We had such a wonderful Christmas season this year. After celebrating Christmas early with family in Salt Lake City, we flew back to Vienna and enjoyed Christmas markets and going out everyday to enjoy this wonderful season in the city.
We kept seeing Christmas trees for sale everywhere we went. The kids would get so excited everytime we saw Christmas trees. One day on the way to play at the park, we saw that they were using a park close to our apartment as a Christmas tree lot. The kids walked around looking at every tree, so excited about them! We picked out a beautiful little tree that the kids proudly declared was just their size. The man selling trees let Elora and Oliver help put it in a net and then Oliver excitedly helped carry the tree all the way home. He smiled at everyone we passed. He was so happy about this little tree. A lot of people smiled back at this super happy boy on the way home that day and I was so impressed that he never complained and never asked for a break from carrying the tree.
Every year we have a super fun Christmas party at church. This year the kids enjoyed meeting Santa in Santa’s Grotto. Marion was too scared to go at first, but luckily some of her friends held her hands so she wouldn’t feel so nervous and she was able to go get a treat from Santa. There was lots of great food to share, fun friends to talk to, and also some fun Christmas games. Elora astounded us when she went on the stage with friends to act out one of the stories of a miracle Jesus performed. She is usually shy of performing, but our kids have some pretty great friends that help them feel excited and brave.
This year Nana sent the kids money for Christmas and we let them pick out gifts for each other with the money. They picked out names that they could be Secret Santas for, and they spent the week before Christmas performing small acts of service and leaving little gifts on each other’s pillows. Then on Christmas day they excitedly presented their person with the gifts they had chosen for them. Marion wanted to buy this huge Storm Trooper for James, but we sadly had to inform her she did not have enough money to buy it. Marion and James had a cute Christmas party at their kindergarten where the kids helped show the parents the nativity story. Marion was too shy to participate, but James lit candle to light the way for Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem, and James stood up with his little sheep when the angels came to the shepherds. They both enjoyed eating cookies afterwards and playing with some of their little school friends.
Christmas Eve came in a hurry! I wasn’t ready for the season of Christmas lights, music, and markets to be over. I may have purchased a few too many ornaments for our little tree at the Christmas markets, but I really do love the carved wood ornaments that I picked out this year. The kids loved helping pick out ornaments for the tree. Christmas Eve came with lots of smiles and a pleasantly short amount of time for kids to get to sleep. Elora was pleased to help Santa fill the boots we used for stockings this year.
The many faces of James… We love watching the expressions on his face when he is opening gifts.
The best part of the day was the kids giving out the gifts they had picked out for each other. There were so many smiles, so many hugs, so much excitement. Marion and James had picked each other as Secret Santas. They are not always friends, but they were so sweet with each other this day, sitting together almost the whole time.
There was more patience in watching each other open gifts because everyone was excited to see what other people had picked out for each other. They probably ended up with way more toys than they normally do, so if we do it again we may have to rethink letting the kids have free reign with the purchasing, but I was surprised at how thoughtful and particular each child was in trying to make sure they found just the right gifts. James especially surprised me with how picky he was when trying to find just the right kitty and octopus toys for his sister. Elora made sure Oliver got just the right Star Wars costumes and toys on Christmas day and Oliver had a great time finding wonderful art supplies for Elora.
Parents get presents too…
I loved watching all the kids crowd around to see what Marion got. It is harder to take pictures, but sweet that they are so excited about someone else’s gift.
The aftermath…
We enjoyed a beautiful church service and then had friends over for dinner. We invited the missionaries, the senior missionaries who attend our ward, and our friends Lloyd and Jessica with their beautiful baby. We of course forgot to take pictures, but Lloyd took this gem with Elora and Oliver and we took one of Peter Pan with his “favorite missionary” Elder Green along with his sweet wife. It was a wonderful day with some of our favorite people.
At the beginning of the Secret Santa gift giving, there were a few moments of hurt feelings when not everyone got a gift at the same time. Some of the kids started to complain and tell each other that they had to give a certain amount of gifts at a certain time. I explained to the kids that Christmas is not about getting, it is about giving, to which Oliver replied, “Why do we get presents then?”
And here was my reply, “Christmas is the day that we celebrate that Jesus Christ was born. We celebrate that Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent us His son. And Jesus Christ loved us so much that He gave His life for us. We are so grateful that at this time of year especially, we try to give what we can to others. We can never give as much as He did, but we feel so much love for Jesus and what He gave, that we give to others. And when we give to others, sometimes they give to us as well. The most important, beautiful, part of Christmas is giving and the love we feel for others when we give.”
I love Christmas. I love giving gifts. I love hearing music that reminds me of the Savior. I love the lights and the beauty. The lights remind me of the first moments as a child when I would sit looking at our lit Christmas tree and I felt the peace and love of God for the first time that I remember. I love having friends to spend the holidays with when so many of us are so far from our families. I am grateful for my Father in Heaven and for my Savior, and all they have blessed me with. Merry Christmas. May we feel the love and peace of the season all year long.
