Tender Tennessee Christmas

Well, we spent our first Christmas together ALONE as a family...it was really surprising to me how much we enjoyed it. Not to say that we didn't miss our family members back home, but we were able to create our own memories and traditions with our kids for the first time...and it was precious. 

Our day consisted of waking up WAY too early, excitement over Santa and the missing cookies and milk and fumbling out from under the covers to find glasses and bathrobes much like my parents used to do. The kids dove into the sea of presents with their eyes darting back and forth like crazys and all the while I'm saying, "Hold on just wait...let mommy make some coffee." Then as Im filling the pot with semi brown water from the old pot yesterday (too tired to care) I hear Nathan continuing to calm lil guys down...chomping at the bit to tear into every gift in sight! Reminded me so much of my own childhood memories.

We had my moms traditional Christmas breakfast, Egg Strada (let me know if you want the recipe its to die for!) and we just spent the day together relaxing and playing! The kids played with their toys literally from sun up to sun down, the fire crackled all day warm and glowy...and even a little bit of snow fell outside our windows that day. I pretended that it was a special gift from Santa just for me right before I dozed off under a heavy blanket for an afternoon snooze. A Christmas Story played in the background, the kids had relocated upstairs, and I was in pure bliss. We had PJ's on all day, we ate leftover beef stew (WAY better on day two) and warm crusty ciabatta bread for dinner, and Santa stuffed or stockings with plenty of chocolate goodies.

It was a day for the books...a day to remember. Our first Christmas as a family. Tuckers favorite toy is a toss up between the Criss Cross Crasher and his new Leapster game...Isaac loves his Thomas the Train Logging Adventure. Nate was happy with his books and CDs, and pretty much knew what he was getting unfortunetly...but me...well...I was most happy to have my babies wake up out of their warm Disney themed beds and creep downstairs to a Christmas of their own. That was what made it most special to me.

Mom: "Tucker whats Christmas all about?"
Tuck: "Jesus' birthday..."
Mom: "Who is Jesus?
Tuck: "God..."
Mom: "What do you think of Jesus?"
Tuck: "I think he is beatiful."
Mom: "Why?"
Tuck: "He died on the cross for us...he is nice."
Isaac: "Jesus is da gweatest GIFT! Dats wat I learned at church!"

Love those boys. Thank you Lord for your son Jesus Christ...and thank you for my boys too.