Merry Christmas 2007

Just a quick post to comment on our Christmas festivities...

Yesterday we went to Luke's parents to exchange gifts with his family and then last night after 4:00 Mass, his entire family (or a lot of them anyway) gathered at Joan's house for their annual dinner and gift swap. The boys looked so cute yesterday. Adam and Kendall gave them matching John Deere hoodies--which they put on immediately, wore again today and will probably wear again tomorrow! The only reason they took them off was to change into their church clothes...and my, did they look handsome!

Patrick was psyched because he got to hang out with Rebeckah at Joan's house. She looked beautiful. We really do not see her enough anymore. He was so happy to see her! He also got in his Caleb time, although from the looks of these two with their heads together like that, does anyone else think we ought to be worried?

My boys lookin' so smoooooth...especially Ben with his Rico Suave chocolate milk mustache!

When we got home, we put out our milk and cookies (and oats for the reindeer), read The Night Before Christmas, sang a Christmas lullaby, and then nestled our sleepy heads snug in our beds. It was a late night, so the boys slept in this morning. I hated to wake them, but Luke had to be at work at 11:00 (we were lucky to get that--his shift usually starts at 8:00), so we went up to drag them out of bed. We needn't have fretted. Patrick shot out of bed like a cannon and ran downstairs. He was not disappointed! I won't bore you with details, but it was a fun morning and the boys were thrilled with Santa's goodies. Patrick's favorite gift was two truck sticker books. It was all he asked for this year. We were glad Santa could deliver.

One of Patrick's presents was a scooter, but since it was raining outside, he and Ben took it for a spin around the kitchen. Ben had a ball opening gifts...this is year has been the first time that he's even begun to grasp the idea of presents, so that made it all the merrier. Altogether, it was a really sweet and cozy Christmas morning with just the fam.

Merry Christmas to everyone out there in Bloggerland, as well as to any random readers. We have had a truly blessed year. I was listening to The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra the other day, and the chorus ends with "Merry Christmas, may your New Years dreams come true..." and it struck me that in 2007, ours did. Last year at this time, Luke was getting ready to tackle full-time school plus full-time job--which left me full-time alone--and we didn't know how things would turn out, or if there would even be a payoff. I'm glad to say there was, and now we're happier than ever. I hope for all of you that your New Years dreams come true. Merry Christmas!