Christmas Eve!

I sit here with 1 hour left before we leave Christmas Eve for Christmas Day. Cade and Gracie asked to go to bed at 9pm. At 10:30 I got up to get "Santa" ready and found Gracie sitting on the stairs! After a pep talk (and a tiny dose of benedryl) she headed back to bed. Her alarm clock is set to go off at 5am. Not because I want them up that early but so they don't come downstairs until 5am!

We had a great Christmas Eve together. Gracie and I made cookies this morning. After they cooled all the kids decorated while Chrisymas music played. Anna, Cade and Gracie decorated while Asa ate broken cookies and licked icing off the spreaders when they finished with them. I cooked at the stove and Barry watched football. My heart was full!

We ate supper and opened gifts with Barry's family. I can't even tell you how good Asa did! It gets noisey and busy and over stimulating but Asa was awesome! He had a few,moments of clinginess but he settled again and would play. The kids had a blast, of course!

Tomorrow morning we will have "Santa" and our gifts. Then we'll go to church. We'll have lunch and gifts with my family after that. I'm pretty sure a nap will be in order too!

I'll leave you with the Word we've read numerous times in the last month:

     Matthew 1:18-25 ESV

     Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel"
(which means, God with us).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I pray that you feel the love of our Savior during this holiday season and that you see His blessings all around you in the New Year!