Well I just about had a pre-holiday stress breakdown last week, but Christmas was actually pretty ok.  If you had talked to me on Tuesday, I was pretty sure that things were going to be rotten.  We had NO presents wrapped, had NOT figured out who we were seeing when for Christmas, didn't have our oldest son's present, had not gotten the house tidy (in case someone came to visit), and we had NOT gotten to just relax and enjoy being together.  Everything was just feeling so rushed. 

Thankfully Tony pretty much "saved" Christmas.  He wrapped the presents while I finished up some work.  He talked to his mom and my mom and got our Christmas visits all worked out.  He figured out our Christmas menu, made the grocery list and even grocery shopped on Christmas Eve! 

We ended up enjoying a visit with his family on Friday night.  Tony's brother has 3 children - 20, 6 & 3  Jake and Jon had so much fun playing with Sophie and Will.  Tim & Heather gave Jon a Flying Human Torch that hangs by a string and flies around in circles.  It is WAY cool, but we have learned that it is definitely the fastest battery draining toy that we've ever had!  We've already been through 3 sets of triple A's. 

Then Saturday my mom came and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with us.  It means so much to me to have her here.  Having lost my dad 3 years ago, I treasure our relationship even more.  I really enjoy being at home for Christmas and I really appreciate her willingness to come spend Christmas here with us. 

We actually went out to eat Chinese on Christmas Eve and then opened presents that night.  The owner of the restaurant was really into the holiday spirit and was going around entertaining the kids and giving them bouncy balls.  Nice idea, but I was a little worried that one of ours was going to end up in someone's wonton soup. 

The boys were so happy to open their presents.  Joe is now the proud owner of his very own weight bench.  And that was a God thing.  The one we had ordered didn't come in, but the store gave us an even better one for the price.  Woo hoo!  Jake was thrilled with his bow & arrow and Jon can now load his toy shotgun just like big brother Joe and call "Pull" like he's trap shooting.  My mom likes to remind me of how I outlawed any toy guns when Joe was a little guy.  I felt very strongly that children should never treat guns as toys so that they would take them seriously when they were old enough.  Now I look at toy guns as good role playing fun.  My gang will do a lot of hunting and needs to be prepared to defend the house if they're ever needed so might as let 'em start young!

After our Christmas nap, we had a candlelight service at home together.  Jake got our emergency candles and put them on styrofoam plates so we could each hold a candle.  We turned out all the lights and Tony read the Christmas story from the Bible.  Then we sang a few Christmas carols.  It was a really sweet time.  Jake's love language is definitely "quality time"; he loves it when we do special things like that together.  And I do too. 

I am amazed at how complicated feeling Christmas can be.  I get so tangled up in all of the places to go and things to do that I forget how wonderful Christmas will be no matter what.  Because of Jesus.  Because He's my Redeemer.  He has redeemed me from all of that craziness and blessed me with a wonderful family.  A family that sits by candlelight spending time to worship and brings me back to the simple joy of celebrating our Saviour's birth. 

What a sweet memory.  Christmas 2005 wasn't so bad after all..... not bad at all.