Christmas was on a Sunday, so our morning was relaxed and slow, but getting home from worship at three o'clock only to immediately turn around to pick up Oma Lynn while the girls finished up a Christmas feast before guests arrived...well, that was not relaxing or slow.
We ended up opening the majority of the Christmas presents on the second day of Christmas, simply because there was no time to do so on the first. This, also, is why I have pictures of our morning, but virtually none of our evening, except for the children I found fast asleep near piles of unwrapped Christmas presents when I returned home after dropping Oma Lynn off.
Cadence was the first early elfling to stumble down to inspect the tree dripping with candy canes, to spy baby Jesus in the manger, and to dance around gleaming bedazzlement everywhere.
After finishing up the loose ends, I left the younger ones downstairs in the dark, went up to sleep for an hour or so, and when I came down, it was time!
Stockings paired with a breakfast overload-- savory strata, oranges, gingerbread people, a teetering stack of sugar cereal, and EGGNOG. (Now I want eggnog.)
Millie told me to decorate her gingerbread girl "however I liked." I liked to decorate her in a fashion that Millie would NOT ever choose to wear.
Mildred Elise:
Annika Arden-- easy. Plaid shirt and cowboy boots.
Susannah Wren-- Hahahahahahaha! Poor Susannah. That's what I get for decorating her cookie counterpart at four in the morning. Every time I look at this, I laugh.
Piper Joy.
Lucinda Hope.
Dapper Ezekiel Walker.
Aidan Raphael.
Oh, no! I accidentally deleted the picture of Cadence's gingergirl.
I'm sorry, Cadence Octavia. :(
Skylark Elizabeth.
Ransom Arthur.
My favorite part of Christmas morning is lingering over the family presents to each other. A couple of years ago, we started doing a "Secret Smurf" drawing so that everyone didn't feel an obligation to give a present to every last member of the family (especially those who have limited funds), but there always end up being piles of gifts in addition to the S.S. ones, and I always love to see what they've picked out for each other.
Hmmm. I wonder which parent Susannah takes after, huh?
She gleefully unwrapped a personal ice cream cake.
John gave me too many gifts. The funniest, though, was the combination of a new kettle bell sitting underneath a stocking he had stuffed full of candy. Thanks, Heart o' mine.
Zeke made me an earring and necklace set, sweet boy.
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Evening time! No snapshots!
...except for Mopsy by the table and Luci holding Marnie in the corner.
Then, much later, the heaps of sleeping children I had the privilege of carrying upstairs. (And it was a privilege.)
5 comments :
I have been commenting (and stalking) your blog so long this morning that Ineke has now joined me.
She just said "Wow. Those earrings are so pretty!" She clearly appreciates Zeke's thoughtful gift giving.
So... I am thinking we could arrange a Zeke and Ineke wedding? Save ourselves both some heartache.
What think ye?
Also- I want an ice cream cake for Christmas! Best gift ever!
I'm all for it! Arranged marriages are the bomb!
Also, I'm pretty sure if we gave you an ice cream cake, you'd politely smell it and then feed it all to your children. ;)
No way! Not an ice cream cake. And not at Christmas. Am I monster?!
I actually told Matt the other day that I think if we were to go on a date and he were to say "You MUST order something from the fancy drink menu or from the dessert menu" or, better yet, ORDER it for me, that would be the sexiest thing he could ever do. It would relieve guilt both of expense and "cheating". Waiting to see if he ever takes my advice. (I suspect I'll be waiting a while.)
I hope I remember this comment this coming December. I will 100% buy you an ice cream cake. ;)
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