A Christmas Story

Our family Christmas celebration was on Saturday, December 19th, just two days before we planned to board a plane to head to the midwest. We started the evening with dinner. Joe and I were the only ones that ate since cheesy tortilla and applesauce weren't on the menu. The girls enjoyed their milk and bread, however.

After dinner, we put the Yule log on.

For those unfamiliar with this tradition (I'm guessing that's nearly everyone), I will explain. It started many years ago with Crazy Man Tim. Each year after Christmas when the tree was being taken down he would save a piece of the trunk from the Christmas tree, remove its branches and store it for use to ceremonially begin the Christmas festivities on the following year. The tradition continues at our house, which is a good thing, since Joe's dad LOST the Yule log at his house this year. There's usually some fanfare, spinning of the log, and ridiculous singing involved as the yule log makes it's way into the fire (thus the goofy expression on Joe's face). Each family makes the yule log tradition it's own, and Joe has made our home unique in that he saves our ENTIRE tree in the backyard all year long in some hidden corner of the yard until he cuts it up the day before Christmas. Less chance of losing a whole tree, I guess. Either way, it was a beautiful fire.

After the Yule Log hit the fire, Joe read the Christmas story from Luke 2. As he began reading, Xandra, on her own accord, ran over to the Christmas tree where we kept our Nativity set, and dutifully brought back each of the characters in the story one by one as Joe mentioned them until the scene and story were complete. It was very sweet that she understood enough of the story of Jesus to be able to identify the characters and find them under the tree. Theia, of course, got in on the action, too,

and happily wrestled Liyah to the ground when she curiously crawled over to see what the fun was all about.

The wrestling quickly stopped at the mention of present opening.

Liyah went first, as she had just two presents:

clearance onesies, a homemade skirt, and a matching shirt.

She headed off to bed and the big girls dug into their presents.

Xandra opened her kitty skirt, pink shirt, and matching bear outfit first. She and bear promptly tried on the outfits and found the fit to be perfect.

Theia went next, and surprisingly enough, found the same contents inside her package. She and her bear also tried their new clothes on.

One of her other gifts was a bear pillowcase (pictured above). She happily sleeps with it on her pillow every night.

Outfit number two for Xandra and some feety jammies (pandas and polka dots). She had outgrown all of her feeted jammies recently and was quite saddened by this, so seeing new jammies was VERY exciting!

The girls also received a table and chairs. My grandmother and I both played with this table and chairs when we were children. They have been sitting in one of our sheds for the two years we've lived here, and finally this winter I decided to get them out and refinish them for the girls.

Since I do most of the shopping and planning at Christmas, it is our tradition that Joe buys the girls one present just from him. His present is usually a big hit and this year was no exception.

This lion has a steel frame and can hold up to 150 pounds, yet he's light enough for the girls to drag him from one corner of the house to the other many times each day.

We finished the night off wrapped in blankets on the front porch drinking hot cocoa from snowman cups. The cups were a present from Joe to Xandra our very first Christmas with her. Our tradition is to drink from them each year after present opening.

The girls headed to bed and Joe and I shared a quiet present opening of our own before we said, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."