I was trying to get a shot of the boys in front of the Christmas tree before they went to bed and here is a "keeping it real" collage of what really transpired. I just kept snapping away while my "boys will be boys." Len and I got a good laugh out of these photos. In all honesty, they really do love each other and for the most part, are really sweet to each other, but we also have our fair share of fighting these days.
I hope everyone had a wonderful day celebrating Christmas. It really is so much fun to continue our traditions with our boys and start new ones. **You don't have to keep reading, this is mainly so I can document our Christmas this year and look back on this post next year. This is the first year that Will actually woke up and remembered that Santa was supposed to come. I didn't take very many pictures this morning because I decided that I just wanted to enjoy watching their faces instead of having my face behind the camera and trying to get the "perfect picture." We had the best morning opening presents, having a good "Christmas" breakfast of my mom's sausage balls, cinnamon rolls and fruit salad. We also enjoyed the beauty of a White Christmas. The Lord has been so good to us this year and we are most thankful for the health of our boys.
We let the boys play for awhile and then I went upstairs to pack for Alabama. We hit the road a little before noon and as we drove down I-65 in the beautiful snow covered trees, I had a moment of nostalgia, sadness as we passed the exit to my sweet Nene and Papa Jack's house. It just feels so strange that they are gone now, that a huge part of my life is now in the past. I started thinking of all the times we spent Christmas in Tuscumbia and all of the memories I have of being at their house during the holidays. It gives me the warmest feeling, but I also felt sad for my mom and aunts, that this is their first Christmas without their parents, but I am comforted and feel at peace, knowing that they are celebrating with Jesus in Heaven. They lived such a wonderful, long life. They were simple people who loved the Lord. Money wasn't their focus in life. Material possessions were not important to them. Their relationship with the Lord, their marriage and family, and serving others is what meant the most to them and I think of that often and strive to be content like they were.
When we got to my parent's house ( in a record time of under 4 hours!) we had a wonderful time opening presents, which was can only be described as mass chaos of everyone talking at once, paper flying, and all the kids running around with their presents. I wouldn't have it any.other.way! We enjoyed a fabulous meal that my mom prepared. Ham, beans of some sort, sweet potatoes, creamed corn, biscuits and broccoli salad was on the menu and to top it off, we had my Nene's delicious caramel pie for desert. I'm still stuffed 4 hours later!
Last night, we had Christmas Eve dinner with just the 4 of us, by candle light which was a huge hit with the boys. We had great conversations and the highlight of the dinner for the boys was getting to blow out the candles when we were finished eating. I told them a story about my childhood memories of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my siblings and Walker made us laugh when he said, "well, when I was a little boy, I"and then he mumbled something and got embarrassed when we started to laugh, because I had started the story with, "when I was a little girl, I..." The boys put on their Christmas pj's, got to open an early gift (pillow pets), got the cookies and milk ready for Santa, put out reindeer food, tracked Santa online and then we headed upstairs to read the story of Jesus' birth. Then we watched "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on utube and the boys were asleep at 7:48!! Len and I love playing Santa, getting the gifts set up, stockings stuffed and just spending some Christmas Eve time together. Thank you Lord, for sending your son, Jesus Christ to this earth to become like us. Thank you for my precious boys and the memories we are creating.
