Christmas morning

Ooh, I just get excited all over watching this video of our Christmas morning. I have to say, David and I get SO excited over holidays. We have to set a VERY specific budget or else we'd buy each other everything we've ever wanted just to see the look of surprise on each other's faces. So combine that enthusiasm with KIDS and you get two very anxious and super excited parents who are lying in bed Christmas morning waiting for their kids to wake up. I didn't sleep a wink that night.
Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas. It was so nice to be DONE with the endless task list and (as you saw) cleaning and preparing and stressing. By Christmas Eve, when our family came for dinner and we watched "Christmas Oranges" and read Luke 2, I finally felt calm and our house was quiet and it was the real Christmas excitement and joy.

Christmas morning was so much fun, watching Hazel open her presents and Charlotte follow the paper trail. David SHOCKED me with the most amazing gift. He bought me this:

A Cannon Rebel XSi. I am in love with it. I've wanted a nice camera for so long. Lucky, lucky me to have such a generous husband. So the rest of our Christmas vacation will come soon when I have time to go through all my pics off of this sweet new camera.

I got David a new (used) record player for his office and a stand to put his viola on so it's out of the case and available to play. Hazel got just what she asked for: a pink bicycle and a pink sucker (plus a few more fun toys). Charlotte was satisfied with the wrapping paper, but Santa took care of her as well.

We are so blessed. Really. This year was a toughy, but Christmas always seems to wrap it all up with a good feeling of gratitude for family, the gospel, and the desire to keep it all simple. Merry Christmas.

Sorry the beginning is totally black. Couldn't cut out the crucial Christmas morning dialogue though. I love how David and I are way more excited than the girls.