Secret Santa — The Wandry Way

We have been loving this winter season!
The snow, warm naps on the couch, and spending time with family and friends!

Winter is also a great season for growth and rejuvenation.
It has also been a time of reflection for my family and I as we are even closer to saying goodbye to another year and feeling hopeful that my Dad can live to see another Christmas! (for those of you who don’t know, my father has been battling with cancer for almost 6 years and these last couple of months have been really hard. He has slowly been getting worse and worse but is still with us, so we are grateful for any extra time we can have with him!)

Our number one family tradition is Secret Santa!
AND WE LOVE IT.

We started it a few years ago when we realized we felt a little guilty not being able to afford gifts for every person in the family.
And while Christmas is not about gifts, it does feel great to be able to gift a little something that we know will brighten up the other person’s day.
But we realized that it would be more meaningful to draw one name and really focus on that person during the season.

So a few years ago we wrote names on little pieces of paper, put it in a bowl, and went around while everyone picked a name. It has been so fun!

After a few years I got married and so Ty joined the fun, and then Ashlyn (Kevin’s wife) joined the family and she became part of our game as well!It has been even more fun with more people!

And as the years went by, our Secret Santa became a fun get together and we started bringing food, playing games, etc.
So this year Ty and I really wanted to host the Secret Santa party since it is our first Christmas in our home!
We decided to make a Hot Cocoa Bar and lay out some small decorations.

Interestingly enough, our dining room gets the most use in our house and it is the room that we have left to finish for last!
While remodeling, painting, and decorating, we focused our energies on other rooms!
But when we invite friends and family over, the presence of these lovely souls make our dining room the brightest room in the house!
White walls and a table is all we need! (But we do have many ideas for how we will be decorating this beautiful space, don’t you fret!)

So here are a few images of our tablespread and one really cute image of my family with our doggos :)

And as a little sidenote, I am reminded of this quote I read that I think is just fantastic, “Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones that would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.”

Family is a network of people who love us and support us and that can be defined in a million ways. Families are tough and gritty but also lovely and warm. I want to be family to everyone around me!

Merry Christmas!