Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Amelia loved Christmas more than life. She is so full of joy. Honestly her zest for everything makes it a million times more fun. One of her favorite gifts was her microphone. She hasn't stopped performing.

She also loved her hairdressing kit and got right to work straightening my hair.

She also was thrilled to see what Ingrid and Elise got. Such a big helper and surprisingly, a wonderful sharer: she couldn't wait to share her new toys without being prompted. I was just so proud of her during the entire Christmas holiday.


Elise never felt up to par that afternoon or evening. She had a few moments where her tummy wasn't hurting but she definitely didn't get to enjoy herself. She's such a happy girl that this just made her momma so sad. Here is a cute one of her reading a new book with Aunt Steph and Ing.I didn't get many pictures because I was holding Elise most of the night. However, I love these next few of Amelia with her big gift from Gammy and Gampy. She LOVED her trampoline to pieces. Note the wardrobe change into her new leotard so she could be a real gymnast!


I wish Elise had felt better but the blessings in that house were still abundant and overflowing. We have such a fabulous family and there were so many heartfelt gifts this year. I know we go overboard, but it is such a satisfying moment to know that you have searched and searched, or in my talented sister and brother in law's case, created and created, and the receiver of the gift feels that love, time, and energy manifested in the perfect gift :)

Christmas Day began with a little girl feeling much better! We were so happy and Amelia enjoyed her dress up box from Santa and Elise enjoyed her, um well, just enjoyed playing with Amelia's stuff. She cracks me up only wanting "big girl" stuff. The one thing she did love from Santa was a green ball, ha.


Another thing that was so wonderful, albeit strange, about Christmas Day was the beautiful weather! I couldn't believe that it was in the upper 50's!





I loved having all the little girls in church with us on Christmas morning. It was such a special time and I felt like I was about to burst with blessings. Our whole family in one pew. During one of the songs, I looked down at everyone. Amelia in Gampy's lap. Ingrid in Gammy's. Derek looking lovingly at a sleeping Liv in her carseat. Steph I read a devotional that talked about how nothing was going the way Mary wanted it to that night. Huge and pregnant on a donkey. Nowhere to have her baby. Scared. Trying to clear a space in a smelly manger to give birth to The Mighty One. And I thought of how often things don't go the way we want them to. And how as strange and unexplainable it may be, things are going exactly the way our Father planned them to go.