Farewell to the Holiday Season

It's always a little sad for me to see the holiday season come to a close. I love to see the magic of the season through the eyes of my children. This year I realize that I have much to be grateful for. Here are a few highlights of our holidays....

1. Christmas at Disneyland


One of the perks of being back in Southern California....annual passes to Disneyland! Disney certainly knows how to make the season magical. We enjoyed an evening with friends here...watching the parade and riding "It's a small world."

2. Thanksgiving in Phoenix

We had such a fun time with my family in Phoenix this year. We missed Haley and Lonni and their families....but enjoyed time with everyone else! Swimming in my parent's pool was definitely a highlight for the kids. It was heated nice and toasty warm....what a treat on turkey day!

3. Clay and Matthew visit Tahiti

The Christensen gang all (well...almost all) went to Tahiti on a ten day cruise in December. The trip was planned long before we realized that no infants under the age of one would be allowed on the ship. This meant Ethan wouldn't be going....his chubby cheeks may fool some into thinking he's over the age of one, but the passport wouldn't lie! As Ethan's primary food source, I wasn't able to go either. And Jay is just too much of a momma's boy to leave me! We didn't want Matthew to miss this unique opportunity to be with 40-something cousins, and for Clay to be with his parents and 7 of his 10 siblings. They had a blast and I know we'll do it again in the future.

4. The simple things

I realized this year that the simple things seem to bring the most joy. Decorating gingerbread houses, driving around looking at Christmas lights, acting out the nativity story, letting the kids actually decorate the tree themselves, decorating sugar cookies and watching "Frosty the Snowman" over and over. I'm so grateful for my family and the simple times we share together!