Welcome to our Christmas blog hop! As the season is coming to the crescendo, the big moment, Christmas Day, we wanted to share some inspiration to make the season that much more merry and bright!
Amanda is the host, and if you get lost along the way, please go to her blog to find your way.
Amanda‘s Blog (Blog Start Here – Return if you get lost or sidetracked) Gina‘s Blog Amy‘s Blog Adele‘s Blog Briana‘s Blog Traci‘s Blog Cassie‘s Blog Veronica‘s Blog Dana‘s Blog – you’re here 🙂
Laurie‘s Blog – go here next!
Jennifer‘s Blog
As you visit each blog, find the word to put together a Christmas phrase. Have fun!
The Christmas season is always so busy. We’re busy getting ready for the big day, busy doing baking and cooking, busy shopping for the perfect gifts. We have to get everything just right and that makes for a lot of work. However, sometimes we need to take some time to stop and just enjoy it all.
What is this season all about for you? What is it all about for your family? What makes you enjoy it?
I have always loved Christmas. I’ll never forget the excitement that I felt as a little girl in the days leading up to Christmas. I loved decorating the tree, enjoying my mom’s baking and singing Christmas carols. I’ll never forget going to Mass on Christmas Eve and feeling the beauty and magic of it. And that’s what I want our kids to feel too. Those memories are so special to me and I want to create fun and special memories for our children.
Christmas is so many things to me. It’s magical – the lights, the decorations, the trees, the anticipation of the big day and the preparation for it also. Now that I have children of my own, I can once again see Christmas through children’s eyes, and what a fabulous sight that is! Even before children, I loved Christmas but having kids allows you to experience it their way.
It’s also about family. Growing up, Christmas was always celebrated with my immediate and extended families. Christmas Eve was with my mom’s family who lived in our town, Christmas morning was just us and Christmas dinner was with my dad’s family. On Boxing Day (for us Canadians), we often travelled to see one of my mom’s brothers or sisters. Now, even though we live far away from our families, we celebrate with our own little family in a special way. We’ve started making traditions and memories with our children and I know they’ll remember them always. We make sure to share Christmas with our families back home too, even if it’s just a phone call home or sending cards.
Christmas is also a time for spiritual reflection. I’ve always enjoyed the Advent season and reflecting upon the spiritual meaning of Christmas and what I have to be thankful for. I love the preparations for the arrival of Jesus in the Church and we try to emphasize that with our children with the books we read and the stories we share. Of course, the kids love Santa and the thought of getting gifts, and so they should. That’s part of the magic of Christmas. However, we also explain the reason we celebrate Christmas and what’s really important during this season. Kirsi and Aidan love looking at our Nativity scene and they particularly love Baby Jesus. We also try to emphasize the spirit of giving, true giving. Helping out people who need it during this special time, giving gifts to children who might not get anything this year, sharing our Christmas baking with our friends and neighbours. I love this part of Christmas – the generosity and the giving. It makes me feel so good to give a meaningful gift to someone.
My challenge to you is this: try to take a few moments to write down what Christmas is for you. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, write about a holiday you do celebrate and why it’s so special to you. And maybe, just maybe, a scrapbook layout may come out of this. In January, I’ll offer a RAK to one of you who take me up on my challenge and do a layout or mini-book on your reflections. Stay tuned!
Your word from me is: year
Please go along to Laurie’s blog next!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!
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