Christmas 2014

We had a really wonderful Christmas this year.  We had about 10 days of staggered illness up until Christmas Eve (lots of vomit), but the when we woke up on Christmas morning everyone was [pretty] healthy.  A Christmas Miracle!

Spencer and I woke up around 7:30 and just laid around waiting for Clara to come in and get us.  It was finally about 8:30 when she did.  I was surprised that her footsteps were so typical.  The door opened from her bedroom and she scampered right into ours - no pause to look at the lights, no dash straight out to the tree.  I wondered if she had forgotten that it was Christmas morning, but she remembered.  We opened a few gifts, had a nice breakfast, opened more gifts and enjoyed the first snow of the season. Yep - we had a White Christmas!

Clara was super excited to find her trampoline (from Grandma Margie and Grandpa Brent) and ran straight to it saying, "Mom!  Look!  A trampoline for Betts!"  It was super cute.  She was completely enthralled with all of her gifts and gave enthusiastic shouts all day long like, "This is AWESOME!" or "My robot is just FANTASTIC!" She was thrilled at the orange in the bottom of her stocking and shoved it in my face, "Mom, just smell it!" Christmas Oranges has become one of our favorite Christmas books this season and she actually fell asleep as I read it to her on Christmas Eve (dare I say, another Christmas Miracle?!).

Betty was pretty zoned out for most of the morning and didn't really engage with any of her new toys, though she did enjoy some of the mylar wrapping.  Clara was great to help Betty unwrap her presents, and offer to let Betty unwrap some of hers too.

In the late afternoon we joined both sets of parents and Aunt Carol at the Evans' home for a lovely Christmas dinner and more presents!  We definitely feel blessed this Christmas to have all of our needs (as well as lots of wants) met - to be warm, healthy, safe and comfortable. And to have this sweet little family to share it all with!