And after we got home, we knew we would be HOME for the holidays. That means so much. In years past we have traveled for Christmas and had a great time visiting family, but we have really loved being home for Christmas the last couple of years. And THIS year, after two weeks in Nashville and three weeks in Boston and mucho travel for work, being home is heaven.
On Friday, Blake's mom (Memaw) came to visit. Somehow, this is the only photo I have from the day! Georgia getting a diaper bag for her baby dolls. But the kids loved having Memaw here to play with them all day.
Lights under Louisville is in the Mega Cavern, this big giant underground cave thing. It's pretty neat--they do ziplining under there, and historical tours, and other things. This was the first time we had gone to see the lights. You just drive through in your own car. It was expensive and a very long line, but it was so worth it because the kids were totally excited and we all enjoyed every minute of it. I'm so glad we did this instead of just staying in like we had planned, because it was awesome memories.
On Christmas Eve, my parents came over in the morning. Even though Georgia already had her Christmas dress on, she had to change when she saw what my parents brought her.
They brought Nate an air hockey table. And these are just the first of many gifts from my parents, and from the kids' grandparents in general. They get so, so, so spoiled at Christmas. It is mind boggling. For that matter, Blake and I get majorly spoiled too! As I look around my house, there are probably as many things I can point to that one of our parents bought us as there are things we have bought ourselves. Pretty much every piece of furniture came as a gift, lol. We are very grateful for what our parents do for us all year long.
We got ready to go to church. This was special, and a little anxiety-producing, because Nate has not been to church since August, before his first surgery. As you know, it was three surgeries in a row, and then a couple of times this month we have thought about trying it, but we didn't want Nate to get to chapel and start busting a move to the music like he always does, and to hurt himself. Not to mention all the walking, or taking his wheelchair and then what does the room volunteer do with it and do we trust Nate to not run over other children, and what about getting sick from the other children. So he has just stayed home. But he was SO EXCITED to go to church on Christmas Eve. He kept saying, "I love chapel!"
We debated on whether to take the wheelchair in. Our church is enormous and requires a lot of walking. Nate can walk/run short distances, but after that you're carrying him. But Blake pulled up close to let us out near the children's church and we decided to risk it. He did great, except he fell a few times on the way to his classroom, then who knows how much he fell while he was in there, but he came out happy and uninjured, so it was a win.
After church, I was letting the kids run around and blow off some steam while Blake was getting the van. Georgia finds some gum on the sidewalk. This video cracks me up because it is so the essence of all of our daily conversations.
We came home to eat yummy finger foods and open a few presents. Lucas got Nate a play doh dentist kit, which is so funny. (Lucas is a dentist.) And he got Georgia a playpen for her babies, and she's crazy about it. Nate got train stuff, and Georgia got Hello Kitty and Tinkerbell stuff from Nicole and Cade. A couple more gifts from Granna and Pop. They were WILD. Bedtime could not come soon enough. Georgia was easy, Nate not so much.
Sprinkling reindeer food in the yard with Pop.
Nate left cookies and milk for Santa, of course.
Okay, when Maggie snagged the cookies, I wasn't surprised. I mean, we just invited that by leaving them on the floor. I was surprised, though, when she drank all the milk.
Merry Christmas, Maggie!
I was SO excited for Christmas morning that I could hardly sleep (a head cold and a snoring husband didn't help).
This morning I couldn't wait to see Nate's reaction when he saw that Santa left him a real Lionel model train. This ain't no Thomas. This is the kind of train old men tinker with in their basements. I just knew he would flip.
He walked in the room, and I had the video camera ready, and he goes, "Oh! A new model train!" and he walks over to it, gets down on his knees, and then ... reaches right over it and says, "Hey! A new train movie!" :O With equal enthusiasm. Blake and I were in shock, like what just happened here? lol! We should know by now that Nate's reactions to gifts are sometimes underwhelming. (Like when he opened the ipod touch from my parents and said, "Cool" and then put it to the side because he didn't really understand it was like our iphones until Blake got it turned on for him.) So of course by the end of the day, he totally knows how to work it and thinks it's awesome. It was just an underwhelming initial reaction, that little stinker! Being all nonchalant about a model train.
And Georgia made a bee line for some play money in a cash register! But she was all about her baby accessories all day. She was feeding one of her babies and said, "She yikes it! She get it alllll over da place!" Georgia knows a lot about babies because there are 3 of them at the babysitter's house.
She loved giving her doll a bath. She kept saying, "Now let's wash your butt!" It sounds hilarious the way she says it.
We now have the full Lionel Nation train movie collection. Nate is way more excited about this than I am.
There were so many spilled skittles and goldfish on the floor today.
Santa's big gift for Georgia this year was the Little Mommy and Me Very Real Baby. She says 150 different things. Sometimes she needs a hug, or her bear, or a popsicle, or for her mouth to be wiped, or to fix a boo boo ... on and on. Georgia laid her down in the bed, and she just kept talking and Georgia turned around and sharply said, "Shh!"
She was such a busy little mommy today. She lined all the dolls up on the couch, and I saw her furrow her eyebrows and tell one of them, "I goin go get you a paci. Wait just a minute. Mommy be right back!" She was pretending they were all in the car, and she grabbed a set of toy measuring spoons and said they were her keys. She said, all bossy, "Nate! Get in the car!" and he said, "I don't want to," and she said, "Well, I'm leavin!" and stomped off! Ha! I promise she didn't learn that from me!
This is pretty much how my living room still looks, but at this point in the morning, they had switched sides of the room and were playing with each other's toys.
She's going to need these because potty training starts tomorrow.
Jumping!
Lots and lots of jumping!
Here they were having a serious train session.
Granna and Pop brought twin dolls. We have named them Angelina and Justin, but I'm pretty sure they have already been renamed to Nate and Georgia.
When Nate figured out his ipod touch had his favorite songs already loaded on it, he sat there listening and playing angry birds for a good half hour or more.
With the light shining on her, she looks like a magical fairy!
And this reminds me so much of a picture of me when I was just a little older than her, in my dance costume before a recital. :) It's kind of cool having a mini-me, and also a lot of pressure!
We had a great dinner--we made up for having Thanksgiving catered by outdoing ourselves with good food. And we just let the kids play all day. I'm so grateful for family around the table at Christmas--I know some people spend the day alone. I'm so thankful that we are home--I know many families are spending the holidays at a children's hospital or somewhere similar. I'm grateful for my God-fearing husband who loves me enough to go along with my crazy notions, who helps prepare the meal and then cleans the kitchen afterwards, and who is right there in the floor playing with the kids and their new toys. I'm thankful for my sweet children who bring me so much pure joy and make this time of year magical all over again--and that they are healthy, safe, and happy.
Most of all, I am thankful that my God, my King, is also my friend--because he was born as a vulnerable baby, a perfectly holy being subjected to an evil world. He was born to die, in order to save my life. I know he understands me, he intercedes for me, he loves me even when no one else could, and he has forgiven me. THAT is worth celebrating. Happy birthday, Jesus, and merry Christmas, everyone.
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