Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  A little late, of course!  But I wanted to make sure you could share in the merriment that was 2018 Christmas at the Hoots house.  

For the first time since I have lived in NC, we stayed home for Christmas.  The past few years, we have traveled to Newton and while it’s a quick and easy trip to Eric’s parents house, not having to think about packing clothes and gifts and logistics was very freeing this year.  And knowing that Santa would be delivering to our very own house this year made it extra special.  

So instead of being hosted, we became hosts to Grandma and Pop, Uncle Dave, Aunt Claire, cousin Ari, and second-cousin Blake and girlfriend Kate.  Those were the overnight travelers, with more extended family joining on Christmas day.  Eric enjoyed a rare four days off, and unscheduled days were a rare joy.  On Christmas Eve, we went to our church’s candlelight service.  After years as a pastor’s son being in charge of the lighting of the candle on Christmas Eve, Eric thought he was finally off the hook after his dad’s retirement.  But a text on Christmas Eve asking our family to light the Christ candle meant Eric was back on the hook! You don’t choose to light the candle, the candle chooses you.  

While the children were nestled snug in their beds on Christmas Eve, visions of instructions danced in their parents’ heads.  Thank goodness for uncles and cousins, otherwise the kitchen and air hockey table would still be sitting on a sad shelf in Santa’s toy factory.  I didn’t quite understand the magnitude of “assembly required” when I bought Avery’s kitchen at Target.  

Around 7 am Christmas morning, the kids came in to our room.  A very respectable time caused by a later than usual bedtime.  Jackson had been under the weather and at 4 am on Christmas Eve, came in to my room pretty miserable with a fever.  I hit him with some Motrin, hoping he’d wake up feeling good.  He told me he felt good, but said, “before we go downstairs, can I get in the bed an snuggle with you for a minute?”  I mean, if that doesn’t melt your heart on Christmas morning, I don’t know what will.

Christmas is a drug in itself, so he plowed through excited and unbothered.  A scavenger hunt, written in invisible ink, was the final cherry on top of the fun morning and brought them to their well earned and well put together toys.  Family filtered in through the morning and afternoon and my children and family certainly felt the love and joy of the holiday.  We are lucky to have escaped any of the drama and pain that can accompany holidays and although I am happy to get back in the rhythm that is regular life, I’m thankful for the chaos that was Christmas!