Joyeux Noel

Evangeline came into our room sometime in the middle of the night or early morning.  She woke up around 6:00 and was chomping at the bit to go down stairs, but Jed wasn't up yet so we made her wait a while.  Finally around 6:50 we told her that we would wake Jed at 7:00.  At one point during that 10 minute wait I rolled over to look at her and she was sitting straight up with Kyle's phone in her hand just watching the clock.  She was SO excited.  We got Jed and headed down stairs to see if Santa came.  Evangeline squealed with excitement when she got in the living room.  Jed stood in amazement at they both checked out the huge tee pee that Santa had left for them.  (It's a good thing we don't have furniture in that room yet.  The tee pee barley clears the ceiling.)

 

Jed could not stop pointing up at the tee pee.  He had a big smile on his face.  He was probably seriously wondering what in the world was going on.  

 

Inside the tee pee Santa had left Evangeline craft supplies and Jed received some books.  They both got a book in their stockings and some treats.  Evangeline got the book she asked Santa for, Magic Reindeer.  Jed got the book, How to Drive Your Sister Crazy. 

 

 

After the coffee was made we exchanged our family gifts.  Jed's favorite gifts seemed to be a fork and spoon from Mommy and Daddy and Sesame Street figures from Evangeline.  

 

 

A few of Evangeline's gifts included the next Little House book we are ready to read and a spy kit from Jed. 

 

 

Her most favorite gift was a box of cat toys and cat treats.  She was totally confused when she found these things inside the box.  It took her a minute to process that she was going to get her long wished for cat for Christmas.  She was bursting with excitment!  

 

I used to think that nothing could ever top being a kid at Christmas.  I now know that being a parent at Christmas is way better.  Christmas morning is always so magical.  The whole thing.

 

 

 

Last year I really slipped on Christmas breakfast.  I was not going to make that mistake again this year.  This year I made buttermilk cheese biscuits with 3 kinds of toppings, apple butter, cheery butter and sweet onion jam. 

 

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the farm.  Jed and Cale are fun to watch.  Jed is in to absolutely everything.  He is like a bull in a China shop and Grandpa's house is not exactly childproofed.   I love all the family time at Christmas with both sides of our family.  I feel such intense happiness at Christmas....I always have.  

 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isiah 9:6

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was filled with anticipation.  Evangeline said shortly after she woke up that she wanted to go to bed.  She then decided right after breakfast that she wanted to go ahead and put her Christmas Eve dress even though church wasn't until 5:00 in the evening.  This girl was excited.  We spent the morning watching the Christmas classics on TV.  The Hwangs stopped over to see or house since they hadn't seen it since August.  Later that afternoon we went to Peggy's house for our annual Christmas Eve get together with the Wilson and Burress families.  

 

A surprise visitor showed up at the door!  Santa himself.  Evangeline and all of the kids enjoyed his visit.  After he left Evangeline whispered, "that's my neighbor".  She was on to Joe Schroeder.  It was fun surprise.  

 

Evangeline was the acolyte at the Christmas Eve service.  It was her first time to acolyte.  She did a fantastic job.  It was cute, on her way back from lighting the candle the smoke was blowing in her face from her candelabra.  She walked back to the back of the church with a wrinkled nose the whole way.  Savannah went to the early church service with us.  I was so touched to look down and see Evangeline and Savannah sharing a hymnal and singing the Christmas hymns together.  Evangeline was belting each song out with her best vibrato.

 

After church we went back to Ammie's house for presents around the tree.  Such a blessed evening together.  

 

Evangeline was right in bed shortly after we got home.  We made sure to leave out the cookies and milk.  She wanted to sprinkle some oats in the lawn for the reindeer.  She had also made Santa a note and a pom pom which she explained in her note that she thought it looked like a snowball.  She slept in a Santa hat.  She said to me as I tucked her in, "this hat is hot, but I don't even care."  The moment she had waited for for weeks was finally here!



Papa and Karen's

Last weekend was our annual Christmas overnight celebration with Papa and Karen.  We all had such a wonderful time despite the fact that Jed was way off his schedule and Evangeline ran a slight fever on Saturday.  Evangeline relishes every moment she gets to spend with her cousins and having Papa and Karen around is just the icing on the cake.  It's always so festive and fun. 

 

 

Evangeline is a great teacher of gift opening.  

 

On Saturday Wanda, Ira and Sabrina came for Christmas lunch.  Our family is so much smaller this year without Grandma Jody and Carter, and with Jason living in CA.  It's still a nice gathering though. 

 

What a special time with family.  We are all so blessed.