Chipley Chatter: Merry Christmas 2008

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We enjoyed celebrating together and had such fun. It was small, but it was filled with delicious food and big laughs watching Madison play with her new toys. I've always loved the Christmas season so much, but watching it through your child's eyes is even better!

We waited for Madison to wake up (she likes to sleep in) before we opened stockings and gifts. I imagine that once our kids reach a certain age, the days of sleeping in on Christmas mornings will be long gone. My mom was wonderful prior to Christmas as she did a lot of shopping for us and made sure our stockings were full and gifts were wrapped under the tree. Madison's favorite stocking stuffer was her new plastic multi-colored bracelets. She's really into wearing jewelry lately and improvises with other household items. Now she has her very own play bracelets. Although she puts them not only on her wrists, but also on her feet.

While opening gifts, we Skyped with my dad, sister and her fiance. So, we "virtually" unwrapped gifts together on Christmas morning. Thank the Lord for modern technology, huh? Mom fixed a big, traditional breakfast, and we spent the rest of the morning lounging around. Mark put together toys and baby gear. And Mom cooked a nice lunch of a spiral ham and all the fixings. I watched from the couch. :)

Madison's other favorite gifts include her swingset, a new bubble lawn-mower (we purposefully chose not to get her the pink one!), a baby doll, CD's, a second swing for her swingset, a grocery cart, Fisher Price Animal Farm, some books, hair bows, and clothes, paint dobbers, and some money from Great Pappy and Great Grandma and Grandpa Miller...she is very loved!

Hunter and Mommy were thrilled to receive a new double stroller, a second camera for our video monitor, a new Fisher Price swing and a new baby sling, and money from Great Grandparents.

I also received a beautiful ring from Hunter and Madison (thanks for helping Daddy pick it out!). And, I received some makeup, clothing items, and gift cards. Mark received a new tool bench, a new workout band and money to go toward some new weight lifting all-in-one dumbell set contraption (?), some house slippers from Madison and Hunter, books, giftcards, etc.

My most favorite gift, by far, was being able to be at home with my family. I am SO thankful!!!! (As I said before, I am not the type of person who is interested in nor a personal advocate of home births. However, I don't even want to see another hospital again!)

As much as I love the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and being with lots of family and traveling, etc...it was really nice to be at home which allowed me to quietly reflect on all of the many blessings God has bestowed in my life in the past couple years, especially. I have been witness to many miracles and can testify that the Lord truly grants the desires of your heart when you have faith in Him. I am forever grateful.

You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.

So, trust the Lord always, because he is our rock forever.

Isaiah 26:3-4

The Lord is kind and does what is right; our God is merciful. The Lord watches over the foolish; when I was helpless, he saved me. I said to myself, "Relax, because the Lord takes care of you." Lord, you saved me from death. You stopped my eyes from crying;

you kept me from being defeated. So I walk with the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 116: 5-9

We began our morning opening Madison's stocking...

Oh, I had no idea today was going to be so exciting, guys!

Yay! Look at my new bracelets!

They're so cool!

And when other people open gifts and I get bored, I just stack all the gifts in one pile...

I find it's easiest to open gifts while you sit on them.

See, we did "open" gifts with the whole family...

Tyson had a special viewing area, too...

Grammy adds to Madison's Fisher Price Nativity set each year. Madison's favorite thing to do is take off the angel from atop the stable roof and replace her with a wiseman, shepard, or donkey heralding over baby Jesus...

Reading a new book with Daddy

Opening more gifts

How lucky are we that since Madison has received her lawn mower, she has mowed our wood floors and rugs CONSTANTLY, over and over and over...

Oh, please, please, please, just one more push?

Madison loves to do art work with these paint dobbers. Her teacher told us this was one of her favorite art activities. So, she told us where to find them and we got them for her...and she's used them each day since.