Christmas Eve

As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, we decided not to travel for the holidays this year.  Combining trips to Dallas and St. Louis with a 2 year old and 6 week old in a span of 7 days didn't sound all that appealing...can you blame us?  Though we do miss seeing our families, we are very excited about our decision to stay home and be together.  Avery now understands and gets excited about Christmas and there are some traditions that we want to start putting into place with her.  And honestly, we want to keep it low-key and simple this year.  I'm sure that our traditions will change slightly as we discover new things or adapt to the kids' ages, but for this year we have adopted the following:

1. making cookies for Santa

2. attending the Christmas Eve service

3. new Christmas jammies for the girls

4. opening 1 present before going to bed on Christmas Eve

5. reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve

6. reading the Christmas story from the Bible before bed on Christmas night

This Christmas Eve we relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.  We started a roast in the crock pot early this morning for dinner after returning home from church.  The smell was heavenly and kept my mouth watering most of the day.  Avery and I baked cookies for Santa, which she decorated all by herself.  After the girls' naps we went to church, our church, on Christmas Eve.  Obviously, it was our church since we were at home, but I emphasize that it was our church because it was an amazing feeling.  To be able to go to our church where we attend regularly and take part in what has been planned and talked about for months was just pretty neat.  Normally, we hear the hype at church in the weeks leading up to Christmas about how beautiful a service it is or the songs that will be sung, etc.  And then we leave town and I feel as if we miss out on something that I should have been there for.  Not this year.  We attended the 4pm service and it did things for my heart that I can't even put into words.  Childcare was not available for this service so we attended as a family, all 4 of us.  It was brief, only about an hour.  Avery was fascinated to be in "big church" with us.  She did so well and Emmersen slept in her car seat the entire time.  

I don't know what it is about a Christmas Eve service that can turn me into a crying, emotional mess within a matter of seconds, but this service didn't spare me.  Singing beautiful Christmas songs that are reserved for this one time of year, holding Avery in my arms, looking down at a peaceful, sleeping Emmersen in her seat, and locking eyes with my amazing husband, well, to say I felt blessed would be an understatement.  I soaked it in and let the tears flow.  Happy tears.  In that moment was pure joy and feelings of gratitude for all that God blessed me with.

Snow began falling earlier today and several inches had accumulated by the time we left church.  With the snow came that serene quiet that only snow brings, creating the most perfect Christmas Eve I could ever ask for.

Playing in the sink waiting for the cookies to be done.

Decorating her cookies.

And the snow begins

Beautiful girl

My girls

You take whatever pose you can get when you're racing to beat the timer on the camera.

My loves

Lucky girl

Avery opened 1 present.  

"The stockings all hung by the chimney with care..."

Our first real tree

Cookies and milk for Santa