Merry Christmas!

I think was the latest we've ever officially started Christmas morning. Of course, Ryan and I were up several times through out the morning, but sometime after 5 he finally went to sleep. I didn't wake again until about 8.30 when Johnathon knocked on our bedroom door. The most surprising thing about that is it's usually me who can't wait to wake everyone up.

The morning got off to a slow start. We always have the children eat a little bit before we open presents and Deborah was lingering at the table. She said she wanted to go back to bed. The lure of presents didn't even seem to excite her. Eventually she said her tummy was hurting. I offered to let her go back to bed, but Daddy wisely suggested she just lie down on the couch in the living room. So she did.

I took my breakfast (egg whites over arugula with lots of feta cheese & a little salsa and a cold glass of high pulp orange juice) into the living room and staked out a place next to Ryan on the floor where I could open presents. Unfortunately one bite into my breakfast & Daddy's big feet knocked my glass of orange juice over. Luckily most of it was on the wood floor which cleaned up pretty easily and the rest was on my plate. Dwight was going to throw it away & make me a new plate, but that seemed quite wasteful to me. So, I had him just pour off the juice & it actually gave a really yummy flavor. Hmmm... maybe tomorrow I'll add it on purpose.

Anyway ... we soon got started. Daddy always passes out the presents. One to each person. We opened up a couple of presents and then Ryan started vomiting. Stuff like that with Ryan is just kind of part of life around our house so Jacob grabbed some rags, Jessica grabbed the cleaner stuff, I cleaned him up, and the festivities continued. Hardly a beat skipped.

A few minutes later Deborah was standing next to Daddy when I noticed what looked like peanut butter on her pajama sleeve. I suggested to Dwight that it needed to be cleaned off. That's when we discovered that it wasn't peanut butter, but it was vomit. In between unwrapping her gifts, she had thrown up on the back of the couch, and just continued unwrapping gifts. Apparently, no one had noticed and she hadn't said anything.

So I took her upstairs to get her cleaned up while one of the kids grabbed towels to protect the couch in case of future problems, and Daddy cleaned up the couch. While we were upstairs she said to me, "Throwing up on Christmas is stupid."

We eventually made it through the rest of the presents and everyone seemed very happy. I'm sure Santa was very glad to hear of their gratitude.

The kids chose to have sandwiches and munchies for the rest of the day. It made for a very relaxing day for Dwight and I. We didn't spend the whole day cooking. I missed it ... oh, wait, no, I really didn't. :)

Overall it's just been a wonderful day with the munchkins! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful children.

I hope that you too are enjoying a very blessed Christmas and that wherever in the world you are this night that you are enjoying this season. I hope that in the busy-ness of the season that you have found a few moments to think of Him. I know not all believe, but I know without a doubt that thousands of years ago the prophesied messiah was born to a humble mother and father in a lowly manger. I cannot imagine being his mother. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to watch his life. I wonder how much Mary understood. But, I know without a doubt that I have a Savior who loves me, and who loves you. I know that the greatest gift I have been given has come because of Him. This I know. In your quietest moments, I hope you know these things too.

Merry Christmas!