Christmas 2012

Christmas was a mixed bag for our family this year. As often happens, life interrupted some of our plans, but we did our best to roll with the punches and savor the special moments. I came down with a cold on the 23rd and couldn't help with the nursery at church for the Christmas Eve service like I had planned. Since I couldn't help at church, we shifted plans and went to mom's Christmas Eve to help decorate her tree and have dinner before heading to the 7 pm service.

Even though we were all a bit under the weather, it was still beautiful--we were together and even got that perpetually dreamed-of White Christmas; it started snowing while we were at the Christmas Eve service at church. The girls were so excited and had fun dancing around in the falling snow after we arrived home.

 

On Christmas morning, everything was grand: Santa had brought presents for the kids, there was freshly fallen snow, and we were going to Grandma's to open even more presents!

Merrick blowing a kiss

 

...Until I got a call from my mom telling me that she had the stomach bug. But we weren't about to let our plans for Christmas Day be thwarted by illness; since we all had the stomach bug the week before, we weren't too concerned about catching it again. We drove out to Mom's as planned for brunch and presents, since my siblings and their significant others were there already. We did our best not to let the situation get us down and enjoyed ourselves as much as possible. The kids didn't really know anything different; they had a ball! 

At Grandma's and eager to start opening presents

The views at Mom's house were magnificent all day on Christmas Day. I wasn't able to capture it on camera, but the sun was shining and we were having light flurries; it looked like glitter was falling all around. Just beautiful.

 

And when we went home so the kids could nap later in the afternoon, I got to take a much-needed two hour nap too. It was glorious! I hope that you had a very merry Christmas as well!