Merry Christmas!

This might be a first – Merry Christmas!  I’m actually even writing this on Christmas.  Like a wound-up kid, I woke up early and just couldn’t back to sleep.  I do this every year – I actually set an alarm to make sure I’m up before the kids are allowed out of their rooms.  I don’t want to miss seeing their faces as they see the Christmas tree and splendor for the first time.  The kids are allowed to leave their rooms at 8am or “the headless snowman” (when they were too little to know what an 8 looked like).  Exhausted, I usually get up just a few minutes before them, but this morning, I woke at 6:45 and just had to give into the excitement and embrace it.

I’m so weird about Christmas. I love it so, so, so much and just can’t get enough of the entire Advent, Christmas season and spirit…and yet, as the day approaches, I actually almost start to dread it a little.  I want to dig in my heels and just enjoy the hopeful excitement and building anticipation for longer.  I also know that another Christmas come and gone, means another Christmas come and gone with young children and those Christmases are numbered.  They go too quickly.  Much too quickly.

Last night, we went to Zachary’s godparents’ house (our good friends – the Sartains) for our annual Christmas Eve dinner.  They’ve been kind enough to include us for probably the last 14 years.  We had such a wonderful time and we all look forward to it so much.  We found out – big news! – that it will probably be our last Christmas Eve together.  They are moving to Colorado in June.  We’re so happy for them and their new adventure, but selfishly, will really, really miss them.

After finally tearing ourselves away because, we did have to get home and get to bed so Santa could come; we said our bedtime prayers in the car.  (This is something we do as a family if we’re out late). We prayed in Thanksgiving for our many blessings and especially for such an amazing Christmas Eve.

When we got home, the kids began to scurry about – putting out carrots for the reindeer and cookies and milk for Santa.  I couldn’t believe what else they did though.  Zach and Kayli drew pictures (Zach’s are the Santa pics and Kayli wowed us with her nativity scene).  Zach also left Santa this note:

“Dear Santa, you give and give but no one gives to you.  Here are some gifts (drawings). It’s the least I can do.” 

Merry Christmas!!