Holiday Recap: Christmas 2011

We had a busy, but wonderful Christmas season this year. We were in Christmas mode from the day after Thanksgiving right up until, well, let's just say our Christmas tree was down before MLK day! Some of the highlights of this year were:

Breakfast with Santa - Now, if I'm being honest

this one got off to a rather

rocky start! I don't

remember all the details, but I think it was one of our first attempts at being anywhere early dressed and ready as a family of six! What I do remember is finally arriving and

sitting down to eat, and Will looking across

the table to his cousin, saying loudly, "Hey Zoe! Did your mama and daddy get in a big fight on the way here too?" Thanks buddy. As it turned out, we did have a good time, and this wound up to be a big day for our family because later that afternoon, we had...

Lucie's Dedication - We were so happy to dedicate Lucie at TPC Spring Hill with both Tato and Uncle Derek

on had for the service. Lucie's service was very sweet, with a

small group of parents and children gathering to promise to raise their children according to principles of Scripture. Lucie wore the same dress that I wore when I was dedicated, just as Sophie and Lillie did as well. There was a great reception following the service, and it was a special time to pray for our family, specifically for Lucie that she will come to know and accept the great love that Jesus has for her.

Walk through Bethlehem - This was another big day for our family as we were celebrating Uncle Derek's 30th birthday! After church and cake we continued with one of my favorite activities of the Christmas season. The Walk through Bethlehem put on by Woodmont Christian each year is truly an can't-miss event! Your family is transported back in time to Bethlehem, and you experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the first Christmas. The sheer number of volunteers and then the attention to detail that those volunteers put in makes this day an incredible gift from Woodmont Christian to the city of Nashville. I could and should write an entire post just about this

event, but some of the highlights include:

• the amazing foods the children try (Sophie's favorite this year was pomegranate seeds)
• the various animals the kids get to see and pet!
• the crafts the kids make - this year our crew all made dolls to give to the baby Jesus
• the gorgeous set - I've said before that other than a Disney experience, I've never been so "transported" as I am during Walk through Bethlehem. The church does such an amazing job not only with beautiful and historically accurate props, but also with music and smells of spices and animals that make it hard to remember that you are smack in the middle of Green Hills!
• the incredible way the actors all remain in character and interact with the children - From the Roman soldiers whom the kids are told to protect Baby Jesus from to the village people who are so amazingly knowledgeable about their
• jobs in the town to the beautiful actors who play the familiar faces of the nativity story, the whole experience helps Scripture come alive for children and adults.

Sleigh Ride at Shadrach's - We didn't know quite what

to expect from the Christmas event, but it turned out to blend two of our families favorite

things - Christmas and the fair! After a fun sleigh ride (I think it was actually a

hay ride without hay because of the size of our family), our "colorful" driver

dropped us off at Santa's tent, where the kids had a blast riding expensive carnival rides while the adults enjoyed feasting on expensive fair food! It was not a typical Christmas experience, but we truly had a blast, only to go back to Patti-Grams and Tato's for our first...

Big Family Christmas Get Together - Lucie met Mee-Maw

and Big Dad for the first time, and the next day we all met Leo for the first time! It was a

super-short visit before a longer visit closer to

Christmas, but we were all excited to see one another.

Christmas with Aunt Judy - We kicked off our celebrations with family by getting together with Aunt Judy and exchanging Christmas gifts. This was also Lucie's first chance to meet

Aunt Judy! These were the kids' first Christmas presents (Zoe's first ever!), and they were all truly grateful and excited! It was great to spend some time with Aunt Judy and to spread the holiday fun out a bit so the kiddos didn't get so overwhelmed.

Sophie's Gingerbread Decorating Party - I'm not

quite sure how Sophie talked me into having a party the week of Christmas, two

months after moving to a new house and one month after having a new baby, but she invited the second grade girls over to decorate gingerbread on December 20th, and we had a great time! Patti-Grams, Aunt Tori, and Aunt Hope all helped us to get ready, and Uncle Derek had Will for the

afternoon, so I was able to focus on Sophie and her friends. We had several sweet girls, some siblings, and their moms, plus plenty of cookies and icing for everyone! I was so

proud of my "homemade" gingerbread cookies, that I'd stocked up on in the freezer section at Target. The highlight of the desert table was the gingerbread house, that was actually a gorgeous cake made and decorated by our friend Michele.

Ice at Opryland Hotel - For Aunt Tori's 30th birthday, we had an

awesome birthday cake and then bundled up and headed out to look at lights at Opryland

Hotel and visit Ice with the Merry Madagascar characters. We all enjoyed the amazing sculptures featuring the

Madagascar crew, but the ice slides were a huge hit too! I think everyone was actually most amazed by the ice nativity at the end of the exhibit. After taking the very worst picture with Santa

that my kids have ever made, we walked about 50 miles to a restaurant we'd heard was great, only to find the wait was several hours (even though we didn't see anyone waiting). Needless to say, we cut our losses and headed back to Patti-Grams and Tato's for...

Big Family Christmas - It was then time to celebrate Christmas

with Mee-Maw and Papa, Pammie and Joy,

Jamie, Ry-Dog, and Leo. We had a ball, taking some special pictures with Mee-Maw and Papa (which I can't wait to see and

post), and we even squeezed in some last minute shopping. Ry-Dog

didn't get into town until later in the

evening, so we were a little worried about

the kids making it without a meltdown, but they all did amazing. They had a blast opening presents, playing and spending time with Baby Leo!

Christmas Eve Service - This was Zoe (and Lucie's) first Christmas Eve service, and

as Sophie pointed out, her first as a Christian because she was sick for last year's service. Christmas Eve at TPC is always a beautiful service, and this year was no exception. I was

overwhelmed with how many blessings we'd been given since last year. Last Christmas Eve,

I was celebrating Lillie's very first Christmas, and this year, she was the big sister. Last year, I was so wishing Zoe was with us, and this year, she sat laughing and playing with

her co

usins, already fully a part of our family. Last year, I had no idea that I would be

cradling another sweet baby in my arms, and this year, I celebrated the birth of my Savior with sweet Lucie in my arms. And the Christmas Eve service is only the beginning of what turns out to be one of our latest and hardest-working nights of the year, all to get ready for...

Christmas Morning - Again, the difference of one year was amazing! Santa must

have brought an extra sleigh to bring all the gifts to Patti-Grams and Tato this year! Jesus had a birthday, but Sophie, Zoe, Will,

Lillie, and Lucie got the gifts! There was too much excitement and too many presents to name them all, but Santa brought a few extra special presents. For Sophie, there was an Egyptian playmobil set, for Zoe, a Loving Family dollhouse and family, for Will, a Cars 2 World Grand Prix set,

and for Lillie, presents galore including a special Minnie

Mouse playset. Lucie hadn't put in any special requests, but even she got a gigantic pink teddy bear! Patti-Grams and Tato gave the kiddos special gifts as well, with Sophie getting a Playmobil dream castle, Zoe, a trunk full of costumes, Will, a train desk, Lillie, a piano, and Lucie, a beautiful blanket and pillow. We had a great breakfast, a truly amazing lunch, a much-needed rest, and then a special birthday party for Jesus, complete with Tato reading the Christmas story. We had so much excitement packed into 24 hours, the adults could have slept for the next 24 hours. If only the kiddos had felt the same way!

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, and this year was such a special one. I know these are the years that our children will remember when they think back on their "childhood Christmases," and I am so thankful for the memories they are making and for the precious people they are making them with.