This Christmas was a little different from previous ones. Our family grew by 1—Evy (officially) + 1 James (unofficially). I say James is an unofficial addition because I don’t hang a stocking for you until you marry in and are all legal and everything. That being said, this year I made all new stockings. Annika was thrilled (she never liked her stocking, it has buttons on it—don’t ask), Kirsten and Joshua weren’t so sure—change isn’t their favorite thing. They liked their old stockings and they really didn’t want to part with them. I gave Joshua’s stocking to him and said he could hang it up in his new home. Evy saw it and CRACKED.UP. I wish I had a picture of his stocking so that you could understand. It is a rather strange stocking, His Grandpa and Grandma C gave it to him on his second Christmas. It is fashioned to look like a red Converse hightop sneaker, only instead of saying ‘Converse’ it has a badge that says ‘Santa’s Helper’. Then there is what looks like a red and white striped sock that comes out of the hightop topped by a white fur cuff. It is rather ridiculous really, but Joshua loves it. When he was little he liked to put it on and wear it around the living room. Honestly, I was glad to see it go so that I could create new stockings that were a bit more coordinated and traditional. Kirsten’s old stocking was a simple one I think I picked up for a few dollars at a drug store, it had pictures of nutcrackers on it. She can hang it up in her new home next year.
Each one has a silver bead initial.
Picking out the tree.
the finished product…I LOVED our tree this year, I hate to take it down!
So, we had new stockings [check], new family members [check], and time together, Dean and I and the kids, ALL the kids. The ‘other Haans’ were gone to Florida this year, so we didn’t have the traditional Haan Christmas on Christmas Eve (good thing because Joshua had to work until late that night). Joshua and Evy came and stayed the night and we all did our stockings together in the morning. Then Kirsten and James were off to his Dad’s family for lunch, then back to our house by late afternoon. We had time together exchanging gifts and laughing, always laughing. Christmas night we had Grandma H over for dinner (Grandma C was in Portland). Grandma went home early and then we ended the day watching A Christmas Story. No matter how many times I see that movie, it still cracks me up. It was nice to be able to have time with just our kids, but part of me misses the years when the kids were younger and we would spend Christmas Day with my cousins and aunts and uncles. The kids still ask me every year ‘are we going to be with the Johnsons at all this year?’. Sadly, it is part of getting older and everyone having their own families and traditions, some traditions end and new ones begin. All in all, it was a pretty great day of celebrating the birth of our Savior.
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