The most wonderful time of the year...

Last week was a blur: We tried to see Santa 3 nights in a row, but everytime we got there just as they stopped admitting kiddies and their parents because the line was too long. We ended up taking pictures of Julian ourselves to send along with our Christmas cards this year and spent another evening at Wal-Mart trying to figure out how to print wallet-size form the Kodak picture-maker (last time we do that 'cause it was a nightmare). I also spent a lot of time menu planning and grocery shopping for Christmas dinner, and like most of you, did a lot of cleaning and tidying up around the house. I tried to knit the candy cane hat from Handknit Holidays in time for Julian to wear to church on Christmas eve...I finished it at 3am on the 23rd and when we tried it on in the morning, it was too small! Go figure.

There is always sooo much lead up to Christmas and in the end it just flies by and all the things that got you stressed out in the last days before the holiday, don't matter in the end. That's my lesson this year. Next year, we agreed to have a simple spaghetti dinner. My mom will make the pasta, I'll make the sauce, my sister will bring the salad and my mother-in-law will bring desert. The important thing is to get together, be merry and watch the kids go nuts over their toys.

Having said all that, we did have a lovely Christmas. It was extra special this year of course since it was Jubilee Bubilee's first Christmas AND it was his half-birthday! We celebrated Christmas Eve with the in-laws. Despite not having napped at all with all the excitement, Julian was really well behaved at church and was filled with glee. He cooed and babbled along with the priest during the homily and then along with the youth choir. He also made us laugh several times as he flapped his arms about, startled by all the clapping. What a delight! My MIL leaned over at one point and asked if I felt better than last year and I realised just what a year it's been. It was at Christmas mass during the giving of the peace last year that we told our parish friends and neighbours that we were expecting and I was trying so hard to overcome the tiredness and nauseousness I felt...well I'm still tired, but the nauseousness is just a fading memory.

The festivities continued at the in-laws' after Church and Santa sure had left a lot of presents for everyone. Jujube was spoiled with the complete Baby Einstein DVD collection, cute jammies and sweats and lots of teething toys. His grandpa had an especially sweet gift for him: a pressed leaf from the maple planted in their yard the year my husband was born and a leaf from the little shoot that they transplanted this year to celebrate Julian's birth. It was just so thoughtful and touching.

On Christmas morning, my husband, Julian and I slept in and made cinnamon rolls and white hot chocolate for breakfast while we opened our gifts. My husband got me a wonderful Le Creuset teapot which I just love. I gave him this Brian Andreas print. I had gone through all of Brian Andreas' work when I was introduced by Krista earlier this fall and couldn't resist. I know this is probably a terrible habit, but Julian has fallen asleep in my husband's arms every night since he was born and my husband watches him sleep for hours. He loved the print...in fact it made him cry (and I). And Jujube, well, he got a library with lots and lots of cute little board books and Bucket Buddies which he's been playing with ever since. He especially likes to rattle the kitty bucket and doesn't mind wearing the puppy bucket on his head which is very entertaining for mommy and daddy too!

We then kicked it into high gear for the finale: my family came over for Christmas dinner along with my in-laws. It was nice to get together again and we had a lovely meal and a nice time. We also celebrated Julian's half birthday (he turned six months) with a half birthday cake. It was all so cute. Everyone left before 10pm because it started to snow quite heavily and no one wanted to get stuck on the roads. We picked at the left overs and went to sleep happy and content. That's the way it should be.

Today we played with all our Christmas goodies and ate leftover cake and pie. My husband is off for the next two weeks and I am so excited. It's so nice to have him home and now that all the hectic crazy Christmas lead-up is over, we have nothing to do but relax, unwind and spend long lazy days in our jammies. And that is the best present of all!