We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Yes, I am still sticking with the song titles for every blog - as I have done for the last few months. I'm a little belated with the Christmas post, but that's nothing new for me. Perhaps I will be better in the new year!

We had a great Christmas celebration as a family - it was nice and low key which we certainly needed after several busy weeks! As has been the tradition for several years now, we went to Doug's parents' church for Christmas Eve service. My parents join us at this service every year and then we head to the Joneses for a Christmas Eve dinner.

In my family growing up, it was a tradition to get to open one present on Christmas Eve, but it wasn't a spoken tradition. We always had to beg our dad on the way home from church service to please let us open something when we got home. He would give us plenty of reasons why we couldn't and shouldn't and then ultimately, he would relent and let us pick something. I'm going to carry on the same tradition but I'm not going to make Katie beg - but I am going to be the one to pick what she opens. Is that selfish?

Katie's Christmas eve present was a children's board book (perfect for her because she puts all books in her mouth) about the true meaning of Christmas. I want her to always realize the reason we're giving each other gifts this time of year is to celebrate the beginning of God's perfect plan for our salvation, the birth of His son and our Savior, Jesus!

Like most other one year olds, Katie enjoyed the wrapping and ribbon more than the actual gifts. She had fun playing with her Aunt Nancy and her new green ribbon!

I did tell Katie about Santa and that he only comes on the condition of her good behavior. I caught her looking out the window watching for him later. Please excuse our makeshift tree - we actually didn't get a tree this year and at the last minute, we decided to bring in one of the trees from the porch to put all the presents underneath!

Doug had a present picked out for me as my Christmas Eve gift too! It was some pajamas for me and matching ones for Katie (or maybe the other way around since they came from The Children's Place)! I know it is very cheesy and I can't believe I'm even posting this horrendous picture of me, but I thought it was the sweetest thing in the world! I have a feeling this is going to be a new tradition for me!

Then it was off to bed with Katie so that Santa and his elves could get to work. She slept until 5:45 am, she must've know that something was up! We had a realxing morning at home with Doug's parents. We exchanged gifts from one another and Katie had fun pulling things out of her stocking.

Around 11:30, Doug's siblings (minus the DeVoe clan) came over for lunch and more presents. Katie got two little purses for Christmas which she totally loves! Grandma and Grandpa Jones got her a plush purse with plush phone, makeup compact, keys, and coin purse. It is seriously cute. And Cousin Dylan got her a purse shaped like a horse that she has filled with all sorts of things. I think I saw Aunt Mari coveting the horse purse seeing as she's a horse vet.

And speaking of Aunt Mari, she and Eric announced that they are pregnant and due in August. We are so excited for the two of them. Katie's hoping for a girl cousin to play with but we will be happy for either one! Whatever it is, it will enjoy the outdoors and absolutely love animals and will help Katie and her parents learn to be more laid back!

After all of that excitement, we headed over to my parents to hang out with them and Aunt Nancy and Uncle Gabriel who made the two day drive from Texas to share Christmas with us! We had a great time hanging out and exchanging more fun gifts! We got some great gifts for our new house including a clock, some gift cards to Home Depot, and a fun poem from my parents telling us they're going to handle getting all of the blinds for the new house! We were so excited! They also got Katie a playset for the backyard that will be fun to have for our little nature loving girl!

The Lord has really blessed us in 2009, as he always does. We have learned so much as new parents and I can't wait to see what the new year holds for us. My only wish is that it wouldn't go quite as fast. I want the time to go slower or atleast I hope I cherish each moment more.