The Most Beautiful Time Of Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I've spent the last two weeks wrapped up in
my family, away from the computer, creating the most amazing memories.  This was
an amazing time for our little tribe filled with our favorite things: friends, family, faith,
and lots and lots of home cooked food.  We took full advantage of the four day
Christmas weekend and spent quality time with everyone we love, enjoying a big
family gathering with my mom's side of the family complete with a bonfire on Saturday
and a gumbo football party with my dad's side on Sunday.  Isabelle and I hopped in the
car one afternoon and went door to door visiting friends home for the weekend, catching
up with dear familiar faces.  My mother in law arrived in Louisiana on Sunday night and
our girls had so much fun being spoiled by their Nana.  It was an exhausting, chaotic, hell
of a good time weekend and I enjoyed every moment.

Christmas Eve was for pretty dresses, a candlelit Mass, and baking cookies.  We spent
the day in the kitchen: the girls decorating a gingerbread house and getting pedicures
from their Nana while I cooked a Christmas roast, garlic mashed potatoes, and
asparagus.  We dressed Isabelle in her angel costume and made our way to the church
for Christmas Eve mass.  It was a beautiful night and the girls looked angelic as they
made their way to the church, leading the procession and welcoming the baby Jesus.
Our friends, Jessica and Cade, came home with us after church and we all enjoyed a big
meal together.  I had big plans for the little ones that night: a few stories, gifts to
open, Christmas caroling, but they were exhausted by the time dinner was done.
They opened up their Christmas jammies, a yearly tradition, and we read them a story
about the elves who make special pajamas so that little boys and girls will fall fast asleep,
so deeply asleep that they never hear Santa's arrival.  The pajamas worked because the
girls went straight to bed, their little eyes already closing as we tucked them in.  Our
big plans were postponed for the next day, the girls needing rest from all the activity
and sugar.  Shawn and I made our way out to the barn to pick up Santa's gifts,
putting together a car for Brees in the cold night air, laughing at ourselves for not doing
it earlier but enjoying the time together regardless.  After everyone was asleep, I turned
on some Christmas music and finished up the dishes, filled the stockings, and enjoyed a
few chocolate chip cookies with a cup of tea.  It was quiet in the house, twinkly lights
glowing and my heart full.  It was a special Christmas Eve for our little family: old
traditions celebrated and new traditions started.