CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Picking out a Christmas Tree (Carpinito Christmas Tree Stand)

Live reindeer and hot coke (as Roderick says, even if its hot apple cider instead of hot cocoa) 

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Yeah, its a little top heavy, I know this

Christmas Programs 2012 

Northpoint Co-Op kids singing at the Dash Point Tree Lighting Ceremony

(Roderick is front row, far left- kiki to the right.  You can see Roderick has his arm covering his face.  He was a little upset. So not like his mom who would be front and center stage... singing the loudest)

Roderick (front row black coat) and Mckenna (far left in gray dress) singing at Mom's Day Out

Roderick was not singing but hands were not covering his face so we made progress

Mckenna exited stage after about 1 minute of being up there

 Decorating Christmas Cookies with Grandma

A lot of eating and a little decorating 

Wrapping the Gifts with my Elf

with lots and lots of tape and some bows

Christmas is the best time of the year!!!

I am fortunate enough to still feel this way.

After last weeks tragedy in Connecticut, I can't help but be extra grateful for what I have. I am well aware that the school shooting impacted just about every human being in the world.  There isn't a soul alive that didn't take what happened last week and break down.  Break down for the victims, their families, the surviving staff and children and the police officers/firefighters/ workers that had to deal with the aftermath.  I can't even begin to imagine how those families are healing, or trying to heal.  I don't know how they even go on.

I also don't know I am ready to face the fact that our world has become a scary place.  Our malls have become a scary place.  Our movie theaters have become a scary place.  Our hospitals have become a scary place.  Our schools have become a scary place.  Before I had kids of my own, I was a teacher.  I had a classroom full of 3rd graders.  We had lock down drills a few times a year and we would practice for the unfortunate event that a "bad guy" would come on campus to harm our children.  As we would practice this, kids were always so scared and overwhelmed questions.  It was awful.  The teachers/administrators at Sandy Hook are heroes.  They are not trained to serve and protect the way a police officer or a firefighter is but on December 14th, thats what they did.  God bless our educators.  I am so proud to be a party of this amazing community of people who work so hard for your children and their futures.

My heart continues to break for the innocent, darling little kids that lost their lives too early.   I still can't get myself to read their names or look at their pictures.  I am just not ready.  I have been choosing Christmas movies over the news, as my heart needs a break from the stories.  I am also deeply saddened for those small children who survived but lost a friend, classmate, teacher or sibling.  The things they saw or heard will change their lives forever.  I am sad for their future, but hopeful they find peace someday.  Please remember to keep these little ones in your prayers.

With that being said, I know there is also a lot of good in this world. That is what I am trying to focus on because, well, the bad is just too dark. Too ugly.  So I as post about Christmas and the joy that comes with it, I want to take a moment to remember all of the innocent people who lost their lives last Friday.  Our world will never be the same.  God help the families find strength to go on and help our world see that there is still so much good, amongst the bad.

Merry Christmas Everyone!