Since I will travel to Belgium in October to attend a friends wedding, I will not be able to go back home for Christmas this year. It was a realisation that had been slowly dawning upon us. I wondered for a while what kind of Christmas this would make. Would we stay here in our own home and forgo travelling for the holidays? Would we go to my in laws home in Saint Louis? Would we travel to their vacation house a few hours away from us and celebrate there together?
But since yesterday, it has been arranged: My husband and I will be hosting Christmas celebrations next year, for at least his parents and his sister and my mother.
Maybe this is my final step into adulthood? It seems like a passing on of the torch. My mother has always been the hostess for Christmas. My mother in law for Thanksgiving in the three years that I have celebrated it. And now it will be my time to be the hostess for a major holiday celebration.
Most of my memories of Christmas are wonderful. Filled with extended family as a child. Though I remember my objections to the smelly cheese platter that was a stapel at our Christmas feast equally well.
As I wrote about here, the last years have seen some traditions change as well. My husband and I have formed our own family now and need to do some things different as it suits our needs.
Yet this is so big. While I have no doubt my mother will be willing, even longing, to help out with the cooking and everything, the end responsibility of the celebration will be in my hands. It's an awe inspiring gift to be responsible now for shaping the first memories my son will have of Christmas.
I want it to be centered on Christ first and foremost. The Word became Flesh. After that, I want it to be focussed on the love of our family and the gathering together. All of that I would like to see wrapped up in pretty decorations, a good meal and lots of fun. Oh my... only eleven more months you say?
5 comments:
I read your comment on Home Living and just had to come over and meet you. Your experience with baby sounds much like mine, except my bad experience lasted only until nine months. He is 3.5 now so things are much better, but oh how I remember the sleepless nights and days.
I'm excited to get to know you better and really wish I had a blog to share with you. Maybe someday I will. In the meantime, I'll stop by and comment from time to time.
You seem such a sweet lady. I can't wait to get to know you better.
Sincerely, Jenny
What a wonderful surprise waiting for me this morning. Thank you so much, I feared I had overstepped in my comments or had sounded whiny. I hope to get to know you better as well. Thank you for your lolvely comments. I look forward to getting to know you better as well, maybe one day through your blog,and for now hopefully through your comments here.
I promised myself once I had my break through, once I understood that it was not my fault and that this was just a season, that I would never, EVER, forget those months, so that I would not make myself feel as guilty if it happened a second time, or I would inadvertedly make another woman feel guilty.
Be loved and blessed,
Eva
Eva i just browsed the threads at CF and came across your 'UH-OH' post about Joseph! It's hilarious!
Just had to stop by and tell you something you already know, your son is absolutely beautiful just the way he is!
For what its worth, my childrens 'songs' were for my now 17 year old daughter, 'Deeply Dippy' and for my now 13 year old son, 'Mr Bombastic'.
When they were babies they loved me manically singing these songs to them and blowing raspberries on their tummys and necks! I think it's to do with the beat of the music.
Thanks for the memories!
I'm sure you will have a beautiful Christmas celebration. I have faith in you!
The sock pattern I used first came from a website. Google: Silver's Sock Class. Use the One Sock on Four DPNs. You can easily adapt it to Magic loop. If you have any questions just give me a holler!
tiffibug@gmail.com
You'll enjoy hosting your first holiday celebration! It is sort of a rite of passage. Of course, I've been married for 28 years now, and I've sort of done a mish-mash of celebrating in my home and visiting parents and in-laws. Either way is always fun. This was our first Christmas, however, with none of our children home. Sniff. We had them all at Thanksgiving, though, so I can't complain.
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