Picking out cookies for Santa.
New Christmas Pajamas
The ethnic girl with the caucasion doll.
The caucasion girl with the ethnic doll.
Thanks for the cool uniforms DiDi and RiRi!
Kuker's wink melts our hearts.
The kid's table...it is not a wine bottle. It is cider.
The adult's table. They are wine bottles. Lots of bottles.
Grandpa and Dexter relaxing after Christmas dinner.I think whenever someone is getting ready to have a child it is natural to think next Christmas the baby or the kids or whatever will be here. Last Christmas was hard. We were close to having the kids home but they were in Africa. We kept thinking next Christmas they will be home.
This Christmas, like last Christmas and every other Christmas, starts on Christmas Eve with a fire in the fireplace (even if it is 70 degrees). We make Christmas cookies and snack on appetizers all day. We open one present which is always new pajamas and watch the Muppet Christmas Carol. We wake up Christmas morning, open stockings, Santa's gift and all the presents. We stop half way through to have brunch. We play and rest. Then we cook and have a big Christmas meal.
So what was different this year? Everything and nothing. The traditions were the same. The feeling was new and wonderful. This Christmas our family was complete. Our kids were all home, safe and together. We had our first of many Christmases together. There are not words. Experiencing Christmas with Kennedy and Ben was incredible. We had the baby years and they slowly absorbed Christmas and experiences. Gomah and Kuker had everything thrown at them at once. It was amazing to see them digest and participate in what have become their traditions.
Christmas morning we told the kids to go get their stockings. All the kids ran to get them. Kuker was frozen as kids were running around him. We told him again to go get his stocking. He turned in semi-desperation, knowing he was missing out, and asked "What is my stocking???". It was a Christmas filled with discovery, newness, familiarity and family. It was perfect. Afterwards, we heard the kids discussing Christmas and they all agreed (which in itself is a miracle) that Christmas was better than Halloween.
2 comments:
Awesome! We are thinking of you guys and miss you.
This is truly one of the BEST days to experience. I can picture Kuker and his gentle panic and cool it will be for him next year to be able to run with the rest of the kids. It's hard to beleive how often even still we have to stop and explain things that we take for granted. To me these are the best moments! Now to explaining our country having a birthday! Oh Boy!
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