Snapshots of Christmas Morning

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
Until four-thirty when one or two arose, and thundered down the steps, much to Mom and Dad's woes.
FOUR.FLIPPING.THIRTY.
Mark grumbled "get back to bed!!" about three times over the next three hours. After all, we had a deal. Stockings could be checked at 7:30 a.m. So up the stairs the chitlins went, quickly and quietly settling back to sleep. (In my dreams.)
Several rumblings and pleadings later, the clock struck half-past seven, and the stockings were opened with much fanfare.
Then we heard a BIG rip. Mark and I were still half-asleep, neither of us wanting to get out of a warm bed that had only been entered a few short hours previous. But RIP! meant the presents under the tree were being opened! Prematurely! Ahhh wait kids!! Let me go get the video camera & the digital camera!!
I heard Cy start crying. "I can't believe it!" he wailed and fell on the floor.
"What's wrong, Cy? Are you okay??" I rushed into the sunroom with two camera bags flung around my neck.
"I got a Clay Matthews jersey!!! Santa got me a Clay Matthews jersey!!" He was literally crying tears of joy, disbelief, and wonder.
I hollered at Mark to get up and start filming so I could take some pictures, but by then it was too late. Santa's gifts were opened, twins were screaming "I got a DS!!!", and Ally was off in the living room, neatly folding her new clothes in a pile. So much for capturing the moment of gift-opening forever on film or file!
I did manage to see Wynne opening her beloved Baby That Poops and Pees. After helping her cut through 3 miles of plastic packaging, we freed her baby into her mommy's loving arms.

This is Leah, and she's already pooped on "Uncle Cy"'s pants! But she is quite adorable, coos, wiggles her legs and everything.

Within an hour Shae was an expert on her new Spongebob DS game. "I can't believe I am holding my very own Nintendo DS...and's it's PINK!!"

Paige got a sporty red DS and set to work trying to figure out Barbie & the 3 Musketeers. This photo was taken before she grew frustrated and started crying that Shae's game must be easier than hers. Let's just remember the tranquil, happy moments on film!

My favorite moments are when we get to open presents the kids made or purchased, and when the kids give each other gifts. Ally won "Ruby" (of Max & Ruby fame) and gave it to her baby sister! See the kids' matching cowboy pj pants I made for 'em? (Good thing you can't notice how short Wynne's turned out!)

I really, really wanted to capture Cy's crying jersey opening on film, but remember I was just getting out of bed then. So I will settle for this shot of him being a tough guy in his authentic NFL stitched jersey! (This kid spent hours researching stitched jerseys on the internet over the past several weeks. He wanted either #52 Clay Matthews or #54 Brian Urlacher (da Bears), but Santa is a Packer fan so Clay won out :)

My favorite shot of Christmas morning. Sleepy eyes, but eyes filled with love. Cy bought his baby sister a cell phone eraser at the school store, and she absolutely loved it. Wynne said, "Awwwwww, Cyyyyy!" and they gave me one of those precious moments that make you want to pinch yourself as a mother.

The joy of seeing your kids open gifts that they've been dreaming about is great, but even greater to me is the joy I see in my kids when THEY give. It makes me so proud of them when they reach outside of themselves and their desires, to make someone else's day a better one. Christmas morning is a good practice for them, and I really hope to carry this out with my family in bigger, more sustainable ways beyond our family in the coming year.
Merry Christmas! Thank you, Jesus, for being the Model of giving!


In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ --Acts 20:35