While (finally) going through Christmas pictures to choose some to upload, it struck me, as it often does, how incredibly lucky we are. The pictures on my screen showed an extended family full of wonderful people who love each other, support each other, and genuinely want to spend time together. There are smiling children, caught up in the joy and miracle of Christmas. There are proud parents trying to hold on to every second of those fleeting childhoods. There are aunts and uncles and grandparents who love our kids almost as much as we do, and cousins who are loving every minute of growing up together. 2012 was another very tough year for us, and ending it with our favorite people. We are hoping that 2013 is a great year for us, and one that allows us to endure less stress, spend more of our energy on our kids, and worry less about the future. We hope for the same for all of you!
The pictures are all out of order, but the red outfits are all Christmas Eve, and the blue are Christmas Day. I was pretty proud of myself for coordinating everyone's attire. I didn't need Pinterest or anything.
This picture of Jack is from about 5:30pm on Christmas Eve. If he thought he was tired then...
Poor Mairead had been fighting a cold for a while so her little nose is all red and sore. She still looked adorable and so grown up in her fancy coat from my mom. Her dress for Christmas Eve belonged to her cousin, Rachael. Thanks, Rach!
Christmas morning was awesome. It was magical, exciting, happy, and fun. And the kids liked it, too. The boys had been asking and asking if Santa were going to bring a Batcave. We told them that they had to be good and that we were sure Santa would bring something they would love. Ben was first to run into the room and he bounded in, saw it, and just breathed, "Wow." He was nearly speechless. All three kids are at a great age for Christmas and we soaked up every second of seeing them marvel at everything. It was awesome.
Mother Nature was even kind enough to give us just enough snow for a picture perfect White Christmas.
Ben is Superman, Jack is Batman.
Jen and Mike gave all of the kids their own head lamps. These are pretty much a birthright in our family and get a lot of use. The kids use them to run around, be Batman, and explore the 'Batcave' that is their bedroom at night. The boys use them nearly every day lately and have a lot of fun with them.
Thank you to everyone who made this holiday so special for our kids. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday by far, and has always been very important to me. I try to do whatever I can to make sure that the people I love have a special day, and that makes it a special day for me. Watching my kids' looks of wonder was just the best- it was overwhelming how much happiness they brought. The gifts the kids received were so thoughtful and so generous- we just can't thank our family and friends enough. Special thanks to Santa, who stopped by Danny and Katie's again this year. The boys are still too afraid to sit on his lap, but Mairead and Lily loved it, and Santa's visit always makes the night so festive and exciting. We are so blessed.
