That Cozy Christmas Spirit Gets Me Every Year

Mali ~

One of my favorite months and times of the year is December. While there is a lot to do and at times I feel stressed out about unrealistic expectations and perceived obligations, there is something about the Christmas spirit, the warmth and coziness of Christmas lights, the importance of spending time with those we love, the special traditions that bring warm memories for years to come, and just the overarching unspoken sentiment that love for our fellow humans is really what life is all about truly makes me wish I could bottle this feeling for the other 11 months of the year. It's probably why it takes me FOREVER to take down the lights and decorations once the holidays are over. *sigh* So much love.

Anyway, with all of the hubbub this month, this entry may be a little disjointed. I will touch on some of the memorable highlights or points of interest or just funny things that happened first, and the rest will be the multitude of photos taken to capture other moments. I know I drive you crazy with my picture taking, but my hope is that someday you will treasure and appreciate my obnoxiousness. Ha ha. Fingers crossed!

First, I want to mention how thoughtful you were in making out your list for Santa this year. Knowing how expensive some of the gifts you wanted are, you put the higher-priced ticket items on your list for Santa. *smile* So darn considerate, you are!

This month was also a surprisingly big step for you in that not only did you sleep over all night at Jos' birthday sleepover, but you also made it through an entire movie (that was somewhat scary) at the theatre as part of the party! You typically poo-poo the idea of going to a movie theatre because the movies are too loud, too long, or too scary; but this time you tackled the movie for Jos' party like a champ. Way to go, kiddo! You are growing up right before my eyes and make the biggest leaps when I least expect it.

One Friday night we had a family movie night and Daddy and I pulled out one from the 80's, Scrooged with Bill Murray. I didn't expect you to enjoy it but you did, and even requested another movie after that...Elf! We all snuggled together on the giant couch and ottoman downstairs with a ton of blankets and pillows. It was so cozy and so nice to enjoy this together as a family. Like I said before, you typically poo-poo movies, so this surprised us. The next day, you even made a comment about how you liked bonding as a family like that. It made Daddy and my hearts sing!

Another night, we invited Ana and Carter over to help us decorate Christmas cookies and then you all cuddled up downstairs and watched Polar Express together. Well, you helped me wrap Christmas presents while Ana and Carter watched the movie...but hey...we were all hanging out together, so...
Anyway, I wish I had some pictures of you all with your cookies, but it's a bit of a struggle sometimes to get you to agree to documentation, so this tired mom forgoes the fight and gets what I can. C'est la vie!

And now...for the moments I *was* able to capture...voila below!

never fails...GG loves to "help" me do bills

snugs

never fails...Pip always steals my pillow at bedtime

new jammies and a silly pose!

we made a gingerbread house ~ fancy fancy!

yes, you wrote "drunk people" in the yard of the house (???)

spontaneous family outing to find some awesome
Christmas lights around the 'ville

we baked some peanut butter blossom cookies, or as you
call them, "belly button cookies" (which I love even more!)

Pip is reading over your shoulder on your Kindle

Suzy pup loves her walks

I took you and Ana to our local metro park
to make some fun holiday crafts

you made an avocado man tree ornament
out of a sliced up tree trunk

my crew...my tribe

Remember those traditions I mentioned earlier? Well, we headed to a beautiful cabin with Lao Lao, Uncle Flint, Monica, and Uncle Forge for yet another fun weekend. It rained the entire time but we still had fun playing games, making pizza, decorating Christmas cookies, watching a movie, exchanging presents, and of course...the hot tub!

I spotted Rudolph at Walmart on the way there!

Daddy and I in our silly new hats from Lao Lao

Uncle Flint and Monica - the vikings

Lao Lao was so confused by the dog toy we brought Iroh

hot tub time!

you were so excited to help Monica make pizzas

she was so kind and patient with you...you adore her!

what kid can resist an opportunity to stoke the fire?

attempting to get a family photo



and more attempts...yes, Suzy is wearing matching jammies

Suzy is just the best

you two are so silly!

someone threw your silkie on the super high log
beam at the cabin - this was the retrieval effort

group photo in our matching jammies

obligatory silly group photo

we just had to spice up the cookie decorating...
I know, I know....inappropriate as heck

And another tradition...Clifton Mill!

rainy and freezing all evening...thank goodness you
had each other to warm up with on the way home!

