Jesus' birthday!

Abby Jane called me into her room at 5:30, saying she was ready to get up.  Her bed was already made.

Somehow, the girl fell back asleep and WE woke her up when the twins awakened at 7:45!  WHAT a lovely way to start Christmas morning!! We all snuggled for a few minutes, read the Christmas story, then sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  Then commenced the morning!  

After opening Santa's gifts and stockings, Mimi and Bop Bop arrived, and we paused for a bite of Holiday french toast and coffee (or sippies of milk) before returning to the business under the tree.  Here is big sis "helping" open the stickers and coloring book she picked out for Blythe and Joy for their Christmas gifts! She was so proud of having worked to purchase them.

 Stickers were a hit.  Children are truly so simply satisfied.

 Blythe and Joy received their first backpacks!

 Bop Bop became bow collector.

Aunt Bets was so smart and pre-bought some gifts before leaving for New Zealand.  We LOVED her sweater! There's a really fun flower under Abby Jane's hand.

Hope you don't feel thrown under the bus, Sandy, but I had to include a photo of your new butler from Bop Bop.

 This was the year of the first big girl bike!  It turned out to be raining all morning, so Abby Jane actually received it in the kitchen and had her first rides around the house.  It took her about 10 minutes to get over the intimidation of the moment before she decided to get on her new ride. This pic was about 20 minutes later.

 Jake and his mama.

 The baby stroller seeming attached to Blythe here was a gift for all the girls, and it remains both Blythe's favorite gift and the most fought-over. Here she was opening her first sleeping bag.

 Joy opening her sleeping bag, which went with her in her crib for her afternoon nap.

 Grandaddy and Granny Joan came after church, and there were kisses and hugs all around!

 We surely love them, and it was so special to have them be a part of our Christmas day! We are so thankful for Grandaddy being on the mend and for Granny Joan's expert care!

Christmas dinner was our "traditional" (as of last year) barbeque pulled pork, with sides courtesy of the ladies coming. My Aunt Becky was under the weather that morning and didn't end up being able to join us.  We were so sad to not have her with us, but we loved having Uncle Richard come!

I was particularly proud of the dessert buffet, as it held the chocolate-gingerbread toffee cake on the cover of this month's Southern Living.  My husband seemed to not feel that a white cake was Christmassy.  He didn't know that white cakes are a Southern Living tradition.  So I made him a caramel pecan pie... then made my white cake.  It was fun to make and we're still eating it, four days later.

Digesting and enjoying company.  

 After naps, we took the party outside and put those wheels on the ground!

Who says you can't put your new princess stickers on your Hello Kitty bike?  We're equal opportunity bike riders around here.

The girls' Christmas Day ended with us all sitting down together to do our final Jesse tree devotion and to choose a gift to send a family in need.  The girls had fun picking the gift, and it was neat to end the day with a focus shifted away from ourselves.

On Christmas Eve, we got to skype with the Gillies in New Zealand, and we were amazed to discover that Santa had already been there!  On Christmas night, the grown-ups skyped with the Elliotts and Grammy in Manila and got to hear all about their Christmas (the day before for them as well!) During the bike riding in the afternoon, I talked with my sister on the phone as they were en route to her in-laws' home in Birmingham. Technology is amazing, that while we were her in the Atlanta area, we were able to communicate to family in three different countries and on three continents (including our own) to wish them Merry Christmas and hear all about their special days.  What a blessing.

 After all our precious family had gone home, the girls were tucked in bed, and the skype was disconnected, Jake and I ended the day with our first game of Bananagrams, one of my stocking stuffers.  I love the game- a variation of Scrabble- and I have conveniently won every time we have played this week.  Good gift, Jake.

Merry Christmas, all, and happy birthday, Jesus!