Our official Christmas!

Is it just me...or does Christmas come and go much faster now that we are older? The best part of our Christmas this year was that Cameron was TRULY able to understand the concept. Before the gifts started coming his way, we talked to him about baby Jesus, and how we were really celebrating his birthday on Christmas. This led to a discussion of why Jesus was born, how he ended up on the cross, and why he had to die for our sins. Then I realized...am I really having this discussion with a 2 year old??? :)
On Christmas Eve, we had to leave out cookies and milk for Santa. (Cