A blessed holiday season

We were gone from our home for two weeks on a fun, busy, relaxing, and blessed time on the East Coast with our families and friends.  The trip started a bit rough when my poor sister-in-law came down with a horrible stomach flu so we changed up our plans and went to PA first and then back to CT later in the trip.  There are lots of pictures and great memories.  We also celebrated Christmas together as a family in Denver and had such a fun time together.  I will probably do several different posts since it is a lot to cover.

Our Christmas in Denver was a full holiday season although we left early for the East Coast we were able to fill our time at home with some fun and blessed activities.  Here is some of our fun.

Christmas Program at church

 Here's our pre-church photo shoot.  These are the best out of quite a few.  Symeon was obviously in a bit of a mood.  I wasn't sure he was going to do the songs for the program.  He told me he was not doing any Christmas programs this year not in a mean way but more in a matter-of-fact I don't want all that attention on myself sort of way.  I told him it was fine either way.  

 Here they are in their costumes.  They wanted to match so when Marin chose to be an angel Symeon also wanted to be one.  I thought it was fine I mean his only 3 and I don't really see angels as girls so I agreed.  I had a friend who told her son about a year older than Symeon that angels were for girls and encouraged him to be something else.  When we talked about she said she didn't want anyone in his class to tease him.  I thought what in the world who teases each other at 3 about being an angel?  She said she felt bad telling him to pick something else she was torn.  Honestly it never crossed my mind that he would be the only boy angel so we went with it.  

Well on the day of the program an older kid teased Symeon about being an angel when they are girls.  First of all I wanted to rip this kids head off because as a Mama the sad look that came over Symeon's face was heart wrenching but I had to take a step back and use the moment to teach him and help him to choose to be who he wants to be.  He asked me to take his costume off which I did then I took him to a quiet place and told him about the Archangel Gabriel (a boy) who had the most important job of announcing the birth of the baby Jesus.  The child who teased him has a host of issues family and personal and I explained to Symeon that I was so sad for him because he didn't have anyone to tell him the story of the angel Gabriel and that he didn't know there were boy angels like Symeon did.  I told him that there will always be people with ideas and he had to choose to do what he wanted to do regardless of what any other kid said.  I asked if he wanted to put his costume on and he said no but he would think about it.  

We went into church and while we waited for his classes turn to go on stage he said Mom I want to be an angel and go on stage and sing my songs.  I told him I was so proud of him and he would have a really good time.  I still could cry writing this post when I saw his face fall when this kid said this to him but I realized it was so much better I was there to talk him through it than if the kid has said and I didn't know what had happened.  I was really proud of him for thinking about it and choosing to do what he wanted rather than letting another child decide for him.  In the end it was a beautiful learning experience and I am proud of him and by the end of the service I was praying for that little boy who said it realizing I was really sad for him.   

 Here's our sweet girl she was so excited to get in her costume and to get on stage.  She did a great job singing and doing her motions.  

 Here they are I was so proud of both of them.  

It was a beautiful time for our family to be with our church community and celebrate the birth of Jesus.  It was a special time during the holiday season.