Christmas, Christmas Time Was Here

The blizzard changed our Christmas plans quite a bit. We'd reserved a cool cabin with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, but it was buried in snow as was the road leading to it, so we had a basement apartment Christmas. We were bummed not to leave s'mores out for Santa and enjoy a sweet snowy simple Christmas, but considering every other blessing in our lives, grumbling is a rather silly option. So, Christmas at home. In the words of the great Maria Von Trapp: "Let's start at the very beginning. . . "

CANDYLAND!!! Some elves snuck in early to give us a Christmas eve present and it was a happy surprise. We love it and have gotten pretty good at it--Can you name every character in their proper order??

And then there were the pajamas (courtesy of FedEx and the Lulu Elf):

Emma's First Christmas present!!

Ooh Princesses---what a surprise!

Warm, fuzzy, sports-themed--Perfect.

And then came the happy morning. We didn't have a blanket big enough to cover everything, so we let them run to their stockings before breakfast. My first Reynolds Christmas I learned the harsh tradition of breakfast before presents. And not even waffles--we are talking cracked wheat with Christmas bliss hanging out around the corner. I told Daman I'd tow the line, but we were going to have a proper Christmas breakfast at least. So, we did our favorite overnight waffles, strawberries and whipped cream Then, we took some time to read and talk about Christ's birth in Luke 2 as well as the events marking His birth on the American continent. Then, we each talked about what we were going to give Jesus this year. We wrote down our promises and put them in a special little chest that will remind us of them. There should be a lot more sharing going on around here this year. . .

The standard stocking fare: pomegranates, pistachios, and Dollar Tree delights

We were planning on the cabin being our main Christmas gift as a family, so we didn't have many presents, but they were given/made with love. Daman received a hand-crafted "Happy Can" filled with coupons and notes about how awesome he is. Order yours today!

What a jock.

FIRST CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

(pay no attention that scary looking mom in the green shirt)

Isaac really wanted a watch--SURPRISE!! He updated us with the time every three minutes the entire day. Thanks.

A hefty dose of Christmas spirit. . .

Though Grandma Lulu couldn't make it up for Christmas because of the weather, she surprised us with a visit just a few days later! It was great to see her and she gave Lucy her very first tea set and lots of "food" for her little play kitchen. Isaac and Lucy have been busy cooks ever since.

Mom's birthday is Dec. 27th--so she sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. This year I gathered lots of old pictures, high school pictures and programs, and newspaper clippings that Mom had stashed in random boxes. It was fun to put together and learn even more about my Mom and her many talents. What a woman!

Phew. That was a whole lot of posting. We had a wonderful Christmas and are so grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ and the blessings He gives us--especially the gift of Eternal Family. We hope you all had a wonderful, jolly Christmas and are geared up and ready for a fantastic new decade. We didn't get a newsletter out. Moving right before Thanksgiving really set me back a bit. Perhaps a Valentine's family newsletter. . .