It was a very Merry Christmas!

I'm not sure I can begin to describe how special our Christmas was this year, so I hope some pictures might do the trick where words fail me. We were home in Lewistown for Christmas this year, and that was a very special treat for me. Our family decision has been that we will always be in our home for the kids to wake up on Christmas morning, so this will likely be the last time for a while that we'll have the blessing of sharing Christmas day with my family, but we enjoyed every single moment with them.

Christmas Eve got a little tricky, and didn't turn out at all like I had expected it to. Joshua melted down (and I mean completely) by about supper time. Actually, Jason and I both were afraid that he was getting sick again because he was acting exactly the same way he did the afternoon that the swine flu hit our household....not good memories. We had to pack up the kids quickly and take them back to my Mom and Dad's before the puking began. Luckily, it never materialized into anything more than Joshua just having had enough partying for one day. So for all of my family who I left without saying goodbye to, I'm so very sorry. Here are some Christmas Eve pictures pre-meltdown.

Here's Joshua opening the "first gift of Christmas" that Santa had delivered early to Nana and Pap's on Christmas Eve. He got his very own Polar Express ticket and silver bell. He slept with both of them on Christmas Eve and came down the stairs clutching them tightly in the morning.

And here are some pictures from Christmas morning. It was so special because not only did we get to share the present opening with Nana and Pap, but Brooke, Aunt Libby and Uncle Zig were there too.

We all got a chuckle over the fact that that there were 20 new toys in the middle of the living room, but Joshua and Brooke gravitated back to some old favorites.

FINALLY.....a picture of all four of us! It only took 3 months.

On Saturday morning, we packed up our UHaul (just kidding, but we might have been able to use one) and headed home. Santa had delivered more of Joshua's gifts here to our house. Grandma and Grandpa came down in the afternoon and we enjoyed the day together here, exchanging presents and talking about Christmas traditions. It was a really nice day.

One of Joshua's favorite gifts here was a hard hat, goggles, ear protectors and work gloves. We were not the least bit shocked tha the loved them.

Lauren wore the same outfit on Christmas Day and the day after. She had thrown up on it so badly that it didn't last long on Christmas morning and I figured it wouldn't fit again next year. So after we washed it at Mom and Dad's, she wore it again. She looked so precious.

We are so blessed with family and Christmas just seems to highlight it so clearly when you all get to be together. This was a wonderful Christmas for us---- Joshua was "into" it (big time) and seems to be understanding the anticipation of Christmas now. And to be able to snuggle Lauren, knowing full well the joy that awaits us again as we see her learn about the joy and magic of Chrimstas is really a gift.