Christmas

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! My side of the family generally comes to our house on Christmas morning. This year they decided to come Christmas Eve and spend the night. We were all happy they were coming early but the kids were especially excited.
So back up for a minute to December 22nd. Ben and Ruth were supposed to fly out of Mississippi to Charlotte bright and early that morning. Then their plane had some issue and their flight kept getting pushed back. Around 11 they cancelled their flight and I had to tell the girls that Uncle Ben and Aunt Ruth might not make it. Sweet Emmie was so upset and she decided we should pray that they would be able to find another flight. She organized all her siblings and Franklin.

Not too much later we got the call that they found a flight out of Mobile and were in a taxi headed that way!
So on Christmas Eve we met Gran and Grandaddy and Uncle Ben and Aunt Ruth at church for the candlelight service. It has been quite a few years since we made it to the candlelight service. We normally go to the children's service but they didn't have it this year. The service was so lovely and it was even more special to be there with family. Poor Emmie was so tired that she snuggled up with Aunt Ruth and fell asleep before we got to the candle part!

The big empty space on the center organ pipes usually has a large wreath. Except a few Sundays ago it fell on a member of the youth choirs head during the morning service. Oops. (Don't worry...nobody was hurt!) Also, I made everyone get to the church super early so we didn't end up in the overflow room.

After church we went back to the house and ate dinner and then settled in for the kids' favorite Christmas tradition. On Christmas Eve we watch The Polar Express, eat candy canes and other sweets, and drink hot chocolate.

Afterwards the kids sprinkled their reindeer food on the lawn (Thank you to whichever teacher sent that home with my child. I was in panic mode when the kids said they were ready to do the reindeer food and I didn't have any!) 

Then I read to the kids from The Jesus Storybook Bible and everyone scurried off to bed!

Christmas morning the kids were up bright and early to see if Santa had come to visit them! Apparently they were good this year because nobody got coal in their stockings. (Every time someone would ask Emmie and Ellie if they had been good this year they would get nervous and say they hoped so. It was pretty funny.) This year Emmie asked for a Hatchimal and Tsum-Tusms (and Santa brought her some JoJo bows that she kept talking about but didn't ask for), Ellie wanted Shopkins and Chubby Puppies and she also got a little puppy that barks and walks that she had been wanting after the one she got a year or two broke and Ruthie wanted Shopkins and Chubby Puppies and at the last minute asked for a Barbie which Santa was able to rounded up. JP got some trains and construction equipment and a fire station.

(Franklin was glad that JP helped him get all the goodies out of his stocking!)

Santa was good to Paul and me this year. Paul got a gift certificate for a massage and I got a diamond bracelet!

After checking out the gifts from Santa we had breakfast. Ben and I had lobbied hard for our favorite, Monkey Bread. I also had to make cinnamon rolls for my kids because they don't like Monkey Bread. Even though Monkey Bread is pretty much a cinnamon roll!
We opened presents later and then my mom and Paul fixed us delicious steaks for lunch.We spent the rest of the day playing with all the new toys and visiting with family until it was time for my parents to take Ben and Ruth to Charlotte to catch their flight back to Mississippi.

Emmie and Ellie's big surprise this year was American Girl dolls. Ellie got Molly and Emmie got Kirsten. I love being able to pass on the dolls I loved so much to my girls!

Emmie took such good care of her Hatchimal egg. She was SO excited when it started hatching!

JP got a fireman outfit from Gran and Grandaddy. He was SO excited and spent the rest of the day putting out fires!

Ruthie's big surprise was a Peppa house and car. She had been talking about it for MONTHS after she saw an ad for it in the paper.

JP's big surprise was more train tracks. He was very excited especially when Uncle Ben got to work building him a super train track! (Although Uncle Ben and Paul have both complained that we don't have ENOUGH train tracks. They want to be able to run the track through the entire downstairs. I'm pretty sure JP agrees with them!)

Every year we do a homemade ornament for the grandparents and aunts and uncles. This year we did silhouette ornaments of the kids. I LOVE how they turned out! I already put my Christmas ornaments up and forgot to get a picture of all of the ornaments but I love them!

We hope your Christmas was as lovely as ours!