And, possibly another new tradition? We took a lantern stroll at our local metro park. Once again, it was cold and rainy...but a cool experience nonetheless. AND they only expected about 10 people to show up but instead they got over 200 of us crazy souls! Wow, huh?

Speaking of our local metro parks and the cool events they host...I was perusing Facebook the other day and came across this ad for one of their winter hikes and lo and behold...look whose picture they are using! That is you ~ from when you were about 3 or 4 years old! So stinkin' cute! #famousbebe

we also discovered a secret...your hair styles itself perfectly when
you lay on the floor! look at the coif, yo! #perfection

And before we knew it...*drumroll please*...we blinked our eyes and Christmas Eve was finally upon us! Yippee!!

GG, slumbering under the tree dreaming of Santa

because I can't wait for surprises...you got to open 2 gifts before
we even went to Christmas Eve dinner!

Another yummy Christmas Eve dinner at Billy Lee's!

crunchy soup noodle fangs with Audrey Ayi

with Memaw, Papaw, Lao Lao, and Audrey Ayi

so silly

And when we got home from dinner, you got a package from the North Pole!

It was the viking hat that you loved from our camping weekend but that we had misplaced!
Reunited - yay!

even Audrey approves of the viking hat

Viking Mali and Octopus Audrey

family picture in front of the tree on Christmas Eve

we can't take a "normal" family picture
without taking a "not so normal" one

And of course we had to watch your email video message from Santa before bed! 

Click here for a video of you watching Santa's message!

Leaving cookies and milk by the fireplace...

And a letter for Santa...

You were so unbelievably excited that Audrey Ayi got to spend the night on Christmas Eve. I mean...over the freaking moon ecstatic! We're lucky you went to sleep at all that night! Ha.

Can't forget the carrots and oats with magical glitter for the reindeer...

close-ups of your letter...so sweet

"you" ... LOL

One of my most favorite times on Christmas Eve is sitting quietly under the warm glow of the lights in the dark, calm, peaceful house after everyone has fallen asleep, saying silent prayers that we made it through another year together and that the magic of Christmas is still alive and well. These stolen moments, reclaimed from the hustle and bustle and stress of the season, are some of my most cherished, private traditions.

so hard to go to bed on Christmas Eve

2 cats and a dog enjoying the Christmas tree together

And then Christmas morning had arrived! Yippee!

checking out your stocking and the remnants of milk and cookies
from Santa ~ making sure he ate your treats

Santa came! Santa came!

this face was what you made about a tiny
jar of Nutella...Nutella, folks! LOL

so glad Lao Lao is able to open gifts with us
on Christmas morning ~ always nice to
have her with us

hover board with scooter attachment!

And then later on Christmas Day, Memaw and Papaw came over for a gift exchange and a late lunch. I actually made quite the spread of food and it felt warm and cuddly being all huddled up and lazy together.

After the hubbub of Christmas was over, it was back to business as usual. I resumed my nature walks and GG resumed his insistence that he is also a dog and therefore, entitled to come on walks too. Although, he seems more like a parrot in this photo...what do you think? Ha.

Ahh...there we go...now he looks more like a cat again. 

And finally...the last day of December, the last day of 2018...we had our usual "let's all stay inside where it's warm/homebody New Year's Eve" celebration with this gang. Food, games, silliness, and watching the ball drop. We were all super exhausted so this picture is a bit of an illusion...rallying for one final champagne toast to the old year and attempting to bring in the new year all proper-like. How'd we do?

Happy 2019, everyone!

Love,

Mama

Gratitude (Big and Small) ~ Always

Mali ~

Heya, babe. The beginning of the month began with still trying to process the grief from losing Abby. Full of ups and downs. It was perfect timing for your big pottery project that you have been working on for a couple months at school to be ready to come home. You surprised me with a giant mug you made in art class that was originally for my birthday but instead, arrived to help cheer me out of my "missing Abby funk". It is perfect and as you can tell from my face, I love it so much! It was so worth the wait!

