We’ve come upon the most wonderful time of the year! The air is crisp, the smell of sweet baking surrounds us, and there just seems to be a little more magic than usual. The holidays are always a special time, and for us, it’s a whirlwind that we look forward to all year long!
This December will be filled with activities, parties and much family time. Our family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas. This means there’s twice as much to look forward to!
We celebrate the Festival of Lights with Adam’s mom and her side of the family. We gather to make latkes, play dreidel and light the menorah. Every night, for all eight nights, we sing and laugh and play. It’s truly special and we love seeing our daughter engage in the traditions. Typically, families exchange presents for each of the eight nights. In our home, we have changed that a bit. Instead, we do seven nights of gifts and one night of giving. Lily gets to pick out gifts that she wants to donate and we pick a local cause to give to. It’s incredibly important for us to instill the value of generosity and charity in our daughters life. She’s incredibly thoughtful in what she picks as gifts to donate and it warms our hearts to see.
Christmas is celebrated with Adam’s dad and Jess’s relatives. We host Christmas Eve at our home. It’s a feast! And it’s filled with laughter, music, and plenty of games. We usually watch a movie as a family to celebrate the occasion as well. This year, Lily is already excited about “The Santa Clause” films, so we have a funny feeling we will be watching that, which is awesome! Christmas morning is a special time with just our immediate family. We wake in our special pjs to find what Santa left under the tree. After gifts we have a special breakfast of freshly made cinnamon rolls, Jess’s special Christmas French toast, eggs and bacon. Christmas dinner is spent with Lily’s cousins, usually at their house. It’s a wonderful way to get together and enjoy everything the holiday has to offer.
Also in December is Lily’s birthday! This year she has asked for a party at Chuck E. Cheese. We’ve invited her pre-school class and know it will be a great time. She’s counting down every day and is so excited!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram, @jessandadamadopt, or on Facebook, Jess and Adam Adopt, to see all of our exciting December traditions and events.
We hope you know how much we are already thinking of you. While we don’t know you yet, you’re already in our hearts and we’re sending you so much love.
Here’s to “happily ever after”.
With love,
Jess & Adam
