Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a good day. A really good day.

The boys received cards in the mail from my grandparents - their Great Poppy and Great Granny. They are always excited when they get mail to open, and even more excited when they open it and discover something extra inside!

Five dollars goes a long way when you're shopping at Dollar Tree, you know.

That afternoon we headed to our church for the Christmas Eve service(s). Since we're usually out of state visiting family during this time of year we don't get the chance to participate in this special service with our Church Family.

Christmas Eve... imagine 10,000 people gathering to sing and worship a Baby Boy.  

Imagine a sanctuary glowing with tree lights and candles.

Are you imagining beauty? Imagining awe? It was both - beautiful and awesome. Only I didn't imagine it - I experienced it.

This song, "A Baby Will Come," was sung by one of those I-wish-I-was-still-in-college-so-I-could-hang-out-and-be-her-friend kind of a person. Our College Group has some amazing barely 20-somethings that have talents and dreams that are ready to take our world by storm.

We left home at 3:00 so that I could serve in the nursery and Grady could usher during the 4:00 service. We collected the kids and ate a fast PB&J dinner in the Galleria at church before the 6:00 service that we were attending. By the time the service was done and we were actually out of the parking lot, it was nearing 8:00.

A full day. No naps. I would have thought my boys would have been a tad tired, but no sirreee! They were jabbering a mile a minute wondering if "Santa came to our house early while we were at church because we need new Christmas jammies to wear."

When we got home, shoes and coats were barely off before my boys bounded into the living room to look under the tree. Phew! Santa did make an early stop and Christmas jammies were waiting for them!

The boys began stripping down, then and there, eager to get in their new jammies. Once they were cozy and dressed again, they chose cookies to leave for Santa. "He needs lots of cookies because he has a very long journey to make to bring presents to all the boys and girls in the whole wide world!"

After leaving cookies out for Santa, and eating a couple themselves, it was time to read The Christmas Story and take a few minutes to remember why Christmas really is special.

By 9:30 the kids were in bed and fast asleep... all tucked in for a long winter's nap.

A long winter's nap... until 7:30 the next morning. I know our family is just getting started on the whole wake-up-early-so-we-can-tear-into-gifts thing, but I'm already looking forward to the day when my kids think it's much better to sleep in before opening gifts.

You can only imagine the nine hundred and ninty nine pictures I have of Christmas Day. Once I've sifted through those, I'll get a post up about our Christmas.

And another post about the snow that came on Christmas night.

And another post about my little guy's third birthday, which is tomorrow.

And another post about...