Christmas morning...

This was really our first Christmas to experience with Keane and Gracie. Of course they were with us last year but they were so young that we opened all their gifts for them (I think while they were napping). So, this year it was really fun to anticipate how excited they would be opening all of the gifts and getting all of their new toys. It was also fun to think about traditions to start as a family and ways to really teach Keane and Gracie about the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas morning I know that Ryan and I were more excited than Keane and Gracie. They still really didn't understand and to them it was just a normal day. Once they woke up and came outside to see their gifts they were excited. They had fun opening the gifts. The only thing was that once they opened one they just wanted to play with it and didn't care to open any other ones. It was fun to watch them watching us as we put the toy aside and gave them a new toy to open. With each one they were excited and they saw the pile of toys growing. They had a great time afterwards playing with all of their new toys. We are certainly blessed and very thankful for all that we have. Ryan's parents had sent a box of toys for Keane and Gracie and Ryan and I had gotten them a few things. Experiencing this day with Keane and Gracie and all of the emotions that went along with it and picking out just the right gifts for them, etc really made me appreciate, in a whole new way, the many ways that my parents made Christmas special for us each year growing up. I am so thankful for my wonderful childhood memories at Christmas. Being a parent gives you such a perspective into life that I have never experienced before. I am really loving it and could not be more thankful to be Keane and Gracie's mom.

One of the traditions we have decided to start as a family is making Jesus a birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to him on Christmas day. I think it is a great way for Keane and Gracie to understand at a very early age that Christmas is the time that we celebrate Jesus' birthday. This year I made cupcakes and I look forward to making the cake with K and G helping to decorate in future years. I think it will be something really fun and special for us to do together each year!