This is the aftermath of my husband and I’s first annual self-hosted Christmas brunch. Every year we typically do three christmases in one day, making it difficult to truly enjoy the holiday. Since this was also Baylee’s first Christmas, we thought it would be fun to combine two of these Christmases into one – at our house.
Growing up, my husband and I remember the importance of home and family on Christmas morning, and the last 8 Christmases (is that even the proper word?) have been nothing but rushing to the next house and loading up the car and a slightly cantankerous husband who desperately wanted a nap because he worked the night before or the day after. This would often lead to waking up and rushing through our own Christmas routine, then packing up 3 separate totes (or special Christmas categorized bags, if you have been reading my previous posts). We knew that once we had our own children, that simply would not work – so we created a new tradition! We decided to have all 8 1/2 of us over to our house Christmas morning – which is quite an adventure when you live in a 900 square foot ranch. We have a dining table (that is actually quite large), but had to turn it a different direction and borrow a few folding chairs. I cooked most of the food (see my Suzy Haymaker post on making too many things requiring dough), and I had just enough plates for everyone (oh, minus one – but hubby got to use a fancy Christmas plate instead!). I wanted it to be a house full of family and memories, just like I remember growing up and even made sure I wasn’t quite done making the glaze for the cinnamon rolls because I wanted to learn the ladies’ advice on how to make it.
Everyone was pleased with the food (phew!) and we talked all around one table together, which was just beautiful. In my living room stands my mothers’ upright piano that I remember her playing when I was young. I’m sure she was beaming in heaven as my father-in-law played carols for Baylee, who had never heard the piano before. It was so precious and I will never forget holding her up next to the piano watching her face – almost as if my mother was there amongst the notes coming out of the piano.
After reflecting on the holidays and all of the picture-perfect catalog family get-togethers I often see around this time, it made me come to a conclusion.
You know those “This Is My Actual Workspace” stock-photos that EVERYONE has now on their website/blog? You know…these:
(look closely – yes, succulents everywhere – even in the last photo, just look verrry closely.)
Something tells me these are not exactly realistic and makes me really question life when I see them. Yes, I love photography and even staging a shoot, but there is something beautiful about the candid and messy. And seriously, who really has a succulent on their workspace? (if you do, then I mean no harm and am a tad jealous that you are able to keep it alive since I am not as gifted at household plants.)
This snapshot of my dinner table (that I took while standing on a folding chair in slippers and an apron) captures the rawness of our Christmas day – beautifully un-staged empty plates, a new dish that was a gift to me the night before (my first Pioneer Woman dish!), a leftover centerpiece from my company Christmas party (on the verge of wilting – see above), glasses and mugs that belonged to my husband’s grandmother and my great-grandmother, and most importantly – a beautiful mess to clean up while my family visits in the other room and my husband and baby nap on the couch together.
