This year has been, hands down, the one that has changed me the most. Last Christmas came after a hard year, and the holidays were bittersweet for me. This year was all about answered prayers.
The Christmas season has been extra special, from having more fun picking out gifts for Ariana to imagining what Christmas will be like through her eyes as she grows up. She's already a big fan of colored Christmas lights, and her nursery might just have a strand hanging up after the holidays.
After doing a little local shopping and browsing on Small Business Saturday last month, I resolved to shop local for as many gifts as we could. I'm proud that almost all of our gifts were purchased from small locally-owned shops.
And as an adult, I'm almost more excited to give all of our gifts to everyone than I am to open my own gifts. (But the inner child in me is excited to open presents!)
This Hanson Christmas song is one I've been listening to since Snowed In came out 14 years ago (Jesus...), and it's one I've come to cherish more and more as I grow up. Especially now that we're settling into our new family life and starting new traditions, I think this will be the song that resonates the most every holiday season. It's also one I sing to Ariana during our bedtime routine (just no one tell her if I still sing it come January because I haven't expanded my repertoire beyond Christmas songs.)
It's felt good to take a small break from the blog during the course of my maternity leave and return to work, but I'm feeling ready to take on 2019 and write some new posts! (Especially all the ones I didn't get around to over the last month or so, ha.)
But for now, I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. Here's to time spent and memories made with your loved ones!
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