Christmas 2009

God is Good! He is really really good! This year we were blessed in more ways than we could imagine. It was a wonderful Christmas season full of family and love.

This year was the first year that Nathan and I did not travel on Christmas. The usual tradition is to be at my mom and dads house on Christmas Eve for our big party with my family and friends. After everyone is gone we head to mid-night Mass and then to bed to dream of Sugar Plums dancing in our heads while waiting for Santa! Christmas day we get up, open gifts and then make the drive to Nathan's family to spend a few days with them. Well...this year needed to be a little different.  My brother now lives in Chicago and had to work on Christmas Eve and Nathans new store is opening soon and since he has had to work a lot, we decided to move Christmas to our house. I  wasn't so sure about this to start with- but it turned out to be wonderful.

Christmas Eve we went to our Church for an awesome Christmas service with my mom, and Nathans parents. This was really cool and special for us- it would have been a perfect night if only dad, Gavin and Mark, Mandy, Morgan & Marek could have been there too!   All of us in the pew together sigining wonderful Christmas songs and celebrating the reason for the season...the birth of Jesus was a memory I will always cherish. After church Nathan's parents headed home and we went back to our house to spend time with Mom & Gavin. We enjoyed each others company and shared many laughs.

Christmas day we woke up(well- Mom & Gav) woke us up and to our surprise Santa had visited! We enjoyed a morning full of opening stocking stuffed with goodies, eating a yummy breakfast and opening our presents that were under the tree! Santa was very good to all of us!


















After enjoying present time, my moms brothers family and my grandpa drove over to spend the day. We had fun playing games and telling stories. Just as we were sitting down to eat the door bell rang and much to our surprise Nathan's parents made the effort and drive up to see us! It really meant alot to us and we were so thankful they came. We were all able to sit down and enjoy a huge feast together. After dinner and a few more games everyone headed home because the weather started getting bad. We were sad to see them go but SOOO thankful that we were all together.


mom & grandma working on the ham! 

      

Once everyone had left we all enjoy a little R &R time. Gavin put together his new Lego(a tradition since he has been about 3), Nathan tested out his new stuff, and Mom and I watched a Christmas movie! Nathan and I went on a walk and braved the weather so I could test out my new coat too!  We also enjoy a few games of euchre and ate leftovers before heading to bed.

The only thing missing this season was my dad. There is not a day that goes by that I don't miss him, however, the holidays make it even harder. I have so many wonderful memories of our Christmas mornings together as a family and I know how much he would love having all of us together. He had such an amazing faith and I know that he is smiling down on all of us while he celebrates in Heaven.