Each year the girls and I brave the frigid cold Michigan weather to await Santa's arrival at the Free Church Park in Sturgis. Usually we're there first thing and wait forever. This year we decided to go at the tail end. Thankfully the weather was warmer than usual, but still chilly. We still had a wait, but it was shorter than past years. You could tell Santa was hurrying everyone up at the end because he and his reindeer needed to fly off. They had other cities to visit and get back to the North Pole I am sure. Both Olivia and Mia were excited to see him and tell them their hearts' desires. Olivia quickly told him she wanted a Fancy Nancy doll and art supplies. Mia was a little apprehensive at first, but quickly warmed up and let the big guy know she would like a camera and tractors.
The girls were both thrilled to get to open a gift early before Christmas. Nana Sharon and Papa Dave Smith had left the girls each a package at our backdoor. Olivia got her favorite Kevin Henkes book about Lily who gets to be the flower girl in a wedding.
Mia was thrilled to find a John Deere Tractor book and some tractors to go along with it. Thank you Nana Sharon and Papa Dave for always remembering our girls!
Anticipation was building in our house those last few days leading up to Christmas. I'm sure it's what a volcano feels like before it errupts. Christmas is such a joyous time to celebrate Christ's birth and spend time with family, that I really tried to sit back and enjoy it and not get caught up in all the hustle and bustle that seems to have replaced much of that peace. I wanted to savor every holiday moment with my family. Christmas times are some of my favorite cherished childhood memories. I don't remember it being stressful and constant running around. Maybe it's because I was a young, naive, little girl wrapped in the awe and wonder that is Christmas. Or maybe it was simply because there wasn't as much of that chaos going on in my family back then. Whatever the reason, I want that for my girls too. I let the house remain messy, only cleaning when we ran out of dishes or clean underwear. I don't think they'll remember piles of laundry or dust bunnies floating around the floor, but they will remember the time we spend together.
And Mia will forever remember her skinned up nose as well, since I have many photos to savor that memory. It was the 23rd and we'd stopped by the Community Pool to see Andy briefly. She wanted to take the handicap ramp down, (as she always does), and I specifically told her not to run. As I looked up I saw her sweet little face planting into the pavement in the parking lot. A mouth full of dirt, a little blood dripping, and a few tears shed. We cleaned her up and she was quite a trooper.
I decided we were going fancy for Christmas Eve attire this year. The girls both had new dresses from Steve and Heather's wedding so we got use out of them a second time with just a few accessory changes to Christmassy them up a bit. The girls enjoy getting gussied up so I snapped a few photos prior to church to make sure we could remember the moment.
Such sweet sisters
And of course, I made Andy sneak in for a photo too.
