:: The Christmas Post ::

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I hope everyone had a cheery little Christmas! Or big Christmas if you were completely spoiled with gifties. I always feel spoiled at this time of the year, regardless of the present quantity under the tree, don't you!? I feel so blessed during the year, and then super blessed once I snuggle down with some hot cocoa and the huz under the twinkling tree and realize what the Savior's birth means and how awesome it is that we can celebrate it.

This Christmas was blissful. We decided that since it will be our last chance to have a Christmas with just the two of us ever again, we would do it up right! That meant staying home for the first time and creating our own traditions for the holiday season like:

-Visiting a Danish Christmas Church Service. (For funzies. Richard served his mission in Denmark so we thought it would be neat to stop in. It was!)

-Christmas Eve Date Night. (We had a gift card to a luxury movie theater where they served us dinner in plush seats while we watched "Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol." It was SO cool. And not just the movie.)

-Reading the story of Christ's birth from the scriptures Christmas Eve night.

-Setting out milk and cookies for Santa. (He ate them! I saw the crumbs to prove it.)

-Christmas morning gift opening, of course!

-Golden Rod for breakfast. (A Dean family tradition that I have finally embraced thanks to my unending pregnancy hunger.)

As I took down our Christmas decor' today, tree included, I felt a little forlorn because this last month Richard and I have padded out into the living room every night to sit in the light of the tree and talk until bedtime. It was so calming and relaxing and felt like a little sanctuary from the world. I'm going to miss this last Christmas. It didn't snow or rain or fog, in fact it was sunny all week prior, but Christmas 2011 will hold a special place in my heart because it was the first time we felt like a real little family. With a little home and a little one on the way, kicking and flipping the whole time I was opening gifts. (I think she was on an adrenaline kick from all the excitement!)

On a side note, thank you to everyone who sent Christmas cards and/or little packages our way. We are truly blessed with wonderful friends and family. :)

Welp, hope everyone has a splendid New Year and that it isn't wasted seeing the new "New Year" movie because I heard and read it was awful. Just sayin. ;)

S