Christmas 2020

Hello, my friends! I hope your Christmas season was filled with all you wanted it to be. Our Christmas was cozy and blessed and fun. It was also a Christmas of firsts and lasts. It was the first Christmas all of my children were not snuggled in under my roof. Madison and Nicolas had their first Christmas in their new home! They hosted all of us on Christmas Eve, which is when the Danish celebrate Christmas. Nicolas and Madison prepared a traditional Danish Christmas feast complete with roast duck, red cabbage, caramelized potatoes, and rice pudding. It was delicious! We also shared many of the Christmas traditions Nicolas holds dear, like dancing around the Christmas tree and watching the traditional Disney Christmas show. It was a wonderful evening.

This year was also the first year that we didn't sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn or track Santa on the computer. We did, however, make sure to leave him some fresh baked cookies and milk. Because Santa always needs cookies. This year we also started a new tradition for our Christmas Eve pajamas. Gone are the days of me picking out matching jammies with names on them for my little ones. I wanted to continue the tradition, so I came up with a fun way that was a big hit. I randomly assigned each person, including Steve to make it even, someone to pick out pajamas for. That's it. Then, they sent me the link, I ordered them, wrapped them, and on Christmas Eve, each person unwrapped a new pair of pajamas and tried to guess who chose them! It was so much fun! 

Christmas Day was lovely and cozy and quiet. We enjoyed checking our stockings, a delicious brunch of coffee cake, kringles, and fresh fruit, presents, naps, and dinner together.  Far too soon, the day we all wait for came to an end. And the excitement we felt just an evening earlier was replaced with a sense of melancholy, no doubt aided by exhaustion.

This Christmas was the last before my Peyton is married. And as happy as I am for her, I felt a sense of sadness as the day unfolded, a selfish sadness to be sure, but a sadness just the same. I know it is time for her to go out on her own and start new traditions with Chris, and I am excited for her to do just that! But it is hard to see your children grow, isn't it? 

Christmas is a beautiful time of year. We wait for it, plan for it, dream of it, and far too soon, it is over. I always tell my children they can revisit those precious moments anytime they want, in their heart and mind. Christmas always comes back around, and until then, we have many wonderful memories to make together.

Have a cozy day, my friends.

Happy and Blessed New Year, too!