The day after we returned from Tennessee, we invited everyone over for a little post-Thanksgiving meal and pre-Christmas evening. Jonas was so excited that we FINALLY got to decorate for Christmas! During the day, we took down all the Thanksgiving decorations. I was a little sad to see our Thankful Tree go. One thing I love about Thanksgiving is the small moments when I stop to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for. I enjoyed reading all the leaves and reflecting on how incredibly blessed we really are. I debated leaving the Thankful Tree up for our dinner, but Jonas insisted that it was time to take it all down.
That evening, Laurin, Casey, Carter, Amber, Jacob, Evan, Kristina, Thomas, Westley (who are currently living with us), Gma Penny, and Grumpy joined us for a mini-Thanksgiving feast. I made a Thanksgiving casserole, green beans, and rolls. It wasn't anything fancy but it was nice to share a meal with everyone.
After we ate, we heard a knock at the door. It was Jingle!! He has returned to bring some daily Christmas fun. This time, he brought all the kids their annual ornaments. Jonas placed his on the tree, but we waited to finish decorating the tree until after we went to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork.
We love this tradition. We put lights on the dump truck and all piled in the back as we slowly inched our way around the light filled park.
Once back at home, we indulged in a hot cocoa bar and pie before finally decorating the tree. I am glad that we got to spend this evening together. The holidays are always more fun with family, but I have to admit, I loved it after everyone left or went to bed and I could silently sit by the illuminated tree and simply bask in the peace that I felt. That is what this season should bring - peace, joy, and love. Each year I pray that I can experience Christmas and not simply execute all the festivities. I want to find moments in each day that I can feel and share that peace, joy, and love.
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