Come and Gone

Evan's first cognizant Christmas is over. It's a good thing that we're moving in a week and a half because there's really not room here for all of his stuff anymore. I felt like everyone did a good job keeping the amount of gifts to a minimum, but the ones he got were on the large side. He got lots of things he can ride and push, which he'll love, especially once he can do laps on the laminate floor. Jeff's mom got him a starter tricycle that's nice because I can push it - it will be great for walks around the neighborhood (or to the pool!) Jeff and I got him one of those magnet doodle pads that sits in your lap, we're hoping to foster some creativity.

I think this year helped us identify the traditions we want to start and the habits we want to avoid for future years. We're still not sure what we'll do about Santa. I'm leaning towards it being a fun story, but not necessarily something that's real. We just don't want Evan to be consumed by "getting things" at Christmas (or any time for that matter!) Hopefully, with some of the traditions we're looking to start, we can keep our focus more on Christ. Of course, that starts with us, which is important for Jeff and I to remember!

Despite the weight of teaching Evan valuable life lessons, we still let him have some fun. He had a great time with all of my family and he loved having Grandma and Uncle Dave stay with us.