The week before Christmas and all through the van there is STUFF!! With Christmas coming up I have gifts, rolls of wrapping paper and a lot of extra stuff in my van. I have no room for that but I am making the sacrifice of only having half my bed and moving the big items from my bed to the jump seat everytime I want to lay down because I love them! Lol!
Living in a small space you get used to minimizing so that you do not need to move stuff around so when you have extra it makes me a little crazy. I am already a little crazy just in case you did not notice.
Christmas time living in the van is certainly different. When I had the house we would go cut a tree from the Christmas tree farm with breakfast out and hot chocolate afterward. It was a great family tradition that I did with my girls all the time they were growing up. I am so happy that my daughter now does it with her family. I do miss the fresh smell of evergreen and the act of decorating. Although I did get an artificial tree this year, it really lights up the van! Like a lot!! Lol!
I have this habit of forgetting things. When I am sitting there watching them open their gifts there are times when I think was there something else I bought. When I had the house it was running bet on who would get the “surprise” gift. The one I put in a different spot, promptly forgot about and will either remember when they are opening them or sometimes a couple of days later when I accidentally come across them. You would think that in such a small space that would not happen but this is the 3rd Christmas and they are still taking bets! Lol! Last year it was Damon’s brie cheese. How surprised was he when he opened his gift and got a box of crackers for Christmas! Hahaha! It was still in my fridge. Good thing my fridge in his driveway!
I also can not wrap the gifts until I am done. Yes you guessed it I will forget what I have bought. I am also not good at waiting so it just kills me to wait until Christmas to give them to them. I am the kind of person that if I am going to give a gift it will be something I have thought about. I am not really a gift card kind of girl. A gift for me is a gift from the heart. Something you would really like that you would not buy yourself. A gift with thought as well as love.
Even though it is different now with my oldest daughter doing Christmas dinner at her house instead of me doing it at mine, going to see my friends instead of having them over for drinks, or having a small plastic tree instead of a real tree decorated with ornaments that bring back memories it does not make it less. It is not where you are or whether you are cooking dinner it is who you are with. I am so blessed to have my beautiful children and grandchildren and my wonderful friends. That is the real meaning of Christmas!
One little thing I have kept all these years is the Christmas topper my Dad would put on top of the tree every year. Ever since I could remember my Dad would have this angel he would ever so carefully put on top of the tree. He would say now we could see the angels that watch over us every day. My Dad passed in 1985 but he will always walk with me. It is a little battered and her skirt has lost a few strands but even in my van on Christmas eve I can see the angels watching over me! I call them Mom and Dad!
From my home to yours I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Oh do not forget if you need a last minute gift my book From Housewife to Vanlife is available on Amazon! Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the link!
Thanks for coming along on my Chipmunk Adventure!
See you next week!
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