(That's our family favorite Christmas song, only because it's so great to dance to.)
We had a lovely day today that really captured what we've been up to lately. After church we tried out the new Tim Hortons--only minutes from our house!--decorated for Christmas, wrapped a few presents, and took naps by the fire while we watched football. Pretty great. I also washed a few new baby items, set up a changing station in our room, and packed the diaper bag to take to the hospital. Something about being only 3.5 weeks out is motivating me to GET READY!
One of my favorite moments was when Nellie asked me if she could use my stocking this year. I said it had my name it, and asked wouldn't she rather have her own? She responded, "but Mom, Christmas is a season for sharing!" I guess she has a point! And really, in the end, it doesn't matter at all!
It's a little strange to be decorating a new house with all of our old things, but it does make it feel like home! We've always had an enormous number of Christmas decorations because we got married at Christmas time (and thus got lots of Christmas decor as gifts) and I was a teacher, which meant lots of Christmas-y gifts. We're planning to get a tree this weekend. It's all very fun and exciting, but I can't believe how time is marching on toward the end of the semester, Baby #3, and more holidays. Never have I been so organized before Christmas--not only is my shopping 99% done, most of the presents are wrapped and bagged according to which family they need to go to. That's not to say there's not a lot to do...I need to make freezer meals, wash all the baby linens, set up the crib, pack a hospital bag, etc. Not to mention finishing out the semester. One more week of very focused work and I think I'll be home free on that end.
I should also mention that we had a wonderful long weekend! We hosted 15 people on Thanksgiving, and thanks to everyone else the dinner was delicious and plentiful and required almost no cooking on my part. I had fun decorating, setting tables, and enjoying both sides of the family being at the house. We also had our three nieces overnight for the first time, which was an adventure at 8 months pregnant but all in all it went REALLY well--I'm looking forward to the next time! I also wrote a paper that's ALMOST done, and Kevin and I got to go out to dinner for probably the last time in a long time because John was home and willing to watch the girls.
I should really go to bed--it's going to be a long week in a big effort to finish most of my coursework (plus two doctors appointments, volunteering at Nellie's preschool, and an extra meeting thrown in for good measure)--but I really don't want it all to end. It's going to be hard leaving the cozy, Christmas-y house tomorrow. But onward and upward, one day at a time!
