Merry Christmas!!!!

What a fun Christmas!!!!
If we totally ignore the repeat trips to the pediatrician for our boys being sick (mostly for Jack and his ears) our Advent Season has been wonderful! Each night of Advent we sat around our dining room table lit our Advent wreath and then hung an ornament our our Jesse Tree. It has been fun this year because Par actually understands a lot and is able to participate in many of these traditions!
Christmas Eve we spent going back and forth to each side of the family--starting with lunch with Gigi and Memommy--followed by naps...then a quick cocktail and hello at my great aunt and uncle's house (and filled to the brim with my dad's side of the family) and then dinner with my parents, siblings and my mom's extended side of the family. At last, we celebrated Midnight Mass--which was supposed to lull our tired children to sleep and allow us (the parents) some good meditation on this most sacred event. HA! Par was WIDE AWAKE and brought the train you see in the above picture...an "elf" stole it midway through Mass in an effort to subdue our wild child--no luck...don't worry, he just put it in the car. Jack did sleep most of the way through--it is such a peaceful feeling to be holding a precious child while the choir is singing Joy to the World! I can't imagine how our Blessed Mother must have felt as she held her baby boy for the first time--the Savior! I imagine we'll know that joy when we stand before our Lord one day...but for now, I think we get a sneak peak during those special moments in life that give us pure joy and love--we are thankful that we find such joy in raising our wild monkeys.
Christmas morning sure did come quickly...but not too early--normal waking time for the boys...around 7:30. And can you believe it....SANTA CAME!!!!! Santa brought "gators" for the boys, sleeping bags, and Skarloey.
Each boy got a gator--Par's gator was a John Deere Riding Toy Gator and Jack's was a gator seesaw. They both totally ignored these items most of the day.
All Par wanted/asked for was Skarloey--a Thomas Train. He zoned in on it immediately and was overjoyed! Jack was mainly just interested in Par's Gator.
Our morning was met with snow--a white christmas! What a Christmas Miracle!!!! The grandparents, my sister and greatgrandmother Mama Carol came by for a Christmas morning breakfast (as has become tradition) and watched the boys play. I barely remember last Christmas (i'd only been home from the hospital for a few days at that point)--this Christmas morning was such fun--and although Jack is just a year, he seemed to be keeping up with the excitement!
That night we had Christmas dinner with my family (parents and siblings families) and we opened presents. It was insane with all the toys--but lots of fun!!!
We had planned to head to Asheboro the day after Christmas, but with the snow we had to delay it by a day...but we made it and had such a great time with the Rich fam! Lots of yummy food and wonderful company! We loved watching Par and Jack play with their cousins! Our trip was short-- but they had such a great time--and we can't wait to go back!
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!