Through a child's eyes ...

This Christmas has been a lot of fun!  Busy and tiring at times, but mostly wonderful :)  We had a nice day Christmas Eve - baking and decorating sugar cookies, watching Christmas shows and movies, and going to the family service at Church in the evening.  The kids and I were all in the play!  Emerson was an angel (without the costume!), Blake was a shepard, I was an angel and Reese was baby Jesus!  During the service Blake was listening to Rev. Wasyk, who said something about "He who saved us", which Blake heard and then said (quite loudly!) to me, "Who saved us?"  I replied, "God."  Blake then asked, "Is that him up there?"  :)

Christmas morning Blake and Emerson woke up around 8 am and we went down to the front room to open stockings and gifts.  Blake was so excited to see that Santa brought them a sleigh!  We captured his reaction on video!!  Emerson was not too interested in the presents at first.  And of course Reese was sleeping!  But big brother Blake took care of the opening of most of his sisters presents!!  My Mom and Dad came over with breakfast around 10 and the kids were excited to show them their new toys! After Emerson's nap we packed up and went to Gerry and Lesley's house for our Cameron Christmas.  They prepared a delicious turkey dinner (and appetizers!)!  Cal's Mom and Dad were there and we all had a great time visiting, exchanging gifts and playing with the kids :)  Christmas night we stayed at my parents house and woke up Boxing Day morning to a Smith Christmas!  We had another great day, visiting, exchanging presents and more playing with all the new toys ;)  We enjoyed another delicious turkey dinner and headed home. 

I've always loved the Christmas season, but since having children I find each year more enjoyable!  And especially now that Blake is starting to figure out just how much fun Christmas can be!  And in the next few years Emerson and Reese will soon figure it out too!!  Blake has learned about the 4 seasons and since we told him that Christmas comes after it snows, every time it snowed prior to Christmas, he would ask if it was Christmas yet!  What is truly enjoyable about watching him experience Christmas, however, isn’t just his excitement about the presents he knows he’s going to get (there’s no use in telling him that only good boys get Christmas presents. He knows he’ll get them, no matter what he does. That’s one of the perks of being 3!).  It’s his unending capacity for joy that is beautiful!  We can tell Blake one small thing about Christmas, such as how many days away it is, and I can get this response, “Only 28 days? I’m so excited!”  And he was. Most mornings he would come downstairs and move his ornament on his Advent calendar and count how many more sleeps to Christmas!  He was excited about the Christmas tree, about seeing Santa, about Cal's days off, about his Preschool Christmas party/concert, about being a shepherd in the Christmas Eve play at Church, about all the Christmas lights we see, etc, etc!  He got the fact that Christmas is meant to be joyful - not the way most adults experience it, checking off their “to do” list.  And I admit, I get caught up in the stress of Christmas - there's so much to do, so little time ... it's so expensive ... it's so busy, etc, etc.  I especially felt the pinch this year with juggling everything plus a newborn baby!  Thankfully, my family helped me out big time!!!  But one conversation with Blake about Christmas and you realize it's so much better to experience Christmas through a child's eyes.  And I have enjoyed every special moment that led up to Christmas Day, and savoured the joy I've seen on my children’s face throughout the entire Christmas season - the best Christmas present of all :)

xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese