Austin was going to wait up for Santa this year!! You can see how that went. I think he lasted about 10 minutes.

Before I went to bed I took a picture of the "Believe" sign to put in the scrapbook. I love the word 'believe'. It's a word full of hope and promise. And wouldn't the world be a better place if we all took that word to heart about so many things. So, I challenge you all to work on believing this coming year. Believe in God, believe in yourself, believe in others, believe in miracles.

The last thing I did before going to bed was to snap this picture of the tree and presents because I knew that morning would be crazy and chaotic. Ohh, the hours of work that this represents! Every minute and dollar worth it!

We had to wait for "the big kids" to arrive before opening gifts on Christmas morning. Bless his heart, he ended up waiting for over an hour! Patrick, Emily and Sarah used to think it was cruel to make them wait for us to wash our faces on Christmas morning and here was this little guy having to wait for over an hour!  To help him pass the time I told him that he could give Tucker his present, here he is digging it out from behind the tree (we had to bury it so Tucker wouldn't get at it). And below is Tucker finally getting it open! Bacon flavored pig's ears!!

 

How did we live before we could watch a movie while traveling in the car? I don't have a clue!! Austin was thrilled with this gift!! (Mommy was too!)

A Bengal's 'Palmer" jersey was one of the top things on Austin's list this year. He hit the jackpot and got not only this black one from Patrick, but an orange one from Mom and Dad. Topped off with his new hat (I haven't seen the top of his head since he opened this) he's all decked out just in time to mourn the Bengal's loss Denver. Sad, sad, sad!

Here are Sarah and Bennie opening their invisible dog fence. Who knew that this would be the gift that made Sarah cry!!!

Patrick managed to surprise Amber with an ipod. (I want one too!!!!) This was Amber's second Christmas with us, gosh that seems impossible!

And below is the obligatory snapshot of Patrick crashing after breakfast! It never fails and I think I've gotten this picture every year.

I have to take a picture of the gift Austin gave me so I can post it here along with the story about it. Until then....Believe!

WISHING YOU ALL MAGIC

 

I hope that you all can get in touch with the child within that still believes in the magic of Santa Claus. May you all hear the jingling of that bell one more time. It is such a sweet sound and can lighten the weight of the world from our shoulders. I hear it still and I always will.

May you all feel peace this Christmas and remember that Jesus was God's perfect gift to us all.

I live at the intersection of Bethlehem Lane and Damascus Road in Mars Hill...we love Christmas here.

Now, you can each have a cookie...and if it were within my power I'd hug everyone in the world today.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Twenty five  years ago right this minute I was preparing for the birth of my first daughter, Emily. Her birth was to be induced the next morning and I was a nervous wreck wondering how I was ever going to handle two little ones under the age of two. It's all so silly to me now when I think of the anxiety I felt on that night. And believe me, I was in a panic.

Her birth turned out to be the easiest of all my children. From first contraction to her grand entrance was a grand total of 45 minutes. If  I'd gone into labor with her at home we would never have made it to the hospital. I am so grateful that she didn't make her appearance on the side of  I75 during rush hour.

I always do this; get nostalgic on the night before their birthdays. I can so easily remember the thoughts and feelings I was having as I anticipated each of one them. This was in the "old days" when Mommy's and Daddy's didn't have a clue if they were having a boy or a girl. But I so desperately wanted her to be a girl. I had visions of pink nightgowns and ribbons on everything. When she was born (weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds), I could barely see her for the tears in my eyes. This beautiful, beautiful baby girl...and she was MINE! She was breathing and healthy and wailing her lungs out! She had a head of dark hair and the prettiest complexion. She looked like a little Eskimo baby. I was in love with her from the start.  I always said she was my Christmas baby. When I saw the above picture it reminded me so much of her when she was little. If my scanner was working properly I would have used her picture, but this is as close as I can get to showing you what my little girl used to look like.

And now she is turning 25 and I marvel at where the time has gone. She can't possibly now be older than I was when I gave birth to her. She has grown up into a beautiful and gifted woman. I am so proud of her.

So, Emily, Happy Birthday! And God, thank you for sending her to me.