and I have an ornament with the year on it for every Christmas we have been together.  There are 16 of them now.  And every year we get each child an ornament.  I put their name and the year on the back.  Then someday when they grow up and move out they can take their box of ornaments with them for their tree.  I was starting to think I was going to have to take the boys myself this year.  I’m so glad that didn’t happen, it just wouldn’t be as fun if we didn’t go as a family.

Yesterday I got all of the wrapping done.  Since the boys know about Santa this year that was much easier.  I went back in my room and I told them, “I’m wrapping presents.  You can come back here if you want but then you won’t have surprises.”  No one came within 10 feet of my bedroom door.  So by the time Jeff got home from work & farming the gifts were wrapped and the food in the crock pot was ready for supper.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about him working.  I am very thankful that he has a good job and having the overtime on his paychecks this time of year has been nice.  We are just used to having him around a little more this time of year.

So the gifts are wrapped, the cookies are baked, (although I am going to have to make some more chocolate chip, they never make till Christmas) and the house is decorated, and this morning we got SNOW!!  Now it feels like Christmas.  I can’t wait for the kids to wake up and see it.  They’re going to be so excited.  I love the snow!  It’s so pretty and peaceful looking.  I hope we keep an inch or two on the ground from now until April.