Christmas ShakeDown

Christmas made me semi MIA.  If you follow me on Instagram you know what we’ve kind of been up to.  I’m pitterpatterart if you want to follow along.  It’s kind of sad how few pictures I took with my real camera.  It was a wild and crazy Christmas Eve and Day.

Festive running shoes…yes, please.

For our Christmas Even kindness advent we took in our neighbor’s trash can.  It was freezing, but we rocked it in just our jams.

Yesterday we were going to gift a store worker with a gift card and I totally forgot.  So the gift card is still in my purse and hopefully we’ll surprise someone today instead.  And that will end our kindness advent which was leading us up to Christmas.  So until next year.  Kind of excited to think through all the possibilities for next year.

So how was your Christmas?  Do anything exciting…get any crazy thoughtful gifts?  This is the best picture I got of the kids. Can you imagine what the other ones look like if this is the best?!?!  Yeah, they’re amazing.

We typically try and make cookies for Santa, but this year we opted out.  The amount of germs and finger licking that goes into kid made cookies was too much for this year.  We opted for just slicing off a piece of cake for good ole’ Saint Nick instead.  Harper deliberated between Bunny’s Cake and Chocolate Bavarian Torte.  She went with Bunny’s Cake in the end and Josh was very pleased.

Christmas Eve ended up being a super weird night because Josh and I were actually in bed by like 9:30 #neverhappens But the weird part came at 11pm.  The kids had gone to sleep around 7 and Huddy awoke at 11pm, came down stairs, saw that Santa had come and just assumed it was Christmas morning.  Never mind it was still dark.  He then went upstairs and woke Sol and Harper up and told them all about Santa’s arrival.  Next thing we know, they are all down stairs beside our bed declaring it’s Christmas morning.  We were so confused.  I then had to explain it was still Christmas Eve and they still had a good 7-8 hours of sleep left.  2 hours later and three more occasions of excited Kelley children showing up beside our bed and I was wishing Santa brought a time telling book and clocks for each child.

Opening presents at our house was super fun this year.  Everyone was really excited.  Each kiddo received three gifts.  I later asked what their favorite was.

Harper:  Our Generation Willow Doll

Hudson: Navy Seals MP5 submachine gun (he wasn’t specific at all…ha)

Solomon:  Crossbow

Amon had kind of domesticated Christmas and loved it.  He can vacuum, dust bust, sweep and push a baby with the best of them.

Speaking of Amon, as I fixed what I have deemed his “holiday hair” I decided Josh was right and a haircut is in his near future.  I mean, really, nothing says Happy Birthday baby Jesus more than a toddler with a mullet.

And the rest of our Christmas was full of more presents…giving & receiving…and yummy food and family and amazing friends and the constant reminder of God’s goodness and mercy.

I was very well aware it was coming and yet I’m surprised it’s already gone.  It was kind of weird this year for me and it all took me by surprise really.  I kind of thought last year would have been the hardest year, but as Courtney and I talked about on Christmas Eve, this Christmas was definitely the hardest and it really caught me off guard.  Like who goes into a full on 30 minute weep session after watching Jim Carrey’s version of the Grinch?!?!  I was a tad disappointed in myself.  I feel like I should have saved the weeping for the reading of the Christmas story from Luke or that Amon is celebrating another Christmas with us or maybe for our kids sweet faces on Christmas morning, but no, I just want to save my good tears for Jim.  But it was a place where joy and sadness coexisted.  Where people rallied around hearts and ate delicious chili together.  Who knew right?!?!  It was a very different and strange and hard and joyous Christmas.  Nothing like I expected, but as always His love and grace and mercy showed up to saturate our lives in the best way.  And in a way no one really expected…a baby.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

Happy Thursday!