Christmas is gonna roll over us - WARNING Santa info

Last night the trees were standing outside Wal-Mart, hundreds of them.  The music has started and I'm not covering my eyes, I just realized that I only have a few more years with the kids.  This is the first year that the kids go into the holiday season as complete consumers without any thought to Santa, notes, sitting on his lap, lists for him and the elves.  Yep, last year was the last time.  I will forever cherish the note from Sam:

"Dear Santa, please give one of these cookies to Holly the Elf, (from his school) and the carrots are for the reindeer".  The year before Sam's note said: "Dear Santa, I just want a good day"

I will miss the innocence the excitement of the night before. This year we will make it more special for us as a family.  We will spend more time together, play games, think about getting gifts for each other. (yes, they are finally understanding the giving not getting part)

We don't have a church now, that has been a struggle to keep Jesus in our everyday life.  Mike and I say we are content without having a  church experience but the kids miss the whole experience of people who love and care for them.  We have visited churches and we always walk away without a feeling of "this could be our home". This story is for another blog.

Anyways, I've got a few Blue Moon Emporium shows, orders coming in all the time and this has really helped to take the stress off the family and now I'm enjoying my art and crafting more..now I want to do it, to make something more fun, beautiful, enjoyable for someone else.  It's a good feeling.

I'm walking into this Christmas season with an open heart and anticipating something different for our family, purposefully making it more spiritual, and  I'm going to sit back and enjoy.  I hope your family does too.