Love and Joy

Christmas was interesting this year since I was sick almost all of last week with a serious head cold and fever.  Such a bummer since I absolutely love Christmas and all of the Christmassy pastimes that lead up to the big day.  My yucky little bug didn't keep me all the way down.  We did manage to do a little baking, make some cookies and watch the classics on TV.  Evangeline and I also tried our hand at a gingerbread house.  We had such fun decorating this thing and decided that it should be added to our list of Christmas traditions. 



 

Another big event from our past week was Evangeline's hair cut.  We decided to go short.  We've had enough morning tangle battles.  It's adorable.

 

We spent Christmas Eve as we always do, with the Wilson-Burress clan at Peggy's house, then church, then dinner, then gifts.  A fantastic night was hand by almost everyone.  This was not my best night.  I was pretty miserable and did not even snap one picture.  Thankfully Kristen sent me a few of the pictures she took.....

 

 

Christmas morning was magical.  Evangeline got her stuffed dog courtesy of Old St. Nick.  When she first saw it she was afraid to go to it.  It looked just a little too real.  Kyle had to walk over with her, pat it on the head and reassure her that it was, indeed stuffed. 

 

She spent the whole morning in her new Elsa dress practicing her calligraphy with her new kit.  

 

That good dog just sat right next to her as she watched that nasty Burgermeister Meisterburger try to stop Santa.  

 

We had a great Christmas afternoon at the farm with my wonderfully awesome and amazing family.  

 

I got to play a little game I call "smooch the grump". 

 

Grandma brought her arsenal of grandkid Christmas crafts.  

 

Then it was back home to recharge for two more days of family Christmas fun!  (I can't get enough of that bob-haircut.  It's especially cute in the morning when she has bedhead.)

 

The next day and night was spent at Papa and Karen's.  We always have so much fun visiting, eating, playing, gift opening, movie watching.  It's nice to have a day where we all get together and have nowhere else to go.

 

Our last stop on the Christmas Celebration Express was at Aunt Wanda's house with the rest of Kyle's amazingly wonderful and awesome family.   More cousins, more presents, more food. 

 

As I sat awake feeling horrible a few nights ago I thought about our school custodian, Rick's wise thoughts on being sick....he said that it's a good thing God makes us sick every once and a while so that we can truly appreciate being healthy.  Today as I sit here, able to breath comfortably, without struggle out of both of my nostrils I do thank God for the immeasurable gift of health.  The immeasurable gift of breath.  The reminder of this gift comes at a time when gifts abound.  A reminder once again that it is not the tangible, but the intangible gifts that are the ones that matter.