Christmas is Awesome

Everyone knows I love Christmas and go over board every year with the shopping and the stories, and the hype. This was our first year having Christmas at home with our children. It was wonderful. I was so excited to set things up, and couldn't wait to see the joy on the faces of my children as they got their wishes granted. This year I made videos for the kid from Santa using Portable North Pole . com, which a friend recommended. When they watched their videos they had a twinkle in their eyes and Dillan quietly whispered "Santa is magical". That made me even more excited about Christmas. A month or so before we made this cute little nativity set, which my kids played with and enjoyed.

Okay, so here is my Christmas story! We spent Christmas Eve day playing wii games, and getting the house cleaned up. Then we headed over to Brett's parent's house and had a fantastic afternoon with the family, sharing a meal, opening gifts, laughing, talking, sharing stories, and the like. Brett and Jeff went and picked up a treadmill for me! Which I was so excited about. After the Christmas eve party we went to my Aunt and Uncle's for a lovely evening get together. We read a story about why it is important to believe in Santa, and how he is similar to a Christ figure. It was a sweet story. We left the party, and headed home. Before the family was in the door Dillan had a gift open and a comment about it. We had told him he could open one on Christmas Eve. We were frustrated at first that he wouldn't even wait for us to get in the door, but we started laughing after at how anxious he was. The kids went to bed shortly after that. Brett and I watched a movie, and talked, and cuddled, then carefully filled stockings, and laid out gifts. I felt like an anxious child with dreams of sugar plums. I ended up text talking half the night with a friend, swapping Christmas story excitement, and the likes. We finally went to bed. I thought about blocking the kids doors, or something so they wouldn't be able to go out to the tree without us, but they always sleep in, and Derrick is the early riser, so I figured we would be up long before they were. WRONG!

Dillan came in and in a voice filled with excitement and sheer pleasure he informed me that Santa got him just what he wanted. I have to admit, my initial reaction was a combination of irritation, frustration, and supreme disappointment. I wanted to be there to see his reaction to his gift, and to hear those excited shouts, etc. Unfortunately he woke early and snuck in and looked at what everyone got. After that millisecond of irritation I couldn't help but smile and get excited. In his purely innocent excitement he woke up and ran to see which of his heart's desires were granted. It was innocent, he did not do it in a sneaky manner. I had him climb into bed with me, and we talked about how excited he was. He kept trying to come up with reasons to go back out to the living room. Finally, after a number of chuckles at his flimsy excuses Brett and I told him that he could wake Lexi and Derrick and go open the stockings. He ran in to Lexi first, and she was groggy at first, but as soon as it sunk in that it was Christmas morning, she got over her desire to sleep. Derrick was about the same. We weren't sure that he would handle being woken up well as he may or may not understand the whole presents, stockings, and Christmas thing. But, as soon as he heard the sweet voices of Dillan and Lexi encouraging him to go and look at his presents he wiggled out of bed, and rushed to the living room.

It was wonderful to watch them exclaim over their gifts, stockings, and the like. We ate a delicious breakfast and called Nana and Papa to come watch the kids open their gifts. They came, and we opened. It was sweet to see their joy, and surprisingly enough their gratitude (occasionally) for the gifts they received. Derrick was having so much fun with what he got, he did not want to move on to his other gifts. His favorite present was the church bag I made him! Lexi loved her stuffed Pony that she could feed, and hands down Dillan's fave gift was his iPod. Unfortunately he will probably be deaf before his birthday next month, but at least he will go deaf rocking out!


Now it is almost the last day of the year, and I can think back to what I have been grateful for, and think ahead to all the exciting memories we have yet to make.