Four Christmases: Christmas #3

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve day began with making cookies for Santa...and a few extra for ourselves! This was my first cookie making venture with a two year old. Whew. What the ordeal it was, too. Note to self: next time, close up and put the flour away out of the two year old's reach!

Despite the slight chaos and me being the control freak that I am, we had fun doing it. A little messy, but hey, the messier the better, right?

In case you didn't believe me about the mess...

Christmas Eve was spent going to church and then to my Aunt and Uncle's house for a little Shaw family Christmas. This was our first Christmas Eve to be at our wonderful church. We felt so blessed to go and be apart of this amazing faith family, and see our faith family on the most important night of the year.

Before we left, I thought I'd snap this picture of AB in true AB fashion.

This was a special Christmas Eve to me, because my cousin was in town with her husband from Wichita Falls. We only see them every other year, and the last time we saw them was when AB was two weeks old.



Uncle Scott and Aunt Debbie have a VERY tall tree!



COUSIN! I love you!

As much fun as it was to spend it with family (that we rarely see), it was awfully late when we got home and we had so much to do! Of course we had to get ready and set everything out for when Santa came. The cookies we made earlier in the day turned out wonderful (except for the fact a couple fell on the floor on the way to be set out). Nonetheless, they were set out and already for Santa.

This was also our last night with Ralphie. We had AB take her picture with him for the last time this year, and said our "good-byes" until next Christmas. 

 Some might think us cruel, but this night was as good as any. We had been talking about for weeks, finally getting rid of the paci. So, AB agreed to letting Ralphie take her paci to Santa so that he could deliver it to a baby who really needed it.

So, my sweet little baby put her paci in the hands of our trusty Elf, in hopes it would be delivered to a baby in need. I'm not going to lie, she turned around a waved telling Ralphie and the paci "bye", but I stood by that fireplace and bawled my eyes out. Just one more thing to not make her a baby anymore. This hormonal pregnant momma couldn't take much more of it.

The transition was smooth at first. Daddy read her the Christmas story and we once again, discussed the real reason for Christmas. Not presents, not Santa, not Ralphie, but sweet baby Jesus.

After the story, we put AB in bed and told her to sleep tight so she could see what Santa had brought her the next morning. She was all smiles until she realized she was not getting her paci back. We explained how Ralphie had already told Santa he was going to bring it. She cried and cried. She blamed Austin for not having it, since he was the one who actually ended up putting it in Ralphie's hands. She's a smart girl. Learning to blame everything on Daddy early! She eventually drifted off to sleep.

Other than that, it was a sweet night and I'm thankful for my sweet girl and how she loves baby Jesus already. He was the talk of the season (next to Ralphie), and I hope that is just a glimpse of great things to come.

Thank you, Father, for sending your precious son to this earth and to die for all of us.

Merry Christmas!