Christmas 2019

It's hard to believe another Christmas has come and gone (though our holidays are not over yet!) Andrew is like a certified Christmas elf. He loves the hustle and bustle and has been proclaiming for months now that this year was going to be the B.C.E. (Best Christmas Ever). I don't know how we could actually measure that, as there have been some pretty amazing Christmases in our past, but this was certainly a good one!

I entered into this holiday season with the highest of intentions to do less - buy less, worry less, spend less, stress less - and I think I've been mostly successful. We've been enjoying some down-time, a reprieve from our usually full and crazy schedules, and have been spending our days watching cheesy Christmas movies, drinking holiday teas and keeping cozy at home. It's been magical.

Here are some photos from Christmas Eve at our house!

I love this time, this rich season of shared excitement, of anticipation, of going out with a bang. The old traditions that slip away to replace new, slightly modified versions. And tonight, as I write by the light of the Christmas tree, with my two sweet babes cozied up in their matching jammies, I marvel at the beauty of parenthood. It is, by far, my very favourite gift.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, friends.  May your days be merry and bright!

Happy Christmas to All!

I haven't been posting on my blog as often as I once had been - not for lack of inspiration, but more about trying to manage all of life's daily adventures. The way our life looks now is not a mistake. We were made for this. We have learned lessons and had struggles, but I am continually thankful for this little family of ours, and for the one person who's experience matches mine. I am proud of us. I don't know if we've quite figured out how to do it all well - it will be our life's goal - but we are working on finding a balance between letting it be hard and trusting that we can do it, knowing that we have each other.

Merry Christmas.. from my mummers to yours!

Fostering Family

I've been struggling a little bit lately, trying to get into the Christmas spirit, but it's not coming as easily for me as it has in past years. Things have been somewhat challenging at home, and it makes for a difficult transition into the holidays. I know that this is all part of what we signed up for when Andrew and I made the decision to become foster parents, and I know that I am probably just having a "moment", and this too shall pass, but there are times, like today, when I feel a little off-kilter.

Brennen has been doing great, thankfully. He is thriving. We are trying to keep things as "normal" for him as possible, in this completely abnormal way of living. It's just not natural. Foster care, essentially, is trying to make a stranger feel like part of your family, and as you can imagine, in some cases it is nearly impossible. We have had some very positive experiences as foster carers, no doubt, and that is what gets us through the tough times. Knowing that we do have the potential to have a positive influence on the life of a child is why we feel compelled to continue doing what we do.

We are taking a different approach to Christmas this year. I am not going overboard with gifts and homemade fancy everythings. We are choosing our events and holiday parties carefully, being sure to spend more time with those we want to spend time with, and less with those we don't.

This weekend, I had approximately two dozen things marked on my calendar that I wanted to accomplish, including holiday events and activities to attend, a list of things I needed to purchase, cards that needed to be sent, gifts that needed to be wrapped, batches of cookies that needed to be made, projects that needed to be completed, and reports that needed to be written - and I didn't do any of it. On Saturday, we had a rare day with just Brennen at home. The sun was shining and there had been a big dumping of snow the day before, and it was super Christmassey! Just after breakfast, I called my sister and said, "Come over! Our backyard looks like a snow globe!"

And so she came. With her husband and kids and their electric enthusiasm, and we had the best day! We ignored our schedules, avoided prior commitments, and we played in the snow. For hours! Several times, mid-snowangel, shouting, "We are not in the mall!!"

So many photos!

So, you guys, I apologize if I have missed your gatherings, or not taken you up on that invitation for tea. I am just working towards a slower and calmer Christmas season this year. It has been a while coming, but I have realized that when you are running on nothing, it is ok to just hang out and rest, making family time a main priority, and not getting bogged down with all of the expectations of the holidays.

At the end of the day, I know that what I am doing as a Mom is most definitely worth the hardships, worth the deprivation of self-time, worth it ALL, yet I still need these moments to refresh and catch up and to redirect my thoughts for a fresh outlook tomorrow.

I wish you all a happy December.. and maybe even a silent night!
All is calm, All is bright?! (Ok, I won't go that far!)

Tibb's Eve Greetings

Just a quick note, on Tibb's Eve, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

This past year has been a good one. We have a wonderful life, and we are enjoying every precious moment with our beautiful babies. Brennen just loves being a big brother to these two. We don't know what the future holds, but we know that our family will be their family, and our home will be their home for as long as they need us. We are pouring everything we have into these children. We're giving it all we've got - our time, our creative energy and our nurturing hearts. This Christmas, we have so much to be thankful for, and a million things to be happy about. This is us, and life is good!

It's been hard for us not to share photos of our little ones, but dressing up as Mummers was the perfect way to do it!

"Good night and good Christmas, Mummers, me dears,
Please God, we will see you next year."

'twas the Week Before Christmas

These past few weeks leading up to Christmas have been super busy. I know, I know, everyone is busy. It's nuts. It's a crazy time of year, and we are caught up in the hustle and bustle just like everybody else, but we are loving it! It has been an exercise in coordination and a true test of our planning abilities, but Andrew and I have successfully managed to get all three children to multiple Christmas events, wrote and mailed letters to Santa, and had visits with friends and family, all while building a house and keeping up with our daily medical appointments and therapies.. even if most days we were frantically running out the door, dragging coats and bags behind us, hoping we didn't forget anything! 

Christmas will be different for us this year, for several reasons. We are staying with my parents right now, until our new house is ready, and while it is wonderful to be surrounded by family, we are also surrounded by boxes. So many boxes. Man, we have a lot of stuff. We don't know where all of our things are, but we have the necessities. We didn't unpack our Christmas decorations, but we found our stockings and our Christmas jammies. Mom and Dad have a beautiful big tree that we helped to decorate, and while it wasn't the same as hanging our own bulbs and garland, there is something nice about sharing this one big tree with our family. The tree is a real balsam fir, and it's ten feet tall, so it smells like you're in a forest, but it feels like you're in Rockefeller Centre!

Here are some photos of our Christmas so far!

We attended the Janeway Rehab Children's Christmas Party, where we were happy to kick off the holidays with some of our favourite friends!

We got out for our annual Christmas brunch at Mallard Cottage.

We Celebrated the Season with Sean McCann..

and attended another special Christmas celebration at the Janeway!

We are looking forward to Christmas Eve (seriously, it's the day after tomorrow!) - tucking our children into their cozy beds at Nanny and Poppy's house, and anticipating the arrival of Santa (because surely he will know where to find us!)

Christmas is a special time of year for us - because we make it special. Right now, neither of our youngest children understand the concept of Santa, or reindeer, or presents under the tree, but they do understand the love that surrounds them and the beauty that exists in being part of a loving family. Our children know that they are loved, and that they belong, and together we are creating lasting memories of a wonderful holiday season.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!