As a funny side note before moving on for now...I went to see some psychics as a desperate attempt to process my grief, talk to Abby, and obtain closure in some form or fashion. Two of my visits were very interesting, but those are stories for another day. The funny part of this side note comes in the fact that when you would ask me about my visits when I got home, you'd ask, "Mom! How were your visits with the sidekicks?" Sidekicks? Ahh...psychics aka sidekicks. I guess that makes sense when you aren't familiar with the word psychic yet. Haha. You are adorable!

The beginning of November wasn't all about grief though...there was a big celebration as well. Lao Lao turned 65! We took a walk in the beautiful sunshine on her birthday, and you and I also surprised her with a vegan birthday cake and many other vegan treats from Pattycake Bakery. Yum! It was different than your average cake (much more dense and rich) but I liked it. You? Not as much. But, it's cake (hello?!) so you still approved anyway.

Happy, happy birthday, Lao Lao! We are so fortunate to have you!

As usual, there was lots of time spent with our animal friends this month. We miss our Abby, but are so grateful for our other babies still here. Furry buddies definitely make our days more enjoyable.

doesn't this sweater make Suzy look like a little librarian?

Suzy is such a gentle soul that this deer actually came closer
to her as she stood perfectly still staring/talking to her
(I swear she has made friends with almost all the local deer)

Double G loves to climb me like I'm a tree

While November brings Thanksgiving, it also brings us that much closer to Christmas. In that spirit, Daddy and I got out for a date night to do some recon for Christmas shopping and of course, have some laughs in the process.

things like this are some of the many reasons I love your daddy...
he's so silly!

we can always count on Daddy to do anything for a
laugh (or as an attempt to embarrass you) hahaha
(those are MY shoes, btw)

Thanksgiving was slightly earlier this year and we had a most enjoyable meal with Joe and Tina and their family. It was relaxing, full of laughter, and just an all around good time. We needed that warmth and kinship this year. The Yersavich crew are good people.

As usual, we played lots of games after dinner. We inevitably play a game (or two) that I have never played before and it's always so much fun. This year were Telestrations, Headbandz, and Chameleon.

After we came home, I was so filled with joy that I asked you both to take a family photo in front of the tree...and to my surprise you all agreed ~ I love this photo (especially Suzy's tongue)!

I am so grateful for you all...my family, my tribe

And speaking of grateful, did I mention Audrey Ayi? Where would we ever be without our Audrey? Here she is on one of her visits, teaching you more about sketching. I love your relationship with her.

And what are the holidays if you can't stuff your pets into tiny holiday jammies? As you can tell, Suzy did not mind in the slightest...GG, on the other hand, was a different story. He went limp and fell over when I got him in his jammies. I don't think he forgave me for two days. Ha.

As you've probably been able to tell from some of the other pictures, we just had to put our tree up early this year. We were in desperate need of some holiday cheer and what better way to do so than to put up the Christmas tree and lights around the house. What do you know? It worked! Definitely helped boost our spirits. 

I made this ornament from one of my favorite memories
with you this year - your first concert (P!nk)!

Daddy surprised us by putting up all the lights ~ there were still a few
more that went up in the windows later but, looks great, yeah?

Rounding out this month of gratitude, you were able to go to breakfast one morning with Daddy and Papaw. I absolutely adore the relationship you have with Papaw. You like talking to him and asking him questions and he is really great about listening to whatever you have to say. Growing up without any living grandfathers myself, your relationship with him means a lot to me. I'm so grateful I get to witness it.

And finally, you also got to spend a day out at Uncle Kevin and Aunt Beth's with your cousins. Always, always, always a treat for you. Once again, growing up as the oldest cousin (by quite a bit), I did not grow up with any type of peer relationship with my cousins, so...it's really neat to see you have that for yourself.

While all of that brings our November to a close, I will say this...what I am most grateful for this month is you (and Daddy); our loving, quirky pets; our warm and safe home; our extended family (given and chosen) who love us unconditionally; enough nutritious food to eat; our health and the gift of modern medicine; the caring adults at your school who look out for you and nurture your development; and our ability to weather adversity together and always (eventually) finding ways to smile or laugh through it all. There is, of course, much, much more to be thankful for...these are just the items on the top of my head tonight. In the big events or small details, there is ALWAYS a way to find gratitude in life. But...you already knew that, didn't you?

I love you, kiddo. 

You make gratitude easy for me.

Love,

Mama