christmas throwback.

i noticed yesterday that i didn't blog last december.  shame on me.  so, guess what?  i'm going to do a throwback christmas post circa 2009.  this would have been james' first christmas.  his first white christmas in fact.  it was my first christmas as a wife and mother.  it was a good christmas.  but if you're holidays are anything like mine, it definitely had some surprises.

okay, i'm going to admit this first:  last year i did not intend on putting up a christmas tree.  there i said it. i hate it and i wish i didn't feel that way but that is how i felt.  james was six months old and putting everything in his mouth.  my dogs think presents and paper are toys and i just thought it wasn't worth it.  plus, i knew that we would follow my family tradition and spend christmas eve and christmas morning at my sister's house.  so, we would fall asleep christmas eve and wake up to a tree on christmas morning - which to me is the most important.  so, there is my scrougy little secret. 

there we were, december 24th.  we were bundled up, car pack and ready to head out to meet my family.  mr. h puts the truck in reverse and get don't move.  in fact, we about got stuck leaving our driveway.  this should have been our first clue to raise the white flag and go back inside but we had spent hours getting everything ready for our overnight trip.  the problem was it snowed over 6 inches that day.  these were accompanied by oklahoma winds creating huge snow drifts.  now, let me just state that oklahoma has not had a white christmas in seven years before last year and we (or more specifically the road people who put down sand and salt) are not prepared for such a snow storm.  therefore, the roads were dangerous.  so, we set out.  we thought our neighborhood would be the worst but once we got to main roads we would be fine.  wrong. the main roads weren't any better.  they may have actually been worse due to the abandoned cars and crazy drivers.

so, we're on our way. sweet little six month old baby in tow. i'm terrified.  i am filled with fear and regret.  we quickly decide we need to return home as fast as possible.  well, fast wasn't going to happen so i should say as safe as possible.  ice was freezing on the windshield, street lights were out and roads were not cleared.  this is not how i thought i would be celebrating christmas eve. i cried.  we keep thinking that we'll turn the corner, get on the highway, something, anything and the situation will be better but no.  nothing made it better.  we made a huge loop that would normally take us ten minutes but we're pushing an hour.  my family is calling wondering where we are but i don't think they understood how bad the roads conditions had gotten.  then it happened.  we got stuck.  i instantly started sobbing.  mr. h jumped out to assess the situation.  honestly, i would have jumped out of the car from me too.  by the grace of God, a utility work truck passed as my husband was outside.  their job was to assess the roads and pull out any city vehicles that were stuck in the snow.  they were hesitant about pulling us out but once mr. h told them we had a 6 month old baby and that his wife was crying, they agreed but he had to hook up the chain.  phew!  it worked.  it was the worst five minutes.  then the sweet gentlemen followed us home.  i don't know if they know how much that gesture meant to me.  i am still grateful for their kindness to this day.

so, now we're back home.  an hour and a half later - no tree and all necessities are packed in the truck.  this would not be that way for long.  i snuggle the baby, put him to bed and instantly started to put up our tree.  mr. h got all the decorations down from the attic and unpacked the car.  santa would come to our house afterall this year.  we woke up and had a nice little family celebration.  it was nice.  it would actually have been nice to be snowed in with my boys, minus the car trip disaster. this was our first christmas as a family and nothing would have been better. we were together and we were safe.  and we had power while over 1,200 oklahomans did not.  plus, our doggies were glad to spend christmas eve with us.

christmas eve photoshoot with my little santa baby:

christmas morning.  

my boys.  santa brought james a kelty pack.

santa did not realize that this would be heavy on daddy's back...

 regardless, they had to try it out.

this year there will be a tree and more decorations i've picked up along the way.  this year i hope to follow my family tradition and see my family on christmas eve.  this year i hope to start our own family traditions.  i know people like a white snow on christmas but i think i'd pass this year.