Traditions {PART 2}

The past few years,

Zane has been all about making our own family traditions,

especially during the Christmas season.  

We have started some super fun traditions the past couple of years, 

and the kids LOVE them!  

One tradition is decorating gingerbread houses.  

This year, we did it a little bit different.  

Hunter has ALWAYS been into trains.

Paizlei is SUPER into Hello Kitty.

When I saw these kits,

they were definitely a must have.

The kids were so excited to help Zane and I "build" their train and house.

Of course, we waited overnight

so the frosting holding the sides together would set,

before we started decorating.

Daddy had to work,

so Mommy was the one who got to help them.

Because I was going back and forth helping them both,

Hunter got SUPER bored,

SUPER quick,

and ran off to play.

Paizlei followed a short time later.

Lucky Mommy got to decorate both the house

and the train

ALONE.

The next morning,

when Hunter & Paizlei woke up,

they were both SO EXCITED to see the finished product.

Truth be told,

Mommy LOVED doing the train!

It was so much fun!

However,

this Mommy wasn't a fan of the HK house.

It was a little much.

But,

Paizlei LOVED it!

And that's all the counts,

right?

My only regret?

Not getting a picture of Hunter and Paizlei

with the train and Hello Kitty House!

Deck The Halls

Growing up, it was always a tradition to put the Christmas tree up

the day after Thanksgiving.  My Mom would always make it fun.

When we got real trees, my parents and 7 siblings would pile in the family station wagon, and drive the 5 minutes across town to Thursby's.

We would then walk around looking for the prefect tree.

Looking back, it was never really "perfect".

What we thought was "perfect",

was usually a really sad looking Charlie Brown tree.

Full here.

Bare there.

One branch sticking out here

Another branch barely growing there.

Once we picked the "perfect" tree, we went home.

All 7 of us went down the basement and lugged the BAZILLION boxes

FULL of Christmas ornaments and decorations up to the family room.

And the decorating would begin.

It was such a fun tradition.

Something I wanted to carry on when I had a family of my own.

Fast forward several years.

I believe every year since Zane and I have been married, 

we have always decorated our tree the day after Thanksgiving,

except for one.

In 2008, our sweet little Paizlei was making me SO SICK.

I had pre-eclampsia really bad.

I had HELLP Syndrome as well.

I had been in the hospital for almost a full week because I was so sick.

Finally, my doctor couldn't do anything more for me down here in the sticks,

so he made some phone calls,

and I said goodbye to my sweet Hunter and Zane,

and was loaded in an ambulance for a ride north.

That night I had my baby girl.

2 months premature.

That year, I didn't really get to enjoy the Christmas season.

My mind was always with my 4 pound baby,

who was 85 miles away.

I left her so I could spend Christmas with my Hunter.

In 2009,

While Zane was at work,

Hunter and I dragged ALL the Christmas decorations up from the basement,

and surprised Daddy when he got home from work.

2 weeks BEFORE Thanksgiving!

Fast forward to the present.

This year has been SO MUCH FUN!

Both Hunter and Paizlei are SO into Christmas.

The week of Thanksgiving,

I kept telling them "we get to decorate the Christmas tree on Friday".

All week,

they asked when it would be Friday.

Once Friday rolled around,

they were both so excited.

When it was finally time to decorate the tree,

Zane, Hunter and Paizlei drug all the decorations up from the basement.

Once the tree was put together,

I separated the ornaments on the floor.

Hunter got to put all of his ornaments on the tree.

Paizlei got to put all of her ornaments on the tree.

Even Cooper got involved,

and LOVED the twinkle of the lights.

Then we all had fun decorating with the rest of the ornaments.

Once we were all done decorating,

I made some hot chocolate,

popped some popcorn,

and we sat down and watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Hunter and Paizlei LOVED it!

Every part of it.

They are still talking about it.

I am determined to enjoy every Christmas season.

This year is going to be a difficult one.

Our sweet "Little" Cooper has to have decompression surgery

a couple weeks before Christmas. 

Neither Zane or I know what to expect.

We don't know how long Cooper will be up at PCMC.

We don't know what the recovery time is.

It is VERY scary.

This year,

I made a promise to myself,

that even though it will be a trying and difficult time,

I will NOT forget the true meaning of Christmas.

I will focus on my family.

I will focus on Christ.

We hope you all have a very merry holiday season! 

I LOVE this photo of my sweet little "Owls"!  This was taken at the Gunnison City Lights Parade on Saturday, November 24, 2012.