Christmas Eve 2015

Typically, as I've posted in years past, the Vaught side of my family spends Christmas Eve together. As our family grows though, we are getting a little too big for anyone's house, and it is a lot of work for someone to host such a big gathering. Aside from the one year when the celebration got cancelled because of snow, I can't remember us ever not being together, but thankfully we still were able to see each other at Granny's the next morning.

I actually got to spend the evening with my church family instead at a dinner they were hosting for those in need while Dave spent some extra time with the kids at home. It was such a nice evening to enjoy time in conversation with all these wonderful people I've come to love over the past couple years. It was also fun to do some baking in preparation. I really enjoy making cakes but had never tried the coconut cake that my mom makes annually for both Christmas and Easter (both for nostalgic purposes in remembering her Grandma Gladys' cakes as well as because my cousin Kevin LOVES them). Instead of just buying something store bought, I wanted to bring something special and to me the cakes Mom makes at Christmas have that little extra touch, so I decided to try it with detailed instructions from her. I didn't do anything fancy, but I felt pretty proud to be following in her footsteps.

I also saw a fun idea on Facebook or Pinteresr of how to make Christmas tree brownies and stayed up way too late playing the night before creating these:

When I got back, there was still some time to spend together before it was time to turn in. We even had some visitors! Aunt Courtney stopped by to drop off a few special projects she had been working on for the kids.

Love it!

Is that Elsa?

I'm not sure which one was my favorite!

A present for Hoss from Caleb too

I tried to get my mom to stay the night with us again this year like she did last time, but she decided she would just come over early the next morning instead. NaNa did stay to help put the babies to bed though, which they loved, of course.

Meanwhile, Hoss and I were downstairs wrapping presents as everyone got ready to snuggle down to sleep. And, when I thought it was safe, I started laying out the goodies. As Dave always teases me, I'm not as sneaky as I think I am sometimes. Right as I was in the process of arranging it all, I hear Hadley's voice from just outside my bedroom as she peeked through the spindles, proclaiming that she saw a little bed down there. Mom tried to shew her back in the room, but on and on she kept babbling about "What was that little bed?...I saw a bed down there." Ooops! 

It wasn't long though before the house was silent...tomorrow would be a big day. :)

Christmas Spirit

Homeschooling has really thrown off our schedule in a lot of ways, and in this first learning year, there are some areas where I just don't have the time or the energy to put in extra effort. That's how Christmas decorating was this year. We ended up putting up a tree and a couple wreaths and called it good. To be honest, that was all we really needed anyway. It was enough to make us feel that warm, cozy Christmasy feeling without being anxious about getting EVERYTHING out only to have to pack it all away again. In some ways, I feel like God is helping me to set more realistic, purposeful goals lately and let the rest go. 

Though we got our tree up on Thanksgiving, it wasn't until a couple weeks later that we actually got some ornaments up. Dave - the old Scrooge (wink, wink) - tried to get us to just leave it bare, but the kids were excited to add some creative touches. Hadley was particularly interested in whose ornaments where whose as we pulled them out and they learned which ornaments were given to them in years past. 

The kids were all old enough this go around that the tree decorating experience was pretty relaxing and fun. Though an ornament or two may have been damaged along the way and there was glitter spread around the room, it was worth it. I grabbed the breakables and put them up top, but the kids still had plenty to put on the lower limbs. It was funny to see how they'd cluster a bunch together in one small area. They also helped Granny to decorate her tree again so they are becoming professionals. Next year I may have to hire them out...

(Believe it or not, it's still up...we'll get to taking it down one of these days.)

The trickiest part was keeping the kids from fiddling with the lights, rearranging the ornaments, and climbing/hiding in the tree (cough*Caleb*cough) in the days and weeks that followed. Reid kept wanting to get his little hands on the presents underneath as well!

And, while beautiful decor may be part of what gets many folks in the Christmas spirit, one of the best parts of the season this year for me was watching Caleb develop a love of giving. I'm not sure what prompted this eagerness in him - maybe the gifts from Grandma Swan and Grandpa McKinstry that he'd gotten to open early, maybe the fun of shopping, but he had so much fun going with Dave to the dollar store to pick out gifts for everyone. To Dave's surprise he didn't want to stop at just his siblings or parents either; all the grandparents, Aunt Courtney and Uncle Brandon, Lydia and Luke, and Dan all made his list. And, once he got the gifts, he couldn't wait to give them. (I know just how he feels!) Almost as soon as he got back he wrapped up my gift and brought it to me to open.

He told me probably a week prior that he was going to buy me roses but then kept asking me if I remembered, hopeful that I'd forgotten so he could surprise me. As soon as he got in the store, Dave said he went straight for these. He was so proud, as he pointed out to me, that these flowers would never die.

While the younger ones were napping, Dave helped him wrap the rest of the gifts, and Caleb proudly arranged them under the tree with the others I'd done previously. 

As soon as Hadley and Reid were up, he was ready to give them what he'd picked out. 

