Christmas Day!

We are fortunately still in that glorious age where our kids don't really wake up at the crack of dawn on Christmas to see what Santa brought. James climbed in our bed a little after six and asked if we could go see what Santa brought and then promptly fell back to sleep. Around 7:15 or 7:30 I got up and went through my "to do" list - breakfast in the oven, coffee, turn on the trees, turn on Christmas music, get my video camera ready. When I finished my list, I went back to the back and Eddie was up but James was not. He told me, "Y'all go look at your stockings and I'll come later. I need my rest." Well. Let's just say that the next 5-10 minutes weren't pretty. What four-year-old is a grouch on Christmas Day? I seriously had to threaten calling Santa to come back and pick up his stuff. {And no...it was not because I was making him get up. It was all more because he didn't want to leave on his Christmas jammies, read the Christmas story, etc. He was just a grump.}

After we got that all straightened out, it was down the hall to see what Santa brought! Both boys were thrilled with their loot. James seriously got every single thing on his list from either Santa, a grandparent, Will, or us. He was thrilled!

Santa brings three gifts at our house - a reminder of the Three Wise Men and the gifts they brought Jesus. We also try to stick to the rule that we get "Something We Want, Something We Need, Something To Do, Something to Read." Santa brings some of that and we fill in the rest. Mom and Dad also gave two ornaments to each boy this year {they've always gotten them earlier in the year but I waited this year} that represent either their birthday party theme, Halloween costume, or something they just loved.

Santa brought Will a train table {something he we wanted}, a duffle bag {something he needed}, a membership to a local museum {something to do} and three board books {something to read!}. I know that's technically FOUR things, but Santa put the membership in the stocking so it all worked out. James got Will a jeep to go with his Little People zoo, and Eddie and I got Will two ornaments - a Mickey Mouse and a Peter Pan.

Santa got James a guitar {something he wanted}, a duffle bag {something he needed}, a membership to a local museum {something to do}, and the My Father's Dragon trilogy (and a guitar book) {something to read}. Will got James weaponry - the much-wanted bow and arrow set AND a pretend gun because James is slightly obsessed with the idea of "huntin'" right now. Eddie and I got James a pretty neat puzzle game and two ornaments - a Captain Hook and one of Flounder and Sebastian from The Little Mermaid...because he LOVES that movie {it all started with seeing the musical in the spring}.

Santa also stuffed their stockings full of fun things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, bubble bath, chapstick, the most hilarious beard hats, a t-shirt...I can't think of what else...

Excited {and bewildered} boys are ready to see what Santa brought!

This is excitement over a TOOTHBRUSH.

This kid has been in Heaven with this guitar. I have NO CLUE how to tune it, but he seems happy just the same. We were in the car the other day and Darius Rucker's Wagon Wheel came on and he said, "I NEED my guitar so I can sing!!!" Future country music singer? He tells me he's going to be a travel-the-world church worship leader. :)

This is the best I got of the four of us! Whoops! I have a funny picture where we all held up props and it is TOTALLY blurry. You just get one chance with squirmy boys, though.

We forgot one gift for James - the gun from Will - so we told James to close his eyes. Little Brother couldn't NOT do it, too.

And here is the after shot. I've been thinking a lot about how stinking messy Christmas is - the glitter, the Christmas tree needles {even with a fake tree!}, the wrapping paper, the discarded toys, the mixing bowls in the sink, the garbage cans stuffed full - and I'm thinking there's a lesson in there. The past two years for me it's been a LOT more about the the messiness of Christmas rather than Christmas in a pretty little box. REAL Christmas - you know the one where Jesus was born? - was a BIG OLD MESS. The King of kings came into the world - the messy world - in a barn - a messy barn - and his parents put him in a makeshift bed - in a messy animal feed box. No one knew he was coming. No one made it pretty. It was just a big old mess. I thought about that a lot this year. I didn't want to overlook that.

Photo Credit: Anna Simpson. She was a bit ticked that I took a screen shot of her picture and reposted and it got more likes. Mwahahaha.

We spent the rest of the day between Eddie's parents, our house, and my mama's house...I think. It seems like AGES ago, doesn't it?

Merry Christmas, y'all!