With the first week of vacation over and the second almost halfway through we are savoring the last, and some might say the best, of it. Although our family time during Christmas Eve is pretty special, the day of Christmas is a little nerve wrecking for me. Ensuring Santa took care of all my 6 kids can be a bit over whelming. It always feels good when the gift wrapping is over and the kids look at Tom and I and say something like, “This is the best Christmas ever.” Even though Christmas is not about the gifts there is something about the pride I feel when santa provides for my family.
Tom and I popped that cork of celebration later that morning and toasted to another successful holiday in the books. The biggest celebration? That we are all together. Life throws its curve balls at us all year long and we dodged them much like a game of dodgeball this year. We sat on the couch Christmas morning and laughed about all of it. That is really what family is about for us. Alot of good memories and well, we sure wouldn’t appreciate those good memories if we didn’t have the bad. We have those too.
We are now hunkered down preparing for a house full of people we love and people who love us. What a better way to bring in the New Year? I can’t think of a better way. New Years is always extra special for our family because we celebrate our little “exclamation point” and her birthday. She completed our family just 6 years ago. Although there were a lot of tears and fear throughout my pregnancy there has always been something that accompanies her little soul that lets us all know things are going to be just fine. The Christmas leading up to her birth was probably one of the most special times in our families journey so far. There were thoughts of what will our family look like with this new baby who would be born with Down syndrome? What would change? How would we accommodate and adjust? I remember talking to my family about those fears and yet telling them there was something about that baby and how the beating heart inside me was telling me that all was going to be just fine. I guess it is that “grace” that has always followed her everywhere she goes.
Our lives are different now but it is better, I mean that. I am also aware that our house would not be as full as it will be tomorrow without her. She is the pot that fills our cup and our life. We are the lucky ones. So with that stay tuned! A birthday post tomorrow with a little announcement of a very special project COMING SOON!
Heres a peek into our holiday.
Hoping you and yours feel the some “grace” as you welcome 2016. OXO Katie
