As the holiday is upon us (like - TOMORROW!) my wish for you is that there have been moments where the simple joys of the season have seeped in.
For the majority of holidays since I've been a Mom (16 to be exact), I've spent most of the time in execute mode; a slave to the list of things to do. Working myself to exhaustion decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, planning and cooking dinners. Often too stressed and tired to actually enjoy the fabulous holiday I put on for everyone else.
This year has been different. Like many families I know, circumstances dictated that this would be a smaller holiday. What a blessing it has turned out to be! By focusing in on what my kids really wanted/needed, there was less shopping, wrapping and stressing about collecting everything on their wish list. Instead of decorating with everything I own, I chose the things that really meant something to us to be displayed. The things my children made in preschool and kindergarten really stand out as the treasures of my heart and I've enjoyed them even more this year because they are not surrounded by other holiday clutter. 
We've accepted a gracious offer from family to share their Christmas Eve celebration which has freed me from doing the usual big dinner at my house.
At first I felt unnerved about a new kind of Holiday; would my children be disappointed, was I a failure because I couldn't do the things I've always done? But as tomorrow comes, I find that this is, in some ways, one of the best holiday seasons because there has been time and space to really enjoy the things that are important to us. Like gold pine cones with pom-poms, hand print Christmas trees and remembering when my girls were small enough to drink cocoa out of their own pint size, special mugs.
Wishing you a beautiful Holiday filled with wonderful moments big and small! Please post your favorite holiday moments or treasures made by children below ♥
