Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is such an exciting day. Oh the anticipation of what you have looked forward to all year...all the things you have wished for and hoped for...the kids wake up so full of happiness and anxious to see what the day and night will bring. Being a parent has made Christmas so much more special and joyful for us. I confess that in my head, I create this picture of the "perfect Christmas" that I want us to have and if I'm not careful, I can get all stressed trying to make that happen. This year, when I woke up on Christmas Eve, I came into the den and turned on the tree and just sat and basked in its beauty. I spent some time with Jesus and praised Him for the season and for His birth which has brought me life more abundantly as well as life eternally. I asked Him to keep me mindful of the main thing on this day and to help me forget about that picture in my head so I would not stress the details. He absolutely helped me just enjoy every minute of such a special Christmas this year. I loved it all.
Chad took a vacation day so we got to have him all day! He has been with us since Tuesday night and that is a gift in itself. Oh how I wish he got the same vacation time as teachers! We began our day at Juna and Grandaddy's house. We opened presents first and we had two excited kids!

Juna & Grandaddy
They got a Wii together! We are all excited about this!

Our creative girl got a huge art set and she loved it.

Cooper was so happy over all of his gifts also. I was super excited about a new waffle maker. I caused one to bite the dust a while back and we haven't had homemade waffles in a long time. Juna & Grandaddy also gave us lots of other things. She spoils us all silly at Christmas!

After the presents, we rode to Warm Springs to eat at the Bullock House. Oh my, what a fabulous lunch we had. We enjoyed their beautiful decorations and went in a few shops downtown. We really had fun with these two gals who were hanging out at the Christmas tree...

Claudia and her Juna...now these two have been super close all of her life. Claudia stayed with Juna until right before she turned 2 and started Sissys. They have a very close bond.

Our family.

Once we got home, we headed over to MawMaw and Poppa's house. The kids could not wait to get over there with Sydney. We had yummy food and great presents to open. The kids got a four wheeler to keep over there and they were all excited about that. Sydney got a North Face and a huge make up kit and that made her 14 year old heart very happy! I took a ton of pictures but here's just two from that fun night.

Sydney & Cooper

After a busy day, the four of us headed home for our own little celebration. We always open a few gifts on Christmas Eve. Cooper & Claudia give each other something and Chad and I give them a few things. Chad and I exchange gifts also because we want Christmas morning to be all about what Santa leaves and playing. Chad has always gotten the kids something from him and he will never tell me what it is. This year, he gave them Auburn jerseys! Oh how happy they were!

They were so tired but so sweet opening their gifts. Cooper gave Claudia a snuggly blanket she had wanted but he did not know what we had bought for him to give her. When she opened it and was so excited he said, "Claudia, I knew you would love that that's why I buyed it for you."

Chad sat way too many boxes by me as he always does. Chad spoils me rotten every day of the year but he really does on this day. He gave me beautiful clothes and a coat. There were several other things and when I finished, I knew for certain that I had way more than I deserved. This family without presents to open is way more than I deserve! When I finished, he said "Oh, I forgot one more little thing from the kids." He went into the front and came out with a pretty big box. As he is handing it to me, he said "this is just something little from them" and sat down like it's no big deal. So I pull back one little strip and I see the words Canon Rebel and the tears begin to flow! OH MY GOODNESS, not only did he get me a camera, he got me my DREAM camera! I boo hoo'd like a little baby. I was in total shock and was so excited but all I could do was cry. These three, they are the ones who deserve to feel like this, not me. I know that it is only God's grace that has allowed me to have this family. In all my sinful ways, I could never ever deserve such richness of family and such a wealth of love. So here I am, in all my end-of-a-busy-day and just-cried-like-a-baby glory with my new best friend, the REBEL!

Now I just have to figure out how to work this baby...Oh the visions of pictures I have swirling around in my head! Thank you, Chad, for making all my dreams come true, before I opened the box and after. You are the gift I prayed for under my little Christmas tree in 1997. I will never forget kneeling in my dark little rental house beside my little tree and praying that if it was God's will that He would give me a Godly husband. I remember confessing to Him that I did not deserve such a man as I was praying for. I remember confessing to Him that if that was not His will for me that I could accept that and that I wanted to live my life His way no matter if He had a husband in my future or not. And I meant that in my head, but my heart longed for a Godly man to share my life with. I longed for a Godly man to help me create a family and to spend my time with. I longed for a Godly man who would be more interested in me and our family than he would be in sports or hunting or fishing or any other hobby. I longed for a Godly man who would be my best friend. I longed for what most women long for but very few actually have. And God was listening, as He always is and this time, my prayers did line up with His will for me. God waited only 3 months before He sent me you and what a gift you have been. When is say you are the answer to my prayers, it is literally true because you are that Godly man in every way. You are my best friend and you do care more about being with us than anything else in the world. Thanks for just one more time of making me feel like a princess. I deserve the life of a pauper but God's grace has given me a royal life indeed and right after Jesus, you are my King! I love you sweet husband!

Claudia & Cooper putting out our milk & cookies. We also put out some orange slices because our neighbor told us that some elves told her that they sure hoped Claudia and Cooper would leave them some orange slices for Santa to bring back with him. She gave us oranges so we made sure to leave them out.

Claudia wrote Santa a sweet letter.

I know this is a very long post and if you are still with me, you have a high level of endurance! I have visions of beautiful hand-made scrapbooks to pass along to my children one day. I have lots of supplies in the basement to make that happen. That is just not the season of my life right now. To get down our Christmas Eve in a scrapbook would take me days. This is my cyber-scrapbook for right now. This fits the season of my life for now. I don't want to forget these memories. I will never look back and say, "I wish I had written less about that" but I may one day wish I had recorded more!