Christmastime this year was amazing. The big boys understand and grasp more and more with each year and Luke was at such a fun age this Christmas. We wondered how he would do with all of the decorations but he surprised us and left it all alone. I was afraid it would be a constant battle... other people were only decorating the top half of their tree but I thought while decorating, "He'll just have to learn." We didn't change anything, nor have we with any of our toddlers, and he did so great!! He was in awe the first time he saw the tree... getting super close so he could see everything but not touching anything. Our biggest tradition that we do from year to year is our Jesse Tree. The boys memorized the stories the first time we went through it a few years ago and since then they learn more and more details of each story. It simply amazes us to hear both of the big boys going through each ornament and being able to tell each story with such detail. It is something we all look forward to and thanks to Nana it is what keeps our focus on the big picture, on the entire story, from beginning to end of what our loving Father had planned all along. From creation, to the flood, to the ram being the sacrifice for Isaac, to David being anointed king, to baby Jesus coming to earth so that one day he would pay the ultimate price so that we wouldn't have to. I can't think of a better way to spend the first 25 days of December then this, a way to really teach the boys about the prophecies and have them connect the dots of all the stories and really realize just how much He was thinking about us when He put everything in to motion so many years ago!
Another tradition that is very important to us is our Christmas Eve tradition. Christmas Eve is fun and we want the boys to have lots of excitement but we never want that excitement to overshadow what we are really celebrating. So, Christmas Eve isn't about getting excited about Santa coming, it's about going to church to worship our Lord and Savior, it's about being thankful for God sending his Son to the earth as a baby so that one day He could die for our sins. It's about family. This year we had Charles' parents and his brother, Brian, and his family join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Shandon and then we all came back to our house for our traditional Italian dinner. Dinner cooked while we were at church and we came home to a house smelling so good and food ready to eat. The cousins enjoyed sitting at the kids table while the adults (plus Luke) sat at the big table. After dinner we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and the kids each enjoyed a cupcake. Then Jacob went through and told everyone about the meaning of the ornaments on the Jesse Tree.
The kids enjoyed exchanging gifts and then we attempted at a cousins picture. Epic fail... at least they are all in the picture, right?? :)
Once everyone left to go home it was our time as a family to finish up our Christmas Eve traditions. We always do our "Santa" stuff first and then finish the night by reading the story of that first Christmas. The boys opened their Christmas pajamas, got changed, put cookies and Egg Nog out for Santa, put out our reindeer food and hung our key on the door.
Once that was all done we snuggled together and read the story of that first Christmas. We enjoyed our time to snuggle, talk and answer questions for the boys. Then we said bedtime prayers and the boys went to bed. Because they are so good at night now, I think we waited all of five minutes before setting up the train and putting out all the gifts. We didn't have to worry about the cookies because in the span of about 30 seconds while we were in the back putting the boys in bed Sam took care of that. I came out to her gobbling up the last crumb :)
This year we didn't have any big items that needed to be put together and that was really nice. The boys got a few things to sit in while they read or play games and Luke got a new swing for his play set. Our work was done and we were able to relax the rest of the night!! Christmas Eve was such a great day for us as a family. We were so thankful for Charles' side of the family joining us this year and it made Christmas Eve 2011 that much more special!! :)
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