Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay

God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah 

{A Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton}

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I am so thankful for what Christ's birth means and so thankful for family to celebrate with. We have talked a lot about the Christmas story with Cambry this year and she can tell it really well. We need to video her telling the story because it is the cutest thing. She will say "Then the Angel said 'Mary you are going to have a baby.' And Mary said 'I'm too young to have a baby!' They were kinda like teenagers" Then later she will say "Joseph said, 'Inkeeper can I have a hotel room please?' But he said nooooo." I love hearing her tell it. We did our book tradition again this year and that was fun for Cambry to open one each day.

On Christmas Eve Eve my parents came over and we had a nice dinner and opened gifts together. Cambry was so excited about her gifts. We will have to try out her new tricycle soon! 

The next day we loaded up the car and drove to Waco. Cambry and Lainey had so much fun with their cousins. Anderson and Lainey are such a pair. Anderson just loves on her and it is the sweetest thing. Lainey loved Hollyn too and gave her lots of snuggles and hugs. We went to Christmas Eve service and all the kids did surprisingly well.

The Bryants came over on Christmas morning in their jammies after they had their Christmas at home. We let Cambry and Lainey open their stockings and one gift and then saved the rest until the afternoon. Cambry didn't even mind. They just played and had fun and we all had lunch together. Then after naps we opened gifts.

And here is the crazy part. We could not get Cambry to open all her gifts. She was having so much fun with all the toys - and mostly the ones that weren't even hers - that she WOULD NOT stop playing to open her other gifts. And she really didn't even have tons and tons of gifts. We only got her 3 gifts, and she would only open 2. She was in love with the shovel/rake/lawnmower set we got for Anderson and then once Nana and Pops gave Lainey the red wagon there was just no getting Cambry to open anything else.

I did not get a picture with the Bryants because it was taken on their camera!

Even by the end of the night Cambry was still not wanting to open any more gifts. The next day the boys went hunting and Cambry never even mentioned her other gifts. We had a fun day shopping and going to the children's museum. Around 8pm that night after the boys had gotten back we asked Cambry if she wanted to open her big gift. She finally wanted to and was so excited to get a dollhouse from Nana and Pops. 

We headed back to Houston on Saturday and Cambry stayed a few extra days with her Grandparents and cousins. We pick her up tomorrow. I miss her tons but I know she is having SO much fun with them. Isn't motherhood the strangest thing? You think all you want is a break from the responsibility of watching kids, but as soon as you get away from them you miss them so much. However it has been really nice having one-on-one time with Lainey.

We had such a wonderful Christmas. Everything is so much fun with kids. Cute Christmas outfits, seeing Cambry's excitement while opening her stocking, decorating a gingerbread house together, and sitting together at church. I have so much to be thankful for. Merry Christmas!