Holiday Fun 2014

We made it! It’s Winter break, and we’re settling in for a couple weeks of sleeping in, hanging around and just being together. Of course, we’re also ready to celebrate Christmas (three! times! if you’re counting), visit with family and celebrate the season in general. We got an early start this year- we were invited to a preview of all that the Indiana State Museum’s Celebration Crossing  has to offer a couple of weeks ago. I will say, it’s nice to have the visit with Santa out of the way before Thanksgiving- it takes some of the pressure off.

The State Museum has the best Santa and cottage around- it’s such a pretty set up I kind of want to move in and celebrate Christmas morning there. There’s also the vintage train, store windows and activity room to take in. We had fun exploring it all, and when it was over, the kids didn’t want to leave.

As I looked at this photo, I couldn’t help but wonder- how many of these poses do we have left? I mean, sure, I can MAKE them hang with Santa for a picture, but how many more visits do we have where they still WANT to visit? Where they still believe, even though one of them already knows the secret? How many more years of the simple lists they’ve always made until they start asking for things far beyond our current Christmas budget? I think we’re more than halfway through those wonder years.

But! Back to this year. This year, they each asked Santa for three things.

Andrew: A nerf gun, a science kit, and an electric train

Megan: A nerf bow & arrow, a science or a magic kit, and Littlest Pet Shop toys

They’re both excited for our Christmas countdown calendar. They both ask for the Advent reading every night at dinner. They both were excited to shop for a Christmas gift for their teachers, and for each other. They’ve made ornaments in Sunday school, they’re singing songs on Christmas Eve. And I’m just going to live in this moment, right here, right now.