Christmas!

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! It turned out to be very white, too - at least a foot deep! Christmas Eve started us off the right way. The boys and I made some of the food while Andy went to work for the afternoon. We made pumpkin pie, turkey, rolls and cookies for Santa. We also prepared for our Nativity play. When Andy came home, we feasted and then headed out to see some lights. There is a street here that does luminaries, but not many people participated this year. Maybe it was the snow . . . Our church also does a live Nativity with real animals which is very nice. Once we came home, we did our own Nativity play. The boys loved being the "innkeepers" and telling me and Andy that there wasn't any room. They were also shepherds and Tucker was a wise man too. Then we set out the cookies and read "Twas the Night Before Christmas." Amazingly, they went to sleep!

That is, everybody but Zane! He was wide awake until 11:30! Andy and I set out our gifts to the boys while he was still up. Not a good idea. We gave Zane a big red playground ball, but didn't wrap it. He saw it sitting there and started playing with it and laughing! Little stinker is supposed to wait for Christmas! He was enjoying it so much, that we just let him have it. Then, he started ripping the paper off of another present under the tree! What a twerp! After all that, I just held him until he calmed down and went to sleep.

The next morning was early, of course. The kids had fun and the first things that they played with were the gifts they got for each other.

We have enjoyed this time together as a family. I love Christmas for many reasons, but that love you feel for others at Christmas is one of the main reasons. "How silently the wondrous gift was given." The words ring true for the great gift of love we give each other - which is the gift the Savior gave to us. Through the noise of Christmas morning, the memory of being together in the spirit of love is the silent gift I will always cherish.