Well, this sure was a special week! Each day I slowly picked up a little more steam after having treatment the week before and the anticipation of Christmas really started to build and then...it was here! Three days of celebrations!
December 18
Avery helped me stuff and finalize the bulk of the Christmas cards, both personal and for the business then we took a trip to the post office to get more stamps and mail them out. There was quite a bit of damage from a storm so we were detoured on the way home. Which worked out great because we found this wide open space with a beautiful rainbow in it.
December 19
It had been a long day, but in the evening we coordinated going shopping together for the last "few things". We completed the evening with dinner and a mini-Christmas lights tour and it ended up being really great time together.
December 20
Since I was going to be doing some training in the office close-ish to my dad, I took advantage and invited him to breakfast. Didn't get a picture of us, but there was a cute little snowman tree.
Shaun had an eye exam so I tagged along and enjoy the festive shopping center.
We were playing cards and Aiden was feeling antsy and kept tapping his sister with a roll of wrapping paper while she was trying to have a conversation. Sitting across from her, I took a series of pictures that start out with an aggravated face and end here with her just ignoring while she talks. Ahh, that interesting sibling relationship that none of us get to choose but that shape us so profoundly.
December 21
It's super sweet to see the kids giving gifts.
Nana is an exceptional bow maker and she passed it to her son, who passed it to her son, who is now passing it to his daughter.
"The group" got together to exchange "white elephant" gifts and celebrate the Christmas season.
December 23
Christmas with the Cours! Sarah did a great job making everything relaxed and festive and, for the first time in several years, all the family was there! The kids all love being together and there are little ones who are still excited about presents.
December 24
It was a different Christmas Eve for many reasons. Since is was a Sunday, our church decided to do the traditional candlelight services in the morning. Additionally, we missed the anticipation of our out-of-state family arriving.
Shaun and I stayed after the 8:30 AM service to drive shuttle and work in the finance office, so didn't even get our traditional picture riding to church in one car. We improvised.
The service was extraordinary. It's one of my favorite hours of the year. I cried for half of it, completely undone by The Story. That the King would come as a baby, fully God and fully man, so that he could die on the cross to be the ultimate sacrifice for my sin. What a mystery, what love!
After church Avery went to celebrate with Jack's family so Amanda and Aiden helped me get things ready for the next day. I also took a nap and they opened their Christmas pajamas.
Happy birthday, Jesus!
December 25
CHRISTMAS!! We lost my mom, Juliet and the Boyds to Florida and we only get my brother on alternate years so it was a very small group. The theme of this day: Pass-the-Sweetest-Little-Baby. Ezra's mom is super chill about allowing her to be held by others and what a blessing she has already been, just in one month of life!
It was a low-key, easy day with way too much food and a whole lot of love and laughs.
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