Christmas 2020

While this year has been anything but, we made sure that Christmas is like any other Christmas day...time spent together as family, relaxing and enjoying our food and gifts. Both children were really excited leading up to Christmas Day and all their cheer and excitement is what makes this day so special. I know this is probably the last year Amelia believes in the magic of Christmas as she already seemed to question certain things this year. So I tried to savor every moment and the sparkles in their eyes. 

All the gifts were wrapped and I felt great of being done early this year with shopping so that I could enjoy Christmas Eve without being out and about, especially while we are in another Covid spike here. That was until my little boy loses his favorite football to the drainage pipe the day before Christmas, mommy steps into action and hunts down another one in the freezing cold. Three stores were a no-go but I found the same one he lost at Walmart. Luckily, it wasn't crowded yet. I felt like a kid in a candy store when I saw it. He even wrote a letter for the elves to take back to the North Pole so that Santa knows that he needs a new football.  It is not about the value ($4) but he was heartbroken when he lost it and will be overjoyed to find it in his stocking. Because Santa knows and he still believes! 

While out and about, I picked up some treats for the neighbors..Shipley donuts are the best!

Since we were not able to attend the Christmas Eve service in the barn this year due to the pandemic, we bundled up and took a stroll around the neighborhood in freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve. 

We all watched a movie, fed the reindeers and put out the cookies before reading T'was the before Christmas. And then Santa came. He brought a special photograph for each child too:

Merry Christmas!

We all got plenty of gifts and enjoyed unwrapping every single one:

My most precious gift was a hand-written letter from each child: 

And a charm bracelet from my dear friend, Bettina. The hubby and my parents got me a couple of charms as well and now it tells a story:

Being with each other:

My love:

Our traditional German Christmas meal (duck, red cabbage, and dumplings) was delicious and we all savored it:

While we sat and celebrated, we heard the news that in the morning, a bomb had exploded in downtown Nashville. Luckily, people were warned and "only" 3 people were injured but nonetheless it was an attack and countless people had to leave their loved ones behind to investigate and assist in this matter. Phone and internet services were down for many people and the airport was closed too. It is saddening and hits awfully close to home. Can't wait for 2020 to be over and start off fresh in to 2021. 

We hope you all enjoyed a Merry Christmas. According to our kids, it was "the best one yet."