All in all, I think we had a pretty good run this year! :santa:
It’s always a little sad when it comes time to start packing all of this stuff up, even though I have no intentions of putting all of these decorations away anytime soon, but at the same time, I certainly can’t deny that 2013 was a pretty fantastic year Christmas wise, and so as one tends to do around this time of year … especially if he has a blog and a fresh plate of Christmas cookies by his side … I wanted to take a bit to reflect on Christmastime 2013 and all that made it so special…
To be perfectly honest, this almost ended up being a very low key holiday season because with doing IVF this year and now (thankfully) having a baby due in the spring, we didn’t really have a whole lot of money to spare. So we were going to forego most of the big stuff – buying presents for friends and family, spending more than maybe $50 a piece on each other, going over to Disney aside from maybe a random day trip.
But then I started to look at the budget and saw some ways that we could stretch things a little, and we got to thinking that after all that we’ve been through this year and so many sacrifices that we’ve made to try and have a baby, we didn’t want Christmas – the happiest season of all! – to be lackluster end to the year. And in a way, I hate to say that money had a big part to do with it, but it kind of did because presents and trips to Disney aren’t cheap, but I think that it was worth it! 😉
The Highlights:
- A Holiday Weekend at Disney World – Granted, we weren’t able to do a whole lot on account of the wife being pregnant and all, but we haven’t spent a full holiday weekend over at Disney in … I don’t even know how many years! And it’s so hard to see even a fraction of all the great holiday fun if you’re only going for day trips because it’s so much more of a pain to park hop when you do. This was a true highlight because we got to see the Osborne Lights in particular, which we haven’t seen in a while, and the Wilderness Lodge where we stayed was like a little piece of the holidays back home (without all of the cold)!
- The Gift of Giving – We probably spent a little more than we should’ve – just on singing fish alone – but there’s something fun about searching for just the right thing that will make each person smile on your list when they rip open that wrapping paper in a fury on Christmas morning! And don’t get me wrong, the shipping costs alone were murder when you consider that 99% of our gifts had to travel out of state … but it was also a lot of fun, even despite trying to figure out how to fit them all into their appropriate shipping boxes…
- Decorating Around the House – I’ll be honest, we totally used the impending kid as an excuse for the new decorations that we bought this year because we really want our home to be ultra-vestive and it’s clear that unless we hit the jackpot, that’s a feat that’s going to be a gradual progression to build towards! But between the silver bells and the fake garland thingys and the various assorted holiday things with Mickey’s face on them, I think we got a good start this year…
Things to Do Better Next Year…
- Putting Up Lights Outside – We’ve lived in this house through two Christmases now and I’ve failed in my attempts to decorate outside for both, so 2014 most definitely has to be different! The big thing that held me back this year was that I think a bunch of our old lights got damaged in between moves and I’m super anal about having them match, so I didn’t even try to buy replacements. I think next year it’s probably time to bite the bullet and just pitch out whatever’s there now and buy brand new. In November. And then be raring to go come Thanksgiving so that the Sevener household actually has decorations up for the entirety of the holiday season that are worthy of the legacy.
- Baking Christmas Cookies – We only ended up doing a couple of kinds this year – on Christmas Eve, no less – and my gingerbread men honestly never even came into fruition because I was too busy playing with my toys to make them on Christmas Day. We’ve also been “trying” to cut back a bit because of the whole weight loss thing … but maybe we’ll both do so awesome at it next year that we’ll have no qualms whatsoever about keeping a steady flow of cookies pouring out of the oven all season long! 😉
- A Very Merry Magical Trip to Disney – I know we did it this year already, but I’m putting it on the list simply because Sara and I thoroughly agreed that this needs to become an annual vacation that we take every year because it’s just way to much holiday fun to not do.
- Lego Holiday Village Migration – I have no idea where it’s going to end up, but especially if they keep adding new sets, it’s going to have to find a new home within our home soon!
- Baby’s First Christmas – It’s going to be legen … wait for it … fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la … dary!
And now, the obligatory When Christmastime is Over anthem that always brings a tear to my eye… 8)