~CHRISTMAS 1, 2, & 3~

For the first time in my entire life I woke to NO children for Christmas! WOW, what a different Christmas morning that was for me. Not really sure that I liked it all that much but, realizing that Christmas is all about "sharing, and giving, and being nice" I endured the morning and waited patiently until the kids started filtering in...Christmas is just too quiet without the kids! There is none of that excited anticipation, no delighted screams, no momentous confusion as they try to decide what to do first. The opening of gifts was way to calm and organized and I swear it lasted all morning...with kids, it's over in half an hour, papers and boxes tossed helter-skelter and then it's time to play with EVERYTHING! Nobody wants breakfast, kids are way to excited to eat. It's a picture taking heaven with everyone so animated you hardly have to delete a shot. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the morning, it was just different. I can do different once in awhile and sometimes different can turn out to be unexpectedly nice in a peaceful, middle aged sort of way...blah, blah, blah! Okay, the one thing I can say about the "off " year is this...It lasts all weekend. Christmas Day was Abbie's day, she was the highlight. The funny thing was that she didn't want to open any of her presents, she just wanted to play with the old familiar ones. You could find her over in the corner with grandma's "old" toys playing contently while everyone else (the adults) were tearing into their gifts and delighting in the NEW things they were all so excited to receive.

Tonight (Saturday) I will get to see Gage and Ali and watch as they open their presents bringing Christmas back again for a couple of hours (okay maybe 30 seconds) to our house, then tomorrow Cole, Maddie and Bella will return from Wyoming and we will get a chance to do it all over again. We have had a chance to spend individual time with each family this year, it really has been great! Different but good. The best part is that tomorrow the cousins get to see each other! How they love to be with one another. It's almost better than the presents for them! Abbie wandered around all day on Christmas asking us where Cole and Maddie were and pointing to Gage and Ali's pictures. She wanted THEM for Christmas. SO cute.

I will post pictures as soon as our THIRD Christmas is underway :)