Spend Time with the People You Love This Christmas
Hello friends!
Merry Christmas!
Boy how I’ve missed you! It’s been a crazy holiday season, hasn’t it?
Time moves so fast and so slow in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like, I’m totally running out of time to do the things that need to be done before Christmas Eve, but hasn’t it been 10 weeks since Thanksgiving? Why is it like this?
We have had parties and parties and parties and parties…
You get the idea. Parties.
Last week my little kids had two school dress up days because you know parents aren’t busy doing anything else. Are we supposed to have elf and reindeer costumes on hand at all times? Is that in the manual somewhere?
Then they each had a classroom party. One of my high schoolers had a class Christmas party. And church parties, and birthday parties, and girls night out. By Thursday I really needed that girls night, too!
Praise the Lord for being able to watch a two-hour movie without taking someone to pee.
Loving my people!
We’ve had so much fun this season, regardless of the nonstop busyness. I have gotten to spend more time with friends these last few weeks than I have in a long time. Maybe that’s just me trying to be more intentional.
I got to a point this season where I felt like my time is worth something. So instead of doing things for the sake of being busy, I’ve been spending my time on things that matter. People.
We even hosted a party! A Christmas cookie exchange party! If you don’t know what this is, you’ve been missing out. It’s so much fun and it’s pretty easy to put on. Here’s how:
Step 1: Invite some friends over.
Step 2: Ask them to bring 3-5 dozen cookies of their choice.
Step 3: Share the cookies, eat the cookies, and take some home for later.
I also made some punch and set up a hot chocolate bar, but you can make it whatever you want. Honestly, it’s just really fun hanging out with the girls, eating cookies until you want to puke. (Disclaimer: watch your kids or they will eat so many cookies that they puke.)
I’ve done things with my kids too! I sound like a bad parent talking about my friends all the time, but moms need friends, too! It’s just so hard to get all my kids together, at the same time, wanting to do the same thing, and not arguing. Okay. That’s not hard. That’s impossible!
But why?!?
The 8 and 10 year olds want to do the same things. They are small and sweet and love their parents. The 14 and 15 year olds will do the same things as each other, but not the same things as anyone else. Also, the boy speaks in sarcasm, the girl stays in defense mode, and my head hurts. The 12-year-old wants to do nothing. “Leave me alone.” “I’m in my room.” “I don’t want to.” “Blah, blah, blah… tween girl puberty hormone stuff.” Did I mention that my head hurts?
I want to know about the siblings in the cute little pictures where they’re all hugging or holding hands. Are they being threatened or bribed? Which is most effective? For me, it seems that neither works.
I’m just praying that they grow up loving each other unconditionally, even if they drive each other crazy now. I’m teaching them how to resolve conflicts, even when they don’t use any of the methods I teach them. I’m showing them how to be intentional and genuine in loving people. And I’m teaching them how to chase after God will their whole heart.
Because everything else is secondary.
And isn’t that what Christmas is all about anyway? A Savior born to redeem the world because of the Father’s unconditional love for us. A Savior who gives us joy, peace, and strength even in the midst of conflict. Who points us to God and who commissioned us to love people and tell them the good news.
I hope that you’ve taken some time out of this most busy season to just sit and steep in the love of the Father. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the madness of it all; to get caught up in the rush. But in the quiet, you can hear “For unto us, a child is born.” Emmanuel.
Are you all partied out? Are you having a blast in keeping with your family Christmas traditions this year? Do you have a unique tradition that isn’t necessarily traditional? I want to hear from you in the comments!