Well, I have to admit that I've started listening to Christmas music. I pulled it out once in August...I usually listen to it for a day in August each year and then I put it away again. This week the weather has been cold and it's getting darker out so I just had to put it on - listening to Christmas music always cheers me up.
I'm not looking forward to the cold, but I am looking forward to the snow...for one day. Every day Mebira asks if it will snow today...and she keeps saying that she doesn't like it warm out - she wants it to be cold. Ha! She's only experienced about a low of 3 and she screamed and hollered that it was way too cold that day. She is in for a big surprise!
I'm also excited to experience Mebira's first Christmas in Canada. My favourite thing is that she thinks Santa is Jesus...and I haven't corrected her. I figure Christmas really IS about Jesus and not Santa, so for now if she wants to equate the numerous Santa displays with Jesus then that is great with me. I know I'll have to break it to her soon, though. Otherwise she'll be really confused as to why she could sit on Jesus' lap in the mall. :-)
Christmas is for sure my favourite time of the year. There's just something about the decorations, music, food, time with family, traditions, focus on Jesus and His love for us, time off school and work, special parties, games and sledding and skating with the kids, fireplaces and candles, cookies and treats that are so much fun.
This year will have its moments of sadness as well as it is the first one without Arvid's dad. We put candy canes on our tree in honour of Arvid's mom (she did the same), we put crocheted white snowflakes on our tree from Arvid's grandmother to remember her, and now we'll need to think of something that will be a special memory of his dad. Do any of you do anything special at Christmas to remember those you've lost? If so, I'd love to hear it!
Well my kindred spirit that's just another thing we have in common. Christmas is also my favorite time of the year. And yes we had the Christmas music on last week too. My girls were asking me the other day if mebi knew what Christmas was and if Santa had gone to Africa. Wow that was a tricky one to navigate. I explained to them that this would be such a special Christmas for her because of all of our Canadian traditons that she would be experiencing for the first time. She picked up on birthday parties pretty quick though so I'm sure she'll love Christmas too. She is a social butterfly that one!! Will you incorporate any Ethiopian traditions or food into your Christmas time this year? You know we've been so fortunate to have healthy families. We just so enjoy the Christmas time together. Maybe you could incorperate one of hisnfavorite foods into your meal or bake his favorite cookies? Whatever symbolic thing you choose to do isn't as important as the memories you hold in your hearts. Merry christmas! And Bring on the snow. My uggs are calling!!
ReplyDeleteFor the first christams after my dad died, the kids each put a dove on our christmas tree. They all liked that, I love the idea of something on the tree to remember them by!
ReplyDeleteFlora