Second Best Christmas Ever!

Funny how when I found out we weren't meeting up with the family until 4:00pm that I wondered what the heck we were going to do all day! We normally spend Christmas breakfast with Marcee and Lance after opening presents at our own houses, with them out of town this year I thought we were going to have way too much time on our hands. I was so wrong!

Luckily I did get to sleep in till 10am! With Ollie up so late partying on his birthday he was kind enough to sleep in himself, and Matt was kind enough to be the one to wake up with him. He fed him and started breakfast and then came in to wake me up. Every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember I have had crepes, my Dad used to make them, and we've had some great ones from Lance, but this year Matt got to do the honors. Another tradition is our Christmas breakfast plates, Matt had them pulled out and had done his best to find Christmas place matts and even had smoothies waiting for me in a wine glass. What a lucky girl I am!

I can't recall all the details now, but I remember holding Ollie and as soon as he caught sight of his little tricycle bike from Santa he was pointing and reaching for it in excitement. There was no holding him back, and that was the beginning of the second best Christmas ever!

 

Another Christmas tradition (my favorite of all traditions) is to each take turns saying what we are thankful for before opening presents. We call it a thanktimony because it really is more of a time to reflect on the year and what is most near and dear to our hearts, and sharing that with each other is the greatest present of all. For Matt and I this year, Ollie of course is still the one thing we are most thankful for above all. It is amazing how this little boy has changed our world! Matt also talked about how grateful he is for his calling, for all that it is teaching him. I have to say that I am grateful for his calling too, it's been amazing to see him stretch and learn and grow, I still have so much to learn from him and it is truly amazing how each year gives us new experiences that help us to love and appreciate each other even more. After our thanktimony we got busy opening presents. It couldn't be any more fun to spoil this little guy because everything was new and exciting! We started with his stocking...

  He got as far as pulling his little Christmas teddy out, he was so happy about it he stood up, picked up his teddy and his stocking and started dragging them around walking in circles!

I finally got him to sit back down and helped him unload the rest of his stocking full of books and cars. When he found those he didn't want to put them down which made it hard to open any other presents!

 

 

Dadda had to intervene, helping him put his cars down so he could concentrate on opening all his other presents.



 One of his little grandma's at church couldn't resist giving him a Christmas present, he opened it up, grabbed his new soft little blanky and squealed as he cuddled it.

He got better at figuring out how to tear off that paper...

 Lots of new books.

 Matt blew up a little horse for him to punch around, but surprisingly Ollie was scared of it and cried when he saw it, he had to have Matt right there with him to protect him from that thing- we got good laughs over that :)

 

Matt started punching him around and Ollie finally joined in on the fun...

 Then he opened his present from Matt...

 

I don't know which one of them was more excited, Ollie for his new ball, or his proud daddy who can't wait to play with him? Then he saw that scary horse again!

 Some new blocks...

 

A present from Grandpa and Grandma...

Have to read the card first...

 

 It's a wolf...

 No, it's a backpack!

 Presents from Aunt Barb

 What to start playing with?

 It was all fun until he saw the horse and got scared again!

 No worries, Dadda can always make him laugh!

 

 And then I opened all of my stash- new clothes, new snowboard and gear...

Matt showing off his presents, which are the new electronics and entertainment center behind him and his new snowboard and gear...

And my favorite family present of all- Roomba!

 No more sweeping all the time, we put her to work right away!

 

 What a fun morning it was, I have always loved and enjoyed Christmas, even the mornings with just the two of us, but I seriously can't even describe how much more fun it was having Ollie share the morning with us this year. I didn't even care about our presents because it was so fun watching him and being so excited for him. I thought we would have time to sit around and even take a nap or something because we didn't have to meet up with the family till four, but as usual I had a ton of other stuff planned that I hadn't gotten to. There were a bunch of people I had cards and presents for, and we had some cooking to do for our Christmas dinner so I got busy getting it all together. It was fun getting to see friends on Christmas day, most people were kicking back enjoying their time with their family and getting to pop in and share some love made the day even brighter. Only wish that Matt could have gone with me, I was so far behind I had to send him and Ollie to dinner with the family so that the food wouldn't be late and then I met up with them a little later.

We didn't have the entire family together this year, and that is okay, sometimes a smaller crowd is nice. But I'll always miss everyone when we have our family thanktimony. I'll never forget one year ago being the only ones that were away for Christmas and how special it was for us to get to face time the family so we could hear part of the Thanktimony and how we had little Ollie in our arms in the hospital, just one day old introducing him to the family for the very first time and trying to choke back tears as we shared our thoughts from miles away. When it was my turn this year I talked about that day- how I remember being in the hospital and while we were downstairs in the cafeteria for breakfast while papers were being signed and how we heard "Silent Night" coming out of the chapel doors at the end of the cafeteria. Words can never adequately express the feelings in my heart that moment, knowing that our little Christmas miracle had arrived and being so full of gratitude and thanks. The very first time I heard that song this year I had to fight back the tears all over again because it took me back to that moment in the hospital and I relived all those feels again. We will forever be grateful for Jess, and truly we feel so blessed to be a part of her life. I know there are mixed feelings out there about openess but we can't help but feel that she is in our lives for a reason, and just as we have been entrusted with getting this sweet little spirit back to our Heavenly Father, we love her too and if we have a role to play in her life then we are ever so grateful to fulfill it. You can't really understand the bond you have- mother to mother- until you've experienced what we have together. She is my friend in a way that no one else will ever really comprehend. And here we are, about to embark on the journey all over again to find another mother that needs us just as much as we need her. Our adoption journey has taught me so much, it's forever changed me and looking back even though I would have never chosen this road, I wouldn't have it any other way. But it isn't just about us, my family played such a huge part. How do you ever adequately thank your family for all the love and support they give? I know Ollie wouldn't be in our arms today without them, and I know they will be there for us through thick and thin for whatever lies ahead.

I have to say that my favorite thanktimony this year was Dad's. He has such a big tender heart especially for his children, and this was not the first time I have ever seen him cry. The things that stood out to me where first his recognition of Mom's endless sacrifices and selflessness and how much he has to learn from her. And then he talked about Jodee. I know they have had their struggles living under the same roof, but he talked about the other night seeing her at her computer, the same one she has spent endless sleepless nights working at while the kids were asleep and she was putting in her time trying to provide for her family, and here she is starting a new chapter in her life. Listening to him felt like I was moving out of the house all over again, that whole sense of being proud that she is "growing up" and moving on mixed with the emotions of letting go and knowing that chapter is closed. He talked about how he will miss those kids and how special they are. There were many times he couldn't even talk as he tried to get the words out over his emotions. These are the moments I love Dad the most, because he has one big giant soft heart for his family!

We ended Christmas by staying up all night playing games. I can only think of one Christmas that has ever been better- but I don't know how any Christmas could ever top our very first Christmas with Ollie!