the most wonderful time of the year

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Christmas is over.

I loved it.

I'm glad it's done.

Our kids were abundantly blessed, and we are so grateful to friends and family for making our Christmas one to remember. I made deals with all of my sisters about sticking to budget this year, and yet again, my kids were blessed beyond comprehension. How do they do that???

Today we attempted a "sleep-in" morning and are now organizing all the toys into their "permanent" places. Isaac said he got everything he wanted this year and hasn't stopped jumping since Christmas morning. This is what my coffee table looks like today:

 He told me that Elijah needs to know all about his superheroes. Elijah hasn't peeled his eyes away!

 Probably my least favorite toys are Isaac's Nerf Swords. Chris HAD to get them for him, and I have now realized that these are MUCH different than the foam pirate swords at the Dollar Store. I think everyone except Chris has cried from getting hit. Boys, boys, boys....

 One of my favorite gifts for the kids was a "coloring cube" from Uncle Matt and Aunt Nina. It's simple, but it gives me hundreds of small coloring pages for the kids when I am trying to get something done... and they love it! Isaac told me that he was going to color a lot of pictures for me and if I like it he will hang it on the fridge, and if I hate it, he will throw it away.... I might have to invest in some more magnets!

 Chris and I were blessed as well from all of our loved ones. I can't wait to use this gift from my dad. I mentioned to my mom one day at the mall that if I had a lot of money I would buy everything from Origins. This is a gift that is a symbol of being heard, even when I wasn't trying to be.

 Because of my intention to have a "simple Christmas" we didn't do many crafts this year. One thing we did do was color a Christmas page each day to help to tell us the Christmas story... we then made them into books.

 I am getting so excited for 2011. I feel the need to "start over" and make some changes to promote growth... in me... in my kids... in my life.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who poured into our life this past year... to the ones who showed up when we felt overwhelmed, encouraged us when we felt like giving up, and pointed to God when our vision was clouded. We are blessed beyond measure and thank God everyday for the amazing life He has given us!