Our Special Christmas

Even though we're only a small family of three (with the fourth on the way) I wanted to make our Christmas together special. It worked out really well this year because we had the day free on the 23rd which also happens to be Scott's birthday! Plus, there was church in the morning that day, so we got to dress up and it still felt very Christmas-y. I made a yummy lunch of steak (which Scott BBQed), veggies, cheese toast and salad for lunch. Before nap, we let Kalia open two of her gifts and she was very excited with both! We try not to buy her too much for Christmas because of all of the other gifts she gets, but it's so hard to resist when you know she'll just love something. Scott had done a little shopping of his own and suprised even me when he gave Kalia her very own semi that was even the same color and make as the one his family uses. It came complete with a load of bales! I just had to post her reaction to that one on video. After her nap, we gave her main present - a special doll with real hair (she was excited about that part) that has a bottle with 'milk' in it, pjs and a dress, as well as a swimsuit. She carried that dolly around almost all evening, and went to her rocking chair and asked for "How I Wonder" (her bedtime CD with twinkle twinkle little star) so she could rock her baby to sleep. It's fun seeing how into Christmas she got this year being old enough to unwrap presents. She loved saying Happy Birthday to both Daddy and Baby Jesus too. I found some really neat Christmas stories for her on a great sale which I read to her also about why things like stockings, candy canes and Christmas trees all have to do with Jesus and his birth. I want to make sure she doesn't grow up thinking that Christmas is all about the gifts and the gatherings but that there is a reason behind it which is very meaningful. It really helped me focus on the true meaning of Christmas as well since I was making a conscious effort to teach it to someone. I am always amazed at how quickly she picks things up and remembers them.