It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to Christmas. Our house always feels and looks lonely when all the decorations are put away for another year. We usually wait for Little Christmas (12 days of Christmas, Epiphany) to take it all down. This year we went another week longer as we couldn’t quite say goodbye yet to the holiday and it’s decorations.
Our family had a wonderful Christmas with visiting family (Grammy & Truckie) as well as time spent with friends. Both our girls still believe in Santa and the magic of our Elf on the Shelf, Earl. Their beliefs help propel both my husband and I into the spirit of the holidays. We also get to spend a lot of uninterrupted time together too. My husband takes the week between Christmas and New Year’s off and, of course, our girls are off from school.
So it is another year we pack away with memories. I wonder next year will our girls still have their belief of the wonder of Christmas? We will have to see what the year ahead brings for them in their lives and where that will take us for the next Holidays.
Have you packed up your holidays yet?
What makes a Real family? 
I dragged my tree out to the curb this morning – just in time for Monday morning garbage pick up. My daughter took the ornaments off as we watched Downton Abbey last night, but we left the lights on it until just before bed. Wanted just one more night of sparkle. I always miss the tree, too – the family room looks so bare and lonely without it.
I like how you did it with your daughter, it is so hard to say goodbye to our decorations