Day Fifteen Hundred and Sixty-Six

The Baby's First Christmas

Celebrating the birth of our Savior has never been more exciting!

After a basically sleepless night - thanks Right Front Tooth for officially making your debut over night...your timing was splendid...and quite painful - Amelia was up at 9:00 and ready to party.

She picked out the absolute perfect gift to open - after first wildly admiring the new Conley vacuum - and look! Millie's first Bible! (Thank Grandma Heather and Grandpa Dan!!)

Amelia hopped up on Dada's lap to begin the family tradition: reading the Christmas story of Jesus' birth in Luke 2...

...and then listening to a sermon, given by Dad!!

Adam gave an incredible message to Amelia and I - one he'd been preparing for the last few weeks. We are so blessed to have a Daddy to look up to, who's constantly yearning for more Jesus, and who's ability to share what he's learned is clear, bold, focused, and passionate.

Thank you, Adam for providing our family with such a rich Christmas experience that's centered on the sole reason we have life. Christ! I can't wait until Amelia can actually understand what it is you have to say on Christmas (well, and all the other times too)!

Merry Christmas, Amelia Lynn!

We sure love you!

(And so do a lot of other people, proven by the crazy amount of gifts you had sitting under the tree!)

But, there were two things for Mommy that couldn't quite fit under the tree.

A vacuum.

 And our brand new - one of a Daddy-made kind - table and bench!!

It's so so so perfectly gorgeous!

Beautiful work, Adam!

THANK YOU!

We had such a lovely morning and afternoon celebrating with our little girl. She's almost ten months, so by now, she sort of understands the concept of tearing into things. She managed to open a few gifts, but maybe her most favorite was the avocado we left for her in her stocking.

Then again, the bottom of the block holder was a winner as well,

as was our family ornament.

Oh yes, and anything not given to Amelia was her favorite as well. Pens, iron-on vinyl, Mommy's special printer. Typical, right?! But hey, we had a happy baby most of the day, and for that, we were so pleased. She's got the sweetest, most playful and fun demeanor and we're grateful for our very favorite Christmas present this year: her!

This time of year is just so special and we're thankful for all the kindness poured out over us this Christmas season. We feel alive. Excited. Ready. We feel cozy and settled - at least more than we ever have. And that in it's own right, is yet another beautiful gift.

We love you, dear family and friends!

We hope your Christmas was lovely and sweet and spent with the people who bring out the very best in you! And if you were host to your very first ever Christmas dinner, we hope you didn't accidentally put yeast in Jesus' birthday cake or end up serving supper an hour late or forget the wine! Good thing our precious company didn't much mind! (Love you, Dana!!)

She says, "You did what to Jesus' birthday cake?!"

;)