Around Here: Christmas 2023

Dear future me,
I am living in the good 'ole days.
I promise I'll make the most of it while I'm here
if you promise to never forget the magic.
xxo 

guess who is photoshopped (LOL)

Intentional Outdoor hours: 685+ hours (of 1000)
minutes added from Christmas eve sprinkling of reindeer food & carrots..but not much else.

Reading Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong but barely at all.

Adams family Christmas at Uch's house on Friday night. We had lasagna, stuffed shells, fresh baked bread, and cookie trays. We played sock wrestling and TikTok partner challenges, opened gifts all at the same time to make a huge wrapping paper mess, and had tarot card readings from Russell. Kitty and Bryan got us each a framed map of the Pacific Crest Trail with a tiny movable picture of them that we can track their journey this upcoming March! Abba and her daughters all wore their Christmas long sleeves and Kitty photoshopped Bryan on Grey's head for the Chum+son in laws photo (hah, I laughed for a million years). 

Christmas cookie baking. chocolate/m&m/pretzel bites, chocolate covered peanut butter balls, and peppermint bark. We also had sugar cookies from Miss Emma and the babies (she is a superhero girl - we love you!) 

Trying to make friends between all the classroom pets. We put them all together in Mr. Watt's playpen and they got along just fine. Nothing miraculous (or horrific, thank goodness) happened. So it was cute for a photo op, but not much else. Gem wasn't thrilled about the poop and pee that needed cleaned up afterward - LOL. 

Mimi Christmas on Saturday afternoon at her house. We had lasagna, meatballs, salad, and breadsticks. Cousin Tausha brought a funny white elephant game for all the cousins to play and cousin Morgan mixed up fun Christmas themed adult drinks. Cousin Kaitlyn stopped over from Uncle Ray's house and it was so nice to catch up with her about her new apartment in our old stomping ground (Erie, PA) where she is an ER nurse. It was a cozy evening and I will always be grateful for time spent with Mimi...how incredibly blessed we are to have our kids' great grandma (my husband's grandma) still in our lives and hosting holidays. 

Delivering our neighborhood notes to say thank you for putting up Christmas lights. This is an annual tradition and the kids love stopping by houses to hand them out. We printed off 12 thank yous (Canva helped) and the kids colored them and we picked as a family which houses had our favorite displays this year. All were in our own neighborhood except for the house that is on Main street (with the balcony!) Thank you to everyone who brings holiday spirit to us through their house displays! 

Nothing like the clean up before people come over. On Christmas eve day, the kids and parents worked their way through the to do list to clean and prep food. Christmas music blasting and everyone working (mostly) together until the kids were allowed to turn on Gremlins while we finished the last minute things before heading out the door in the late afternoon. 

Dropping off our cookie tins and Christmas cards to our closest neighbors on Christmas eve too! Merry Christmas - thank you for all the ways you support us throughout the year as our neighbors. Accepting our packages, chatting through car windows, smiling and waving on our ways to and fro, laughing at and texting us when our animals (goats and/or dogs) wander from home, and being kind and generous with our kiddos who walk and ride bikes through the neighborhood. We are thankful that it is YOU who are physically near our family as we grow up. xxo

Attending Christmas Eve mass at St. Davids. We got everyone dressed and out the door in (barely) time to make it. Abba, Chum, Kuma, Uncle Buck, Mimi, Kitty, and Bryan were all there too! The kids all behaved well (Liv slept for over half of it!) and at the end when we all light candles and sing Silent Night is one of my favorite holiday moments every year. 

Hosting Christmas Eve at our house. We opened our home to family and friends and had a great evening leading into Santa's visit. We made tavern ham in the crockpot, haluski, roasted potatoes, corn pudding, salt&vinegar pretzels, and buffalo chicken dip. I also pulled out my cookie tray and I made kid-friendly holiday punch (that could be made spirited if adults wanted to!) The Rummells and the Altimores brought charcuterie boards, Heather brought jalapeno dip with mini pretzels and naan, Miss Emma and Kolten brought pie, and Mimi brought leftover meatballs, and Kuma brought pulled chicken sammies. Kitty and Bryan brought a fun balancing game, and Abba read The Night Before Christmas to all the kids, and the elementary-aged kids tracked santa on the NORAD live feed on Youtube. Our kiddos opened up their Christmas eve jammies (Polar Bear/Osa themed!) and there was much chatting, laughter, and merrymaking all the way until Santa made it to Jamaica and everyone headed home! And it was magic and perfect and thank you all. 

Christmas eve bedtime prep. The kids picked out their cookies for Santa and poured a mug of milk (we had to use a mug because all our cups were dirty from the party!) The bottom four and Gemma (bless her) went out to spread carrots and glitter reindeer food in our front lawn (thank you Miss Emma for making magic reindeer food with the babies!) Everyone gave Marco a hug goodbye before bed and Violet and Rusty wrote notes for Santa - Vi even made him a friendship bracelet #SantainhisTaylorSwiftEra 

Then B and I fell asleep FOR THREE HOURS.

We woke up in a literal panic that we missed the window for Santa. Lol, but not funny, but also hilarious and so true to this moment in time of parenting. GOD BLESS MY STUDENTS who wrapped. honestly, saved Christmas. All we had to do was bring up from the hiding spot and organize. I had like two last minute wraps to do - but that was it! 

Kids woke up around 7a and we made coffee while they waited patiently at the top of the steps before they were released one at a time to the living room to see the gifts. Then it's mass present opening and a fireplace and Christmas music on Youtube on the tv and smiling at their smiles and shrieks of delight. Their favorite gifts to open are always their sibling secret santa and for that my mother's heart feels safe and comforted. 

Studer family Christmas at Gigi and Pappy's house. We had spaghetti and salad and broccoli and cheese and ham. Mimi came down to celebrate and the kids all opened their gifts one at a time and we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus with a real mini birthday cake. It was warm enough that the kids went outside to play catch with Rusty's new boomerang ball and we all cheered on (unsuccessfully) the Chiefs while we watched the NFL game. 

--

Christmas is the people and the food and the hugs and laughter and smiles and the snuggles and the air and the lights and the cookies, and the surprises, and the kindness and the magic and the everyone in on the secret for all the tiny, hopeful hearts full of belief and magic. 
it's the showing up, and the grace, and the forgiveness, and the patience, and the love.

gosh, the love.

I hope your Christmas was all those things.
sending you grace, and patience, and so much damn love.