Just a Blur!

December has been a busy, busy month for the B Family! I think our usual pace is more active and on-the-go than the average family--with the addition of the holidays and preparing for a trip to Ethiopia and the arrival of a new baby in the house, it's been downright crazy! We've been running on adrenaline with all of the fun, excitement, anticipation and activity. Upon our return home with Miss V, we've been encouraged to "cocoon" with our family and limit outings and high stimulation activities for 3-6 months to help make the transition easeir for her and to foster bonding and attachment. The concept sounded challenging at the start of our adoption education. Now, we're thinking we might just be too pooped to want to do anything other than hang out at home!

We did simplify some things this year. Whereas we usually go all-out with multiple themed trees and decorations inside and out, this year we left all of our boxes of Christmas decor stored away. We picked up a bunch of cheap white lights that we wouldn't mind throwing out with the tree (not environmentally conscious, I know, but my sanity is taking priority these days), set up the girls' craft table with construction paper, glitter, yarn, glue, crayons, markers and pipe cleaners and let them go to town making ornaments. As they've brought home Christmas-themed projects from school, we've hung them on the tree. It's turned into such a special tree--one of my favorite trees ever.

Even more out of character is that we opted not to send cards out this year. I usually spend months picking the perfect picture and trying to come up with a creative card that will stand out from the rest. Receiving cards from friends and loved ones is one of the highlights of the holidays for me! Even though we keep up with many of our friends and family through blogging Facebook, I have a special place in my heart for stationary, address labels and stamps--there's just nothing like receiving a thoughtful letter, note or pretty card in the mailbox. So, if you're usually on our Christmas/correspondence list and you're wondering what happened--you haven't been forgotten! And you will be receiving a special adoption announcement in a couple of months!

We also declined to attend several Christmas parties over the last week. There are a few that we look forward to every year and a couple of new ones that sounded like so much fun--but, it was important to us to make last week a family week since we will be missing our girls on Christmas Day!

Here are a few snapshots of some of the fun we did enjoy together this month:

We picked out the perfect tree and the girls had a ball decorating it. We visited Santa. Miss A requested a Barbie Horse and Miss M requested a stuffed zebra (Marty from Madagascar). They are so cute in that they only request one thing and are always genuinely surprised when Santa leaves a bunch of bonus toys around the tree. Miss M was a stroller/narrator and toy soldier in the Nutcracker

and an angel in her kindergarten class nativity!

Miss A was cute as a button in her preschool's Christmas program.

She was so excited about finally getting to be the one performing on a stage while Miss M sat in the audience! And we were so proud of Miss M when she reminded us that we'd need to pick up some flowers to give to her sister "after the show" and when, without prompting, she hugged Miss A afterward and told her what a great job she'd done.

And I celebrated another birthday.

It's been a fun month fun, and the best is yet to come! We'll be joining our families bright and early tomorrow for breakfast at Cracker Barrel before heading to the airport. Miss M said she "might miss us a little bit" while she and Miss A are having their own adventure with family. We'll be missing them a lot more than that and will be looking forward to coming home and easing into 2010 as a family of 5!

Please keep us in your prayers--traveling mercies for us, protection for our girls, and a smooth transition for Miss V.