Hadley was absolutely thrilled with her fairy wings. Though Dave mentioned to him in the store that she already had some pink wings, Caleb insisted that these were different - he's a kid who notices detail. 

I love Caleb's expression here - the joy of giving on his face.

Thank you, Caleb.

Any time someone came to visit that he had a present for, Caleb quickly went to find their package. He said, since he and his siblings got to open a few early, it was okay for people to open the gifts from him early too.

Caleb wasn't the only one who brightened our December by demonstrating true Christmas spirit. Listening to Hadley act out the story of Christ's birth on the Nativity set Grandma McKinstry bought us years ago made us melt too. Acted out and narrated in her sweet little voice, it was enough to make anyone's heart overflow.

Sometimes you wonder if you're doing it right...if in all the busyness of this time of year if the kids really get what Christmas is about. It is in little things like this where you see God at work in their hearts and you realize that He is the one who puts that joy of giving in us...writes on hearts the message of love...and fills our spirits with the desire to draw near to Him.

When you've got this many grandparents...

We weren't able to get together with Dave's family for Christmas this year, especially since we just made a trip to the Midwest back in September. However, Grandpa McKinstry and Grandma Swan asked me to pick up a few gifts the kids would enjoy from them. 

Since we knew lots of other family members would be gift-giving Christmas morning, we decided that it would be nice to let the kids open their presents a little early like we did last year. It allows them to focus on and enjoy each present, plus it helps Christmas day not to be so rushed and focused on toy after toy. Last year we started this process a few days prior to Christmas, but this time we let each child open one gift every Saturday in December leading up to the big day. All week the kids would look forward to the end of the week, counting the days. 

The first Saturday they opened presents from Grandma Swan. This was a great pick-me-up since Hadley and Reid had been struggling with sinus infections.

Ready? Set...Go!

While visiting the St. Louis Zoo when Caleb was just over a year old, we picked up a book called Incredible Ocean. Little did we know that it would become a favorite. Thanks to Amazon.com, I found two others in this series - Incredible Earth and  Incredible Animals.

It might not have been a toy like he was expecting, but he was not disappointed!

Thank you, Grandma Swan!

Reid was serious about opening his.

Hadley loved her new ballet gear.

Thanks to Grandma Swan she is all set for the January-May session of Ballet I.

Reid is still working on his...

I originally picked up these magnet tiles for Caleb but then found other items for him instead. It was such a neat set though, I decided to keep it and give it to one of the younger two, and finally decided on Reid as the recipient. Though he may still be a little young for it, I thought he would enjoy the magnets since he loves playing with the ones on the fridge and knew he'd grow into it quickly. He is so hard to shop for anyway since he gets lots of great hand-me downs from his older siblings.

All three of the kids were chomping at the bit to get their hands on it as soon as he ripped the paper off. 

The following week they got to open something from Grandpa.

Caleb was over the top about this thing! After opening it, he shouted that he'd been wanting one, but I actually had no idea he'd even seen one before. I had one when I was a kid and simply picked it up out of nostalgia.

He loves to do artwork. Grandpa made this little fella one happy boy!

For months and months, Hadley has been proclaiming that she is going to have a Princess Sophia birthday. Despite my efforts to get her to choose another option since we did a princess party last year, the decision has stuck. And if you can't beat 'em....join 'em. 

Sophia says thanks, Grandpa.

I found this board game one day at Target and picked it up months ago thinking Hadley might enjoy it, but as Christmas got closer, I thought it might be a good fit for Reid instead since he is the one who LOVES chickens. He doesn't quite know how to play by the rules, but it's okay to do your own thing, right? I really liked that this particular game is collaborative vs. competitive; all players work together towards the same goal so they either win together or lose together - perfect for younger ones who are just learning.

(I actually had to wrap this present twice because after opening the first gift from Grandma the previous week, Reid snuck over and opened some more a couple times when Mommy wasn't watching. Rascal!)

The final Saturday, the kids opened their second gift from Grandpa - gift cards to Build-A-Bear.

Caleb and Hadley love the bears they made before and sleep with them regularly. Both of them, especially Caleb, have been requesting to go again, and since Reid doesn't have his own bear yet, it was a good fit for all of them. Caleb is looking forward to picking one that comes with a free app, Hadley is excited about helping Reid pick out his animal, and Reid has no idea what to expect!

There was also a gift they didn't see yet. While we spent half of the grandparents' gift money on items to open, the rest went into each of the kids' savings accounts, which I am sure they will appreciate more and more the older they get.

One of the greatest parts of this slow process was that we had a chance to stop and talk to the kids about who these gifts came from and why Grandpa and Grandma sent them. This naturally led into a chance to talk about Christ. Having three little ones and so many family members, even if we try to stay modest with gift giving, the number of toys received between all of them can be a bit overwhelming and so we find ourselves constantly looking for ways to focus on what is at the heart of all this activity. We give because He gave to us; it's a demonstration of love - not a burden, not an entitlement. It says, "I am thinking about you, and holding you in my heart." For both the gifts and the sentiments, we are thankful.