This Christmas was magical with Jackson's wonderment and joy radiating every moment. I can't believe this was our 4th Christmas with him and I have to say it was the best yet! I also can't believe that our 5th Christmas as parents will be spent as a family of 4. How absolutely wonderful!We were thinking on the Tuesday before Christmas that this year was going to be our first family of 4 year as I had a fun little trip to the hospital due to several hours of 12 + contractions. After checking with the Dr. she wanted me to come in to get checked as I was still in the window of opportunity to receive a steroid shot had I looked as if I was to go into labor soon. This was not the case, so after several hours of monitoring and half a night of sleep lost, we headed home. I am so ready to hold you Colin, but I wasn't very comfortable about you coming at 33 1/2 weeks and luckily that was your thinking too.
Our sweet family of 3, not 4 yet, was joined by my in laws who actually came the evening of the hospital visit, followed by Jackson's great grandparents on Christmas Eve, followed by Bryan's sister and husband on Christmas day to celebrate. Our time with everyone was as relaxing as it was fun...a wonderful mix that is so rare to achieve during the holidays. And for that I thank my sweet mother in law for making it happen. Have I told you how blessed I am to have her in my life?! Well I am!
We attended an excellent kids service at our church midday on Christmas Eve then split off as the guys went Reece power shopping and the girls came back for Santa cookie making/decorating with Jackson. I'll have to touch on Reece power shopping in a future post because it truly deserves it's own category. Later that evening after a wonderful family dinner we enjoyed getting Jackson ready for Santa to come. He got to open his two Christmas Eve presents, his yearly stocking charm (superman logo of course) and new p.j.s (superheroes of course), followed by "Twas the Night Before Christmas" read by his sweet Daddy. Jackson chose cookies to leave for Santa and some outside for Rudolph too. The excitement of the busy day actually gave way to a surprisingly easy bedtime allowing much adult time and time to set up the Santa gear.
Another restless night of sleeping due to my very active uterus, very big baby, and perhaps a dose of childlike Christmas excitement was soon forgotten as the joy of Jackson seeing what Santa left him swept across his face. When Jackson came down the stairs his eyes first focused on the "flipover bow and arrow" as he calls it, and then with direction from us he finally looked up from it to see his big surprise, a power wheels four wheeler for the culdesac that we got a heck of a deal on. After spending unhurried time enjoying Santa's visit and a quick, because it was very chilly, culdesac christening of the four wheeler we began the gift opening extravaganza. I of course love getting presents, doesn't everyone, but I have so much fun watching people open the gifts we have picked out for them. I think my favorite gift I gave this year was to my sister and brother in law which were two framed vinyls of the two main songs from their wedding the previous February. By far the coolest online shopping gift I bought this year and man am I going to be repeating the online thing next year not just out of necessity but convenience.
Christmas Day evening we enjoyed each other's company during the traditional Reece Christmas dinner of Bulgogi (Korean BBQ) and fried rice. Mom and Grandaddy Reece hold the recipe to these wonderful dishes and this year was not an exception to it's yummy goodness. As dinner wound down Jackson and I adorned a tower of brownies with candles and sang "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus. I am so thrilled that as excited as Jackson was about Santa and presents he understood or at least had the beginning of understanding that all of the wonderfulness was in celebration of the day God sent his son Jesus as our savior.
Joy and love filled our house this Christmas and for that I feel fully blessed!
And check out this incredible post written by my friend's husband on their adoption blog about the Advent/Christmas season. It truly moved me and I hope it will you as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment