Please be kind and rewind!

I need everyone to rewind their minds and pretend like this post is from yesterday.....
All day I dreamt of a relaxing night, with the girls to bed, Andy and I watching the winter forecast on the news,then quietly drifting off to sleep....by 10. You see, for the first time in 8 years, Andy and I had nothing to assemble, put stickers on, un-package, or wrap this Christmas Eve. Either it was already done, or didn't need further alteration before being placed under the tree.
Needless to say, the plan did not go as planned.
We had to re-arrange the schedule for the evening after it took my brother an hour and a half to drive from his home in Westport to my parent's house in Kearney.....Praise God that he made it safely......but this put our traditional Christmas Eve schedule off schedule. The gift giving didn't get started until after the Christmas Eve service, putting us home a wee bit late.....like 10.
I wanted to use my quiet, relaxing Christmas Eve to write about some of my favorite things about Christmas time--especially some highlights from this year.
--Wrapping presents has been waaaayyyy more fun this year. I have a three year old learning how to cut with scissors. BIG help. I also have an 8 year old that loves to spell. Another BIG helper writing on the gift tags. Both are learning the joys of how to properly use a tape dispenser. Not to forget our 18 month old that thinks running through the middle of the mess is hysterical.
--I love eating Christmas goodies baked/made by someone else. Enough said.
--We have received two gifts to Heifer International in our honor. I love the teaching and learning opportunity this gift brings to talk about the needs of people in other parts of the world. A flock of chickens and a sheep were purchased in our name. Love love love that.
--Totally feel like we nailed the gifts for the girls. I know we spend more than we should, but that is how we were each raised....to spend money at Christmas. As long as our bills get paid, our favorite charities get gifts, and we don't go into debt, then we will keep the mantra that it is only money. Two of my favorite words.....Christmas Club.
--Metro North, shopping mecca of the northland, has been the place we take the girls to visit Santa for the last 8 years. We started with Tess at 3 months old, and haven't missed a year, specifically because it has been the same guy every year. I love the continuity and it just makes our Santa pics photo album special. After standing in line (why do we always manage to show up just as they are putting up the "Santa needs a break...be back in one hour" sign) for hours we realized that our Santa had been re-assigned to East Hills mall in St Joseph! The horror! I'm pretty sure that is why Jane is crying in her picture.
--Sitting in my living room with a hot beverage, reading, with the tree lights on. I don't know about you, but our tree lights get turned on the minute we wake up and stay on until we go to bed. It just feels like the right way to waste electricity, if ever there was one.
I could probably do this all night, but because it is Christmas Eve (wink wink nudge nudge) I need to get to bed......can't skimp on the beauty sleep.
Hope Santa can find your house in all this snow!
Sarah