Merry Christmas!
If you read my blog post last night you're probably wondering if Kate got her flute. At the mall Santa told her he would see what he could do. Luckily he was able to make it happen on such short notice. Kate was delighted to find a purple "flute" in her stocking this morning.
One of our presents to Kate was one of my old make up bags filled with glittery and pink make up and brushes from the dollar store. Kate was thrilled but the jury is still out on whether or not this was a good idea.
One of our presents to Kate was one of my old make up bags filled with glittery and pink make up and brushes from the dollar store. Kate was thrilled but the jury is still out on whether or not this was a good idea.
Sam had no idea it was Christmas this morning. He kept his usual routine of drinking milk from a bottle and crawling around looking for trouble. However, this morning he and Kate had a new set of wooden blocks from their grandma and grandpa all the way over in Argentina.
Sam's first order of business was to polish off the remaining cookie crumbs and Diet Coke we left for Santa the night before. He also tried to eat the reindeer carrot.
Kate's big present from us was a Buzz Lightyear bike with a bumblebee helmet. At first she was a little apprehensive about making the switch from tricycle to big girl bike but once she got the hang of it, she was a pro. She kept telling us it was "so easy."
Kate's big present from us was a Buzz Lightyear bike with a bumblebee helmet. At first she was a little apprehensive about making the switch from tricycle to big girl bike but once she got the hang of it, she was a pro. She kept telling us it was "so easy."
After opening presents we had a big Christmas breakfast of crescent rolls, scrambled eggs, bacon, and oranges. I felt like some sort of breakfast warrior putting this feast on the table. I had forgotten about Christmas breakfast until late last night and made the bold choice to brave the lines at Walgreens to try and forage for ingredients.
After breakfast and a wonderful Skype call with Dave's family we packed up the car and headed over to my parents' house for Christmas dinner, more presents, and a pair of special Christmas guests! Kate really wanted to wear her new Elsa costume and I braided her hair like George Bailey's youngest daughter from It's a Wonderful Life.
One of Katelyn's favorite presents was a stuffed Peppa Pig doll. A few weeks ago my mom and I were wandering around the Walmart toy department with the kids when Kate found this stuffed Peppa doll. They bonded immediately and when it was time to leave, there was a tearful goodbye. Kate very carefully nestled Peppa into an endcap display of toys and promised to "visit Peppa soon." Well, this was just too much sadness for my mom and so she had me distract Kate while she secretly bought that exact Peppa doll right then and there. Needless to say, the reunion of these two besties did not disappoint.
This year Katelyn has gotten really excited about birthdays. She loves a good celebration even if it isn't for her and she has found a reason to say or sing Happy Birthday nearly every day this year.
This year Katelyn has gotten really excited about birthdays. She loves a good celebration even if it isn't for her and she has found a reason to say or sing Happy Birthday nearly every day this year.
When we started talking about Christmas, we explained to her that we have parties and open presents and celebrate together because Christmas is Jesus's birthday. Kate was so excited about having a birthday party on Christmas day! We even had a birthday cake.
After the birthday song was sung, the candles blown out, the piles of wrapping paper swept away, the babies bathed and tucked into their beds, the grown ups sat down to play Scattergories. We had so much fun just sitting around talking and playing games and I laughed so hard I cried more than once.
At the end of the night, Dave and I had to borrow my mom's car to haul everything home. The kids rode with Dave in their car seats so I drove alone listening to the last of the Christmas music on the radio. It almost felt overwhelming how happy I was and how grateful I felt. I started to tear up a bit contemplating how blessed I have been. I was mostly thinking of how much I love my family and how lucky I am to have them in my life. An entire day of family fun can really bring that to the forefront of your mind. Then I started thinking about the true meaning of Christmas and what that means to me. I'm so thankful that many years ago a baby was born who lived and died for all of us. Because of Him, I can live with my precious family forever. Because of Him, I can start over again and again and still be forgiven. Because of Him, there is nothing I will ever have to face on my own. Because of Him, we all can live again.
After the birthday song was sung, the candles blown out, the piles of wrapping paper swept away, the babies bathed and tucked into their beds, the grown ups sat down to play Scattergories. We had so much fun just sitting around talking and playing games and I laughed so hard I cried more than once.
At the end of the night, Dave and I had to borrow my mom's car to haul everything home. The kids rode with Dave in their car seats so I drove alone listening to the last of the Christmas music on the radio. It almost felt overwhelming how happy I was and how grateful I felt. I started to tear up a bit contemplating how blessed I have been. I was mostly thinking of how much I love my family and how lucky I am to have them in my life. An entire day of family fun can really bring that to the forefront of your mind. Then I started thinking about the true meaning of Christmas and what that means to me. I'm so thankful that many years ago a baby was born who lived and died for all of us. Because of Him, I can live with my precious family forever. Because of Him, I can start over again and again and still be forgiven. Because of Him, there is nothing I will ever have to face on my own. Because of Him, we all can live again.
And that is the greatest Christmas gift of all.
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