Traditions.

Christmas is just around the corner and I am eagerly anticipating being back home with my family. I have been looking forward to going for quite sometime now and as it draws near I gleam with excitement! It is going to be so delightful.

Christmas has always been pretty huge in my family. I want to clarify  by huge I don't mean mountains full of presents - although some years there were - I mean we did things and they were big, important, HUGE. We made traditions as children and we continued them. I hope that we are able to create the same exciting atmosphere in our household with our wee one.
It all started at the beginning of December. We would take the decorations out from the attic and we would decorate the tree, there would inevitably be an argument at some point about what should go where and which of our Angles we wanted on top. In the end though, we were all happy and we had a beautiful tree. This year my little sister, the youngest, worked hard to decorate the tree all by herself as there are only two still living at home and Paul was not that interested. I am excited to see how she put it all together.

(As per usual, we always had to make at least one snowman)

The rest of our traditions besides the random making of cookies with mom, and the drinking eggnog with dad, fell on the 24th. It started by going to Church and watching/participating in the live nativity play (or whatever show the Sunday school decided to put on that year), followed by the candle lighting and ending with desserts. We would then drive around as a family and go to the places with the best lights. By the time we got home the Fire Stations Santa was just driving past and we would all wave as he past by our windows.

The late evening was my favorite part. The first year this started by my mom giving all us kids BIG boxes, and we all decorated them to look like a Christmas village and we fell asleep in them in the basement watching Christmas Specials. It has changed a wee bit since. Unfortunately, we can't all fit in boxes anymore. Now we buy a bunch of sweets, head down stairs in our Christmas PJ's and watch our new Christmas Movies (we each get a new one every year) while trying to fall asleep in the basement as our parents wrap gifts upstairs.

I am so excited to join my brothers and sisters this year and can't wait to start creating our own traditions with the wee one next year!

What are some traditions that you have with your family? 

A Collage.

Something I decided I wanted to do from the beginning of my pregnancy was to document it. I just love the idea of showing my child photos and saying, "Look, I was growing you inside me. That little bump was you." I feel like pregnancy is such a huge time in ones life it is important to value every moment of it because it is so sort lived with such a life changing outcome.

So, from the day we found out we were expecting I made sure we started taking pictures. Some may think this is excessive but, I had been dreaming of this moment since I was in grade 5. I had always wanted to be a mom and here I was finally starting out on this amazing journey.

So, here is the wee one's progress as it grows inside me. Hope you enjoy seeing the changes.

My Hope has come.

I am not someone who typically looks backward, I feel like it just doesn't make sense when there is so much to look forward to. Occasionally though, it is important to look back to see how far you've come. That is where I am right now.

At this time last year things were pretty hard, we were going through lots and life wasn't easy. There were moments where things looked pretty miserable. Our love for one another was strong, but there was some brokenness inside both of us. I had just recently finished a job and was working a temp position with no employment opportunity on the horizon. I was so insecure and was feeling very lack luster. I just had no idea or direction.

Ben was dealing with final exams, and papers were stacking up. He was stressed and it really didn't help that it was looking as though I was going to be coming back home after the holidays with no job.

We were both hurting. I was crying a lot. I was asking God "Why?" questioning what he was doing in our lives. Was this necessary?  To be honest, I still wonder sometimes if what we went through was necessary. We learnt through it, he held us his precious ones. Hard things come, the world isn't perfect, even God hadn't planned for it to turn out this way but, with God's strength we endure and we grow. 

Now, a year has passed. We have such amazing Hope. God has given us an amazing gift and we are so looking forward to meeting the sweet child he is working to knit together inside me. God has melted my sadness, and even in the midst of the pain last year he was teaching me to cherish the moments. 

I pray that we will remember that time of pain and build into our child the lessons we learnt during the hurt. That we will have a great affection for the moments of bliss and cherish the small things. That we will rely on God to be our strength and also allow God to build into our child those same lessons, even if it means they too have to deal with hurt. That we will give our child to God and trust him to teach this precious one. 

Enjoy. December.

December is here and Christmas is right around the corner. I love this time of the year, I love the decorations, the lights, the music, I love the crisp air and the frost around the windows. I don't even mind the mall shopping, I know I'm crazy right! I am almost all done the shopping and only have a few small things to pick up.

Months are coming and going so very quickly and so very soon our wee one will be here. There is still much to do, the nursery is a chaotic mess, there is still a lot of organizing to do around the house, and I have yet to really research maternity leave. For now though, I will try and enjoy the month, the season, and moments. We only have a few short months left of being a family of two. I know I will love my life as a family of three but how precious are these moments in our family of two.

Lets enjoy this season and remember what it really is about. A Saviour. Jesus Christ came as a baby with a plan to save us. Save me, my husband, and even my unborn child. Lets spread this amazing love, let us lead the example that God gave us through Jesus. In the hustle and bustle of the season let us remember the baby born in a barn and his gift to the world.

I pray you breath in this Christmas season and surround yourself in the love that this season is about. I hope you enjoy the baking, the parties, the stories and time with family. I hope you create and enjoy past traditions and build memories that will last a life time. Be cheerful in the line up at the stores, enjoy the moments when you are surrounded by strangers in the mall and share smiles while finding the perfect gift for a loved one. Celebrate this season!

While we will be celebrating our last Christmas as a family of two, I pray you too will Celebrate your Christmas...however you have it. Maybe you could share some traditions with me? As I am so excited about creating traditions with my wee one next Christmas.