Advent Days 22, 23, and 24 - Presents!

On the 22nd, the activity was to go to the Hays' santa party, but sickness took over us, so we stayed home.  Normally this would make me completely crazy (my type A, rigid personality is insistent upon following through with things or checking them off the list), but I felt just bad enough that I didn't let it bother me...too much.  Charlotte was heartbroken, though, which made me really sad:(

 

Luckily, Day 23 was to exchange Christmas presents with Grandee and Poppy and that totally cheered her up!  The kids were thrilled when they pulled up to our house with a car full of gifts for them!  First Char opened her Disney princess puzzle...

And Hunter opened something that I'm unsure of...

But he loved it, whatever it was!  (Pregnancy brain makes me even more forgetful than I already am!)

He was so excited about this remote control helicopter...

And has already played with it a TON of times!

He also loves his remote control cars...

And has spent lots of time racing them around the house with James.

Char always loves clothes...

She's such a girly girl.

She even got a matching outfit for her and her Bitty Baby...

Then tonight we headed over to my sister's house to exchange gifts with Grandpa and Jennifer and her boys.  They brought SO MANY presents for the kids.  James and I both have such generous parents, and we are so thankful.

We all got HUGE stockings filled with goodies.  Charlotte was over the moon excited about all of her Disney princess gifts (and there were lots!)...

A wand...

A boomerang...

He thought that was really cool!

I can't really tell what this is, but Zack seems to like it:)

Same with this one...

Something One Direction themed, I'm sure:)

A Cars themed paddle ball toy...

Jewelry!

Candy!!

She ate so many sweets tonight...too many!

A One Direction bobble head...

Vanesa loves One Direction, and Niall is her favorite.  Anytime Charlotte sees pictures of them anywhere, she'll say, "Look mommy!  It's Vanesa's friends!"

Grandpa and Jennifer got both Hunter and Zack this toy...

The ball is floating up above it (It's kind of hard to see.)

Hunter has been telling me over the past week or so that he hopes he gets a gun.  I told him that he already has a ton of guns, so he probably won't (literally, I think he has 8 or 9 guns).  This was the first gift he opened (after the stocking), and he shrieked with excitement...

A Disney princess themed bedroom set...

She has her nightlight plugged in and is sleeping on her pillow as I type!

Our verses over the past 2 nights were Matthew 2:11-12 (still talking about the Magi)...
"On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

We reminded Hunter and Charlotte that the reason we get to open ALL of these presents on Christmas is as a reminder of the Magi bringing Jesus presents when he was born.  I explained to them tonight that people say Santa only brings you presents if you are good, but the glorious truth of our Savior is that he came to give the best present we could imagine to everyone, even though we are all naughty sometimes.  He gave us the gift of life with Him forever. 

Tonight's verses were from Galatians 4:4-5...
"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship."

The Father sent Jesus to us so that he could save and redeem us...He paid it all.  He is the ransom for our sin, and because of that, when we accept his gift and submit our lives to him as our Savior, we become part of His royal family...adopted as his sons and daughters.  And that is the best present I can dream of this Christmas.