As I write this it is now 2021 and a few days past New Years, but I am just getting around to the blog again! I this post I am excited to be sharing how we celebrated this holiday season while in quarantine due to the on-going pandemic and with our little Kelia who is now almost 15 months old!
Our Traditions Modified For The Pandemic
Christmas Cards
First, I will share our 2020 Christmas card. One of favorite holiday traditions is sending and receiving cards especially with photos! So this year was no different and because Kelia has grown so much I had to create and send one! We took family photos for Kelia's 1st birthday and they turned out amazing so we used those especially since it was only a couple months away!
This was our card this year. I mailed them only to family this year to cut down on cost and everything due to the pandemic and us wanted to save money! Hoping next year to send a card to more people!
Holiday Lights
Another thing I have always loved to do (and is so much more fun and special now that we have a child) is going out looking at Christmas lights and decorated houses! We walked a few areas we found that they referred to as "Candy Cane Lane" as well as some special homes in our town that were MUST SEE advertised by our community on Facebook.
Kelia absolutely loved the lights and would ooooh and aaaaaaah at different displays! I cant wait to keep doing things like this as she gets older! She even learned somehow this year that Santa says HO HO HO and it was the cutest! Every time she saw a Santa she said HO HO HO!
Decorating & The Christmas Tree and Stockings
The one thing that really gets the season started for me is going to get Our Christmas Tree every year and decorating it. I cant wait until Kelia is old enough to decorate with us and really understand and get into the magic of Christmas, but it was still fun this year! Due to her age as well as the dogs this year we had a gate around the tree and the ornaments only on the high part but hopefully that gets better! Next year we will hopefully be in our own new home so decorating should be even more exciting and fun!
Holiday Boat Parade
Another thing I have done since I was young and again now most years with Cory has been go to Orange County to watch or be in the Holiday Boat Parade. Kelia joined us bundled and asleep last year but this year she LOVED it! She was bundled and we watched from a small beach on the bay but she danced on my lap and clapped her hands and said HO HO HO. I hope we can keep taking her for years to come!
Gingerbread House
I have celebrated 10 Christmases now with my husband and his family and one thing we have done every year together is decorated a Gingerbread house together. Sometimes one and sometimes two and compete. This year Kelia "helped" and supervised while we did one big one together. It was fun and again I can't wait until she's really old enough to do one with us!
Santa
So this year Santa was a little different for everyone. Most people who saw him had to behind plexiglass or virtually. We decided since Kelia is so young we would do the next best thing - used grandpa as Santa this year!
The picture we got was perfect! Don't you think? She's not screaming like she would have been though if it was a mall Santa but I love it nonetheless!
Christmas Eve PJs!
When I was young every year we got one gift to open Christmas Eve which was Christmas jammies that always watched my sister or the whole family. I started Christmas PJs with Cory the year we got married, 2017, and want to continue with our little growing family. So this year I got us all sets from Target with wild animals and Kelia opened them with a Christmas book. I hope to eventually as she gets older to a Christmas book, Christmas Movie, Snacks and Candy and Hot Cocoa or Cider Packets to all use to celebrate together with on Christmas Eve.
My husband is such a trooper and family man to do things like this! He loves being a daddy and I love seeing him as one!
How The Wilsons Did Christmas This Year
So not only were things different due to Covid-19 and family scattered or celebrating different, but this was the first holiday season without my Noni. It was so difficult and strange not to be going to see her and buying her gifts - we didn't even go to Sees Candy for the first time ever! We did have fun though!
First, we celebrated early in beginning of December with Popsie, Kiki, Auntie Leah and Cousin Charlie at a family home. We had dinner with them and enjoyed each other's company for a few hours. Then Leah and her family and in-laws went to Cabo for a few weeks and Nana and Pops joined them for a week.
On Christmas Eve we had tamales and I made homemade cilantro lime rice. Hubs made a fire in the fireplace, we did our Christmas PJs, and hubs and I wrapped gifts and put them under the tree. I also baked cookies (Best homemade ones I have ever made!) with Kelia and we wrote her Santa note together and left cookies and her letter for Santa on the mantle. (This is another tradition I wanna keep up as she grows!)
Christmas Day we made a yummy brunch of Protein Pancakes, Bacon&Sausage, Chili Cheese Egg Puff, and Berries. And Cory made Prime Rib and Turkey Breast with Homemade AMAZING mashed potatoes and Asparagus and rolls for dinner! We opened gifts between meals and Kelia played with the toys she got and tried out her new shoes Santa brought her! We had another fire, watched holiday specials, and spent quality family time at home. We had a great Christmas even though it was different!
A few days later we went to Big Bear to see the snow for the day just hubs, Kelia, and I are that was a blast too!
We had an amazing end of the year and are so excited for what 2021 will bring for our family! Keeping all in our prayers who are battling Covid-19 and hoping everyone else stays safe and healthy! Wishing you and yours a magical 2021!
Love Always,
Alana