Day 25 - Christmas Day!

Hunter woke up at 6:40 on Christmas morning and was so excited to go into the living room to see what he got!  We did a Toy Story themed gift for him this year because he's really been into Toy Story.  He saw his Woody Guitar and his Buzz and Lotso race track sitting by his stocking, and was really happy.  He sat there for a minute and then said, "Where's the candy?"  Ha!  I told him to look through his stocking.  Everything he took out of his stocking, he'd name with the most joy and excitment you've ever heard...

"Bubble Gum!!!"

He got this army men (the army men from Toy Story) themed music set.  I had to show him how to use several of the instruments.

"Underwear!!!"  Yes, he even excitedly yelled out "underwear".:)

"A water gun!!!"

"Candy!!!"

He loved this kazoo that was in his army men music set, and of course the Buzz Lightyear that's sitting on the couch.  Sadly, I didn't get a picture of him taking Buzz out.

Here he is looking at some of the loot from his stocking.

Hunter's favorite gift was definitely the Woody Guitar.  He played it all morning, and kept telling us how "cool" it was.  It was the gift he chose to bring to Nanny and Grandad's for our Christmas gathering, and he made sure to also point out to everyone there how cool it was...

Posing with his guitar and Buzz slippers...

He's had house shoes before but has never wanted to wear them, but he wants these on all the time!  I think it's the Buzz factor.

Charlotte slept until 8, so as soon as we were finished looking through H's gifts and stocking we put in Toy Story 2 (one of the movies H got for Christmas...the 4 of us got 10 (yes, TEN!) movies for Christmas.  James got The Princess Bride and Slumdog Millionaire.  I got 2 copies of Dan in Real Life.  H got Mater's Toon Tales, Toy Story 2 and Ice Age, and Char got The Rescuers, Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins).  We brought Char into the living room to see her toys and go through her stocking, but she was a little distracted by the movie...

She got this princess cube toy with different activities on each side of it.  In her stocking, she got this Christmas book..

Of course, some candy, which was her favorite thing.  She downed 3 pieces in like 1 minute!

Eating more candy...

And more...

She got a Sleeping Beauty cell phone...

H thought that was pretty cool, and wanted to know where his cell phone was.  Aaaaand it already starts.  Sigh.

Reaching for more candy.  Seriously, y'all, I had to cut her off.

I was trying to get her to look at me for a picture, so I kept calling her name.  Finally she did this...

It cracked me up because H always sticks his little face out like that when I tell him to look at me.

She also got a My Little Pony in her stocking...

Brushing her pony's hair...

She loves to brush hair.

And some bows that Aunt Courtney made...

After a little break, I let her have one more piece...

And she devoured it.

After we were done with her stocking, both of the kids played with Char's Santa gift for a while...

Until Charlotte headed over to Hunter's pile...

At which point he lost it because, "hey!  those are my toys!"  And yes, he yelled that while he was still playing with her Santa toy and holding her cell phone, which I quickly reminded him of.

After a little playing, the kids and I cuddled in the chair to watch some of Toy Story 2...

Then it was time for H and C to open their gifts from each other...

H got this bulldozer...

He has 3 big construction toys now, which he is elated about.  He loves construction vehicles...real or toy ones:)

Char got this Fur Real Friend...

Technically, this toy said it was for ages 3 (or maybe even 4?) and up, but as you can see, she loves it...

We had a great Christmas celebrating as a family.  When we got home last night, we read our final set of verses, which were John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  It was all planned, from the beginning of time.  God sacrificed his son for us.  Since becoming a parent, my heart has been able to take that concept in even deeper.  I can't imagine sacrificing the lives of one of my children for a world of sinners.  We don't deserve this gift God gave us, but he did it anyway.  Because he loves us to heights and depths that we can't understand.  He loves us completely...and on this Christmas, I am so thankful for that love.

I hope y'all had as joyous of a celebration as we did!  Merry Christmas!  Happy Birthday Jesus!  We love you!

Day 24 - Christmas Eve

I remember when I was growing up hearing my mother and grandmother mention that they were nervous during times of chaos.  And I remember having absolutely no idea why that would make them nervous.  Now I  know.  Tonight my family came over for our Christmas gift exchange, and y'all, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate by the end.  Presents were everywhere.  We filled three lawn sized garbage bags with gift wrap and boxes.  It was crazy.  I'm still trying to recover, so I'm mostly going to let the pictures do the talking.

Hunter was so excited for everyone to come over...

And Charlotte.  Well, she was mostly just excited about the sweets...

V, Char, and Dad...

My mom wanted to start a tradition of playing Christmas bingo.  It was really fun, and my mom had great prizes!  I won a Mi Cocina gift card, and Hunter won a tin of some yummy funkychunky candy cane popcorn.

Vanesa and Char are pretty much BFF.  I love watching Charlotte with V...

Hunter was really excited about his stocking...

We love stockings in this house.

Char holds everything up to her cheek like this...

At first it was just stuffed animals and baby dolls that she snuggled with, but now I guess even lemonheads make the cut.

Present time...

I told you she climbed on everything...

Mom got Charlotte this shopping cart with groceries and a baby to go in it...

Hunter loved his construction vehicles from Grandpa...

And Charlotte loved this vibrating corn teether she got from Grandpa...

 So funny!

Here's Hunter's soccer net that Nana got him.  Somehow I was able to snap this shot during the one milisecond that H wasn't screaming at Char for climbing in his net.  He was really overwhelmed tonight and had a hard time staying calm, but I can't really get on to him for that, because I had a really hard time staying calm too.

We are so thankful for everyone in our family.  It was a great night!  I love hanging out with all of them:)

Our verses for tonight were Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage." (The Message)

I like the message's version of those verses best.  We are his children, too, and when we accept and acknowledge that we are and that God sent his son here to be born in the world, under the law, for us, we have the rights to inherit all that a child of God's should inherit...eternal life with Him.