Christmas '08 - 1 Down, 3 To Go!

I'm back! Things have been rather hectic these past few days, so I apologize that I didn't have a chance to post lately. We had Christmas at my parents' house yesterday and things have been somewhat crazy around here with people getting ready for the holidays! We did stop long enough to capture our happiness on film... (Yes, that's a picture of Miss Macy in the background! Mom and Dad just hung photos of all 6 grandkids up their staircase! Gorgeous!)

Macy attended her 1st Christmas church service yesterday! (She wasn't allowed to go out in public yet for her 1st Christmas, and I think she was sick last year, if my memory serves.) She did so well sitting out in the sanctuary with me (I hated to take her to the nursery with all the funk going around! God bless 'em, but kiddos sneeze and snot all over each other and spread germs instead of love!), and everyone was bragging on how well she did out in "big church" so I was proud!

This is the first Christmas that she's actually been able to enjoy like a kid should! She admires the lights on the trees, the bells on the doors, the bows on the packages, and most of all, she enjoys watching Charlie Brown and his sad little tree over and over again!

Before we opened presents yesterday, my 8-year-old niece read The Christmas Story out of the Bible and I had to keep wiping tears from my face. There is something about a child and their love for God that makes Christmas all the more special. People seem to forget what Christmas is all about nowadays. But I can honestly say that I will never forget yesterday's scripture reading for as long as I live.

Macy had a good time, too! So far this season, she's had a blast! She got antsy before the festivities started yesterday and tore the wrapping paper off the top of Momaw Jiggs' present. She also managed to break a few ornaments along the way.

She's into everything these days. And not even Popaw Deb standing in her way can keep her out of mischief. She just squeezes through to get where she wants to go!

Chad came back home a little bit before me to set up the gifts in her room. Mom and Dad got her a dollhouse and he had it put together with all the accessories by her bed when we arrived. You should have seen the look on her face when we walked into her room! Her eyes lit up and she was squirming around so much I could hardly take off her coat!

She went straight to the dollhouse and started playing and talking to it! You could tell she was trying so hard to have a conversation with those dolls! Then she crawled over to her bookshelf, grabbed a little stuffed dog off the bottom, took it back to the dollhouse, put it in the attic, and said "Arf!" I laughed and cried at the same time! Seeing the progress she's making is enough to send me into fits at any given moment. However, I'm terribly afraid the "ugly cry" might rear it's head a few more times throughout the holidays!


After we played with her and the dollhouse for a while, I read her a bedtime story and she was fast asleep.

This is what it's all about, folks. Simple moments. Just slow down and take the time to soak it all in...