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Christmas 2013

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s start off with that. Here’s to a whole new year of possibilities, laughs, snuggles and love. I’m ready to fill my calendar with all sorts of amazing adventures with my boys this year.

The Christmas decorations are tucked away for another year, the cookies are eaten (yikes!), and that magical feel of the holidays has made way for bone-chilling cold. The only thing that I haven’t had the heart to put away are all the Christmas cards that we received this year. I have them hanging clothesline-style in our dining room, and there is something about seeing all those smiling faces and heartfelt wishes that makes it impossible to put them away just yet. Maybe over the weekend. Maybe.

We spent our holidays in Montreal again this year. The trip North seems to have become our family tradition. Pierre and I have struggled, since having children, to create our own Christmas traditions. It’s a challenge to find what is ours, while still respecting all that is important to our extended families. And being that we live far from our family, it seems all the more necessary to be close at Christmas. But, that also means not being in the home that Pierre and I have built with our sons on Christmas Day. Does it matter that Santa doesn’t visit our house on Christmas Eve? Is the actual day really that important or can we celebrate in another way, one that works for us? What will be important to the boys as they grow older? Those are the questions that Pierre and I struggle with.

This year we asked Ben and Nicholas. Where did they want to be for Christmas? They answered with a resounding: “Montreal!” And Ben quickly added, “Mommy, going to Canada is our tradition.” Now, I think their answer might have something to do with the promise of both snow and being spoiled by, well, pretty much everyone who lives North of us. Whatever the reason, Pierre and I had an answer. And maybe it isn’t so much where you are at Christmas, but who you’re with.

One of my favorite moments from this holiday was on Christmas Day. My parents make a huge brunch so that the whole family can sit together before opening presents. In their house, presents are opened around 2:00 p.m. Torture for the kids, right? Turns out, not at all. After brunch this year, my mom and dad kicked everyone out of the kitchen. Actually, they kicked most of us out of the house, sending the boys, Pierre, Uncle Cooker-Chef and me out to play on Candy Cane Mountain. Remember Candy Cane Mountain? We couldn’t get Ben and Nicholas’ snowsuits on fast enough.

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With all the snow this year, more than I can remember seeing in December ever, Candy Cane Mountain had grown. Even before we arrived, my dad had been out with the snow-blower, building up the hill. So, when the boys were told to go out and play on Christmas Day, you can bet that they didn’t need to be told twice.

Nicholas took a spin.

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Followed by Ben, with a little push start from Uncle Cooker-Chef.

How many members of our family can a plastic toboggan hold? We found out.

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It was cold out. We had to get close and cozy to stay warm. And with all that weight, our little sled flew!

The best part came at the end of our sledding adventure. When Pierre and I told the boys that it was time to go in, they were most disappointed, wanting to take just one more run, then one more, and one more…

“What about all the presents under the tree?” We asked.

Turns out, presents just weren’t all that important when there was a mountain to be conquered. For me, that’s Christmas in all its magic.

Later on in the week, Candy Cane Mountain became even more special when the boys and Grandpa dug a cave into its side.

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Benjamin and Nicholas had to be the first to test it out.

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Then Grandpa and Nicholas got cozy inside.

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Grandma and Grandpa even stung up lights for some nighttime sledding. 

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A snow-filled wonderland!

More to come about our adventures in Canada.

xo Naomi

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2014 at 8:08 AM

    What a fantastic tradition! I must know your parents strategy for candy cane mountain... Do they blow in an ever-tightening circle to get it all mounded up?

    ReplyDelete
  2. NaomiJanuary 10, 2014 at 5:43 PM

    Hi Katie,
    There's a little bit of a hill there, so that's a good cheat to start. My dad use the snow-blower to continuously blow snow up to the top of the hill. After awhile the snow packs down. There is a tree and a fence in the way, so he piled snow from two sides only. Once it was high enough, he carved out the sledding trail, then watered it down to freeze!
    Thanks for reading my blog!!

    ReplyDelete

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