A Few Of My Favorite Things | Family Film
The holidays are here and busy! With all the lists that need to be made and checked off… twice, all of the gifts to be purchased and wrapped, and all of the traditions that must be kept, it can all get a bit overwhelming. Life in general can get out of control, so one thing I am focusing on this year is slowing… down.
It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the “stuff,” you know? All of the noise. This is such a sweet time in the life of my family, and one I do not want to take for granted. Our children are at such a fun age of playing both together and independently. They’re starting to need me a little less, and next year it’ll be even less. I do not want to lose sight of them, our family, or our time, as limited as it is on this side of heaven. So I’m soaking in all of the time spent together honoring traditions, making new ones, and just enjoying one another. The running around has been less, and the snuggles have been more.
I love Christmas time so much! The meaning of it all, knowing that the Rescuer of the world was sent down to live this life alongside us and give us this beautiful season of remembering Him. It’s a time of loving family, and giving to others. It’s a time of worship, of love, of thankfulness, of beauty, and of peace. The peace is what I want to hold onto the most this month. The peace of enjoying this season of life, the peace in knowing the Prince of Peace Himself, and the peace of family and friends. These are all of the things that put a smile on my face and fill my cup to the brim and beyond.
Continuing our traditions, we did cheat a little bit this year with one. Typically, we wait to put up the tree on the day after Thanksgiving, but we made an exception this year since Oma and Opa were in town at the beginning of November. We had such a sweet time with them, and made all sorts of new and fun memories! The full film will be coming soon, but I had to pull this little piece out to share of my little family putting up the tree together. As you’ll see, my little guy really got into it this year, which 100% melted my heart! We stuck to watching our traditional movie while decorating, and remembering the ornaments from the years before. I loved this tradition as a child in the house I grew up in, decorating the tree as a family. My dad lifting me up to put the angel on top of the tree, my mom and I talking about our favorite ornaments and my brothers and I spreading out the shiny mylar icicle tinsel all over the branches. You know, the kind that looks like silver spaghetti noodles and made a giant mess? Every year I considering buying them for my tree, but then I talk myself out of it. Those are some of my most favorite memories of getting the house decorated for Christmas, and I love seeing my children enjoying some of the same! (minus the spaghetti tinsel)
As I mentioned, I curated a film for the entire visit with Oma and Opa, but this one I had to jump in for a few frames. This is MY thing every year. If it were left to my husband, we wouldn’t even have a tree. (Even though I think he secretly enjoys it and just lives to give me a hard time. ;) So I couldn’t not jump in and be apart of this little keepsake for my family. And yes, I know that was a double negative, but that’s how emphatic I am about how important this was to me! I’m so thankful that I have this, and see my little ones being little. Hearing their voices, seeing their smiling faces and their faces of deep concentration as they hang their ornaments. I adore it all, and love watching it over and over!!
I love my family.
I love making films.
And I love making films of my family!
