On Christmas Day, On Christmas Day

     I can't believe I was worried.  I mean up in the middle of the night worried!  Our Christmas tradition had to change this year.  There wasn't going to be quite as big of a hullabaloo on Christmas morning.  What if the girls were disappointed?  What if the threads of belief in Santa weren't enough to hold?  I don't really like to make a big deal about Santa, but I usually don't have to.  This year it was on us.  And you know what? It's all going to be ok.  The girls were excited anyway, and happy, and joyful in their giving too.  Isn't that what I'd rather see them focus on anyway?  They did not disappoint. 

     We made the 16 1/2 hour drive down to Mi'sippy on Saturday. Coupled with the fact that 3/5 if us already felt like we were coming down with something before we left, it was a hard day.  But we made it and got to go to my mom's church on Sunday.  It's the old-fashioned songs out of the hymnal kind of church, and it was very nice. No big production, just a heart-felt Christmas message and songs everyone knows. (Except one, but we all struggled through it). After the service they had a pot-luck, or as I like to refer to it, a jack-pot.  I do love Southern ladies' potlucks!  Yes, I will even eat the black-eyed peas cooked to a mush with bacon and okra in it.

     We also got together with some of my very best friends from school.  It's always cool to get together with people you've known (and liked) for most of your life.  People who knew you in your awkward phase or your stupid phase and still like you - those are the keepers.

We also got to hang out with Uncle Casey, Brandy and her daughter Danielle. The girls really enjoyed playing with Dany. They cracked up playing MadLibs and Don't Break the Ice. Then Jason, Casey and Gwyn played Pathfinders and Munchkin. Gwyn is getting to be quite the gamer!

Christmas Eve the family all came over to celebrate. Gwyn, Celee, and Lyla always look forward to playing with their cousin Jeffrey. And we always look forward to catching up with everyone else! We kept trying to get everyone in the picture at the grown-up table. Finallly I had to just take Jerry's picture on his own. I think I caught him in a candid moment!

One of the many ways I dropped the ball this season was that I forgot to bring the girls' stockings. So we decided to channel some Dickens and hang up their actual socks. It probably helped that we had just watched the Black Adder Christmas Special a few days prior, so they were actually excited about it. We ended up borrowing some of Papaw's socks for two of them because they decided their socks could not hold very much.

The socks held enough. Gwyn and Celee both always say the stockings are their favorite thing on Christmas morning. Lyla was very excited that Santa actually ate the cookies she left out. So it was all good.

After everyone was up we opened gifts. Everyone was excited and surprised about their gifts. Gwyn, Celee, and Lyla had picked out presents for each other and everyone on their own. This was the first year that I had no hand in it. They picked out and paid for the gifts on their own. And they were so excited to give their gifts! I was excited that the Rainbow Dash hat I made Lyla fit. ;)

Gwyn and Celee got recurve bows for Christmas. Lyla already had one from her birthday so we all went out for some archery fun. We put out some balloons and the girls (and the adults) all gave it a good try popping the balloons. I will brag a little here and say that Jason and I were the only ones to actually pop one. Gwyn did bump one, but it didn't pop.

We got to have Christmas lunch with my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Bill. We don't get to see them very often, so it was special treat. A lot of people ask Celee where she got her blond hair, well this is where. My aunts Barbara and Gale (and my Mamaw Goss) have that blonde hair.

So for all my worrying Christmas went well. Yes we did presents and all that jazz, but we also focused on Christ's birth and how thankful and blessed we are. Both in familial and material blessings and in the miracle of a God who chose to abide with us. We lit the Christ candle with joy that Christ came as the light to the world. He is the Word made flesh and He is Love. And He is here! Halllelujah!