Christmas Memories

Family. For a week my cousin let us move in, dog and all, as we celebrated the birth of Jesus and my mother. These are the people with whom I grew up doing Christmas. All of my childhood, my memories, and my traditions are wrapped up in these people. Oh, how I love them. 

Reuniting and making Christmas cookies. 

To celebrate Grandma's 70th birthday together was a blessing. The girls know how much Grandma loves our family tradition of the Walnut Room in Chicago for her birthday, so they turned my cousin's into the Walnut Room...and she graciously let them!

Preparing for Grandma's party!

Welcome to the Walnut Room!

Grandpa's famous pancakes.

Sisters!

Cousins!

Back in Oregon the girls had the opportunity to learn the art of glassblowing. We became obsessed with glassblowing after seeing Chihuly's work in Seattle. It is such a popular art form in the Pacific Northwest with studios up and down the coast. It was an incredible opportunity for the girls to create their own masterpiece. They took one look at the ornament option and knew they had found their gift for Grandma. They took such care in their creation. After our special breakfast we headed out to The Grove under the Hollywood sign! It was a day of window shopping in a magical, Christmas wonderland!

Grandma getting her ornaments.

R blowing glass!

M blowing glass!

Walnut Room fairies! 

The Grove

M tells everyone, "Pick 3, it's on me," at a candy shop. Bless!

Christmas Eve we carried on age old traditions of Stollen, little Eve gifts, Christmas carols, and our favorite, the Christmas Pageant. I remember fighting with my cousin over being Mary and now our babies are playing the roll... and maybe fighting a bit over who should be Mary. Okay, that was just my children. The joy in this house. All of us together, our children playing, late nights catching up, the laughter, the tears. The presence of my grandparents was palpable amongst us. This is my Christmas.

Stollen. This picture makes me so happy!

My sister cousin. 

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. 

The joy of Christmas morning! Presents! Our traditional Christmas breakfast! My heart is so full!

 

A Christmas hike after breakfast!

Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas present to the girls was Legoland! We had an amazing time! 

Cannot. Stop. Laughing.

We appreciate the representation of RV life here at Legoland! 

As if our cheeks didn't hurt enough already, we capped off our day with Pie Face! 

 

This week spent with family left each of our hearts full. I watched my cousin, who I love like a sister, each day, and I fell in love with her even more. I watched her host a family of twelve with complete ease, cook multiple meals, and bring the magic and tradition of our family Christmas to life. She is an incredible mother and wife, the spiritual leader of her family and a beautiful daughter of God, and she is an incredibly strong, confident, and successful woman. I selfishly think of her impending move to Boston and rejoice that we may be able to have more time together.

I think often about how God carefully crafted the concept of family and created our need for relationship. I think of my love for these people, for my children, then I consider how He came to Earth in an effort to show us His love and His desire to have a relationship with us, His children. When I consider the fierce love that abounds in this home for one another, even though we live on opposite coasts, it is then I get an even deeper glimpse of the magnitude of His love for us. What a gift He has given us in family, in relationships, and in love. We depart in tears... until we meet again on the east coast!