It's just a day

This topic has been rolling around on my head for a couple of weeks now.  It's a point Marianne made right before Christmas, when I announced that we were not going to celebrate Christmas as usual this year.  And we didn't.  And it has been amazing.

You could call it our "5 Days of Christmas"

Day 1:  December 24th, Christmas Eve.  We had breakfast at the Fisher's, Afternoon visit with the Peterson's, Evening visit with the Roses (Dan and Rachel), and dinner with the Johnsons (Shaun and Becca).
 
Day 2: December 25th, Christmas Day.  We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then the children went down stairs and opened their stockings.  We just existed throughout the day.  NEVER left the house (except for chicken care) And just enjoyed being snowed in.

Day 3: December 26th.  My Mom came for brunch.  We let the kids open extended family gifts.  And then just play with their toys.

Day 4:  December 31st, New Year's eve. Santa left bags of gifts outside everyone's room. Their "Main" gifts. They just enjoyed their gifts and being together.

Day 5: January 1st, New Year's Day.  Early bowling, and lunch at Leatherby's.

A good way to ring out the old, and Bring in the new.

Those first 3 were SO important for a chance to celebrate with Family and Friends.  Christmas Day was cold and SNOWY.  We seriously had to have gotten 12 inches of snow between dinner time Christmas Eve and Christmas Night.  And the Men of our ward shoveled twice that day for us. It is just a day on the calendar.  But THAT was the day that shoveling for us meant the most.  Because that's the day they most wanted to be home, tucked in warm with THEIR families.

And the last 2 were when we got to be together as a Family.

It was nice to celebrate over the course of a week.  Rather than smash EVERYTHING into 24 hours.

I'd like to continue to do things more like this year.

Our sacrifice for the lifestyle we have is that David cannot always be home with us on the EXACT day that marks celebration.  He misses birthdays, holidays, celebrations, etc.

And that's when it's crucial to realize we can celebrate ANY day we choose.