It's more of a powdered snow world than a marshmallow one here...

We have had two dust-ings of snow in the last 2 days. Elisabeth has been begging for a snow day for over a week now. It's totally not going to happen. She has half a day of school today, anyway, and then it's Christmas break.

I'm standing at my little computer writing this blog and staring at my kitchen which is desperately calling out to me to clean it. My kitchen is so needy. We have the roof to put on our gingerbread house and I still have one more batch of fudge to make and a couple more batches of cookies to bake for gifts. I'm almost done with my Christmas check list. I am actually on time with things this year and I'm both surprised and proud of me. My Christmas cards are mailed, presents are packed and on their way to Illinois, and Santa's totally ready to set up on Christmas Eve after the girls are sound asleep.

Elisabeth has reminded me of a few things we still need to do. We need to decorate our gingerbread house, we need to go to the zoo, there's a couple of Christmas movies we still need to watch, etc. etc. She knows our holiday traditions and completing them make her feel like Christmas is really here. Part of her need for the same holiday routine is that we aren't with family again this year. She had 6.5 years of lots of immediate and extended family at her fingertips during Christmas time and she misses some of the things we did in Illinois. I do too. I miss seeing my grandparents, aunts and cousins. I miss Evan's family's Christmas celebration that's always a couple days after Christmas. I miss attending Matt and Kyle's Christmas Eve Eve extravaganza. I miss making our annual Chicago trip to see the window displays at Macy's and going to Kristkindlmarkt.

We've started some of our own traditions, though. Elisabeth loved going to the Winter Wonderland at the zoo. She's mentioned going again and I think it's a fabulous idea. But, you know how I feel about zoos.

We also are celebrating an early Christmas dinner with Rachel and Kim and their families for our weekly Thursday dinner. One of Evan's co-workers is having a Christmas Eve brunch that we'll be going to as well. I'm positive that celebrating holidays with others who aren't near their families either will be something we will be participating in for as long as we're in the Air Force. It's kind of like having a uniformed extended family. :)

There are traditions that we are continuing even though we're so far away from everyone. Making the hand ornaments is one of them:
And continuing with gingerbread house making is another.
We still get brand new jammies every Christmas Eve.
And make sure Santa and the reindeer are hooked up when they visit us.
Of course, we see Mr. Clause and let him know what we'd like him to bring us this year.

There are things we miss.

We miss seeing our families on Christmas day and are sad we have to wait for their hugs and smooches until we see them in the fall next year.
And there's Chicago. Ugh...we are definitely missing being so close to Chicago this time of year (and the people who live in Chicago as well).
Bonnett Family Christmas is one of the things I super miss. We haven't been in two years and I'm always sad when they are all together without us. I still remember the first Christmas I attended with Evan's family. It was at his house and his Uncle Tom so sweetly offered me one of his home made Rum Balls...they could make you tipsy after eating 2 of them.

Of course, there are those whom we will miss forever but always think of this time of year. Grandpa Bonnett surrounded by all 9 of his kids, 30-plus grandkids, and almost 30 great-grandkids is one of my favorite memories.

So, we keep up all the traditions we can and pick up some new ones along the way. I, personally, am anxious to see what ones the girls make part of their own family holidays someday. I'm wondering if they'll make gingerbread houses and what cookies they'll "have" to have each year. I can't wait to see what holiday traditions we do today with them as kiddos will be important to them as grown-ups.