Christmas Morning

Christmas morning we were ready and waiting for two excited little boys!

I had halfway thought about not making any kind of cake because I just wasn't sure I'd have time, but Miller told me that he thought Santa would bring a chocolate cake for Jesus's birthday this year.  Santa isn't really my favorite part of Christmas {I think he's a bit of a show stealer}, so if he can bring a cake for us to celebrate Jesus's birth that is fine by me!

Here are our videos from Christmas morning.  Bryant got a new video camera for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to some good videos with the mic facing the subject so you don't hear my obnoxious voice quite as loudly, ha!  Also, I had no idea that I barely filmed our second born.  Probably just because Miller was so into it, but I apologize Jacob and promise to do better next year!

You are going to see a bit of a theme here.  This little boy is obsessed with balls.  His stocking was full of them!

 Jacob and his new Scuttlebug

 Miller was excited to show Jacob the present he and Daddy made for him.

 Everyone got new books of course!

 Jacob couldn't wait to help Daddy build a fire once the gifts were out of the way.

 Love this baby boy!

 Miller was super excited about his glow sticks!

 Showing Daddy his "train tracks two open sides".  Now even more train tracks can be built!

 A new "splashlight".  Frank Duckett, if you're reading this I had to include this picture just for you ;)

 A Disney ornament to remember his first trip.

 The aftermath:

After we opened gifts, Betty Jo, Frank, and Margaret joined us for a late breakfast.  We sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and enjoyed a yummy, casual breakfast together.  It was so nice to relax and enjoy Christmas morning!

 

 

One of Miller's favorite gifts was a can of fake snow!  He had so much fun showing Betty Jo and Nana.  It made quite a mess, but it was well worth it!

 So thankful for these three boys!

 Everyone stayed and played for a while and then it was time to relax a little.

We opened our last Jesse tree ornament which was the star announcing Christ's birth.  It was so exciting to see Miller learn about the coming of the Messiah this year.  He reminded us every night that we needed to read our story and open a "present".  The first night he was bummed there wasn't a toy in there, but after that he was excited to see what all of the different ornaments would be. 

We tried for a more intentional Christmas this year and it ended up being fabulous!  We want our children to know the pure, miraculous joy and good news about the King of Kings coming to dwell among us and to be our savior.  The Jesse tree, Following the Shepherds, choir music Miller learned, Sunday School/church lessons, Operation Christmas Child, praying over each family when we received a Christmas card {although I will admit we started slacking once we were receiving twenty a day}, and Christmas Coalition gave us so many wonderful opportunities to keep us all focused on what Christmas really means.  I really felt like this year was a good balance of a fun, exciting, worshipful Christmas without getting all caught up in the busyness, commercialism, and greed that Christmas has become.  I want my boys to have awesome, fun memories of Christmases with our family, but most of all I want them to know the love of a God who keeps His promises and rescued us in the most humble yet amazing way possible.  We hope you had a wonderful Christmas too!