Christmas 2013

I've been receiving some pretty nasty hate mail about my blog not being updated since December 15th.  Okay, so it wasn't hate mail as much as hate texts.  And, by texts, I mean text...one text.  I won't name any names, but if I were to name names, it would be something like Jami Lee.  So, since we are in the new year, I'd better finish up last year!

The Christmas season came and went and to be honest, it already seems like a blur!  Our Christmas is usually very busy.  We start Christmas Eve morning and don't stop until Christmas night.  Sometimes, we don't know if we are coming or going.  That's the way it has always been, even since I was a child, and I can't imagine it any other way.  Except this year, our Christmas was very, very different.

It started out the same - Christmas Eve morning with Eric's family.  We had brunch at Eric's brother's house and it was SO YUMMY!  My sister-in-law is very pregnant and still managed to put out a lovely spread: Eric and I brought biscuits and gravy and she made a yummy egg casserole, french toast, and a fruit bowl.  We loaded up our bellies and then let the kids go at it!  They opened all their presents and just when they thought they were done, Papa pulled out one last gift...  

They got their first bows and were THRILLED!  I think Papa was pretty thrilled, too. ;-)

Maggie got an overload of princess stuff, Minnie Mouse stuff and stickers -- she was in HEAVEN.  I love how simple little things please the heck out of her.

And, then, our Christmas started to take a different turn.  I got a text from my mom that my dad was sick.  Like, really sick.  She was pretty sure he had the flu.  So, that meant we were cancelling Christmas Eve dinner.  It also meant that we needed to cancel our annual Christmas morning breakfast.  My parents have never cancelled breakfast in 42 years.  I've never NOT had breakfast at my parents on Christmas morning.  THE WORLD WAS COMING TO AN END.  Oh, wait...that's not the worst of it...

By the time we were headed home from my in-laws, Maggie was pretty pitiful.  She had been getting sick, too, and it was only getting worse.  She was crying, telling me her ear hurt.  {This is the part where I BRAG ON MY PEDIATRICIAN WHO CALLED IN AN ANTIBIOTIC FOR US ON CHRISTMAS EVE!  She is awesome like that.  I sent her a text and within a couple of hours, we had medicine.}

For the next 48 hours, this was Maggie:

She was burning up with fever and slept.  A lot.  She was up at night, crying, which meant Momma was up too.  Not fun.

The horrible part is that, as sick as she was, we also had to keep up our energy for Levi, who was SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!

I felt so bad for him.  Eric and I were depressed about our plans being cancelled, but we decided to make it a fun Christmas at home...sickness and all!  

Levi woke up at 4:30 Christmas morning.  Uh, no.  We sent him back to bed and he woke up again at 7:30.  That was doable.  We held him off for a while and then let him wake Maggie.  They tore into their gifts and I LOVED watching them.  

Eric stayed home with Maggie and I took Levi to open more presents have lunch at my aunt's house.  I'm so glad he was able to go and have some cousin fun!

FINALLY...a week late, we were able to celebrate Christmas with my family!  My parents (and by "my parents", I mean my dad...) fixed their awesome breakfast - biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, eggs, and pancakes for the kids.  It was sooo good!  And, for the umpteenth time, the kids tore into their packages.

Last year, Griffin and Levi were initiated into the knife club.  This year's knife from Papa was a Swiss Army knife.  ;-)

Maggie got her "American Girl" doll.  (She won't get her real AG doll until she turns 5 and my mom takes her to Chicago.  This is a trial to see how she does with it! Ha!)

As I sat there in all the craziness of the kids opening their presents, I couldn't help but feel so blessed.  

Even with all the new presents, the kids just seemed content playing and being together.  And, I was so thankful that my grandparents were there for another year to celebrate with us.  So sweet :)

It didn't matter that we were celebrating late.  Christmas wasn't what we expected, but that's okay!  We stayed home Christmas day, away from the busyness, but I liked it.  I liked doing puzzles and playing Guess Who.  I also like the busy.  It's what I grew up on.  It's who we are.  We are all up in each other's business.  We are loud.  We are crazy.  And, no matter when we celebrate, we have a great time together.  You know why?  Because Christmas isn't about the presents.  It isn't about the food, even though it is so good.  It is about celebrating Jesus.  It is about a Savior who loves us so much that He came to earth to die for us.  THAT is something to celebrate EVERYDAY...not just on Christmas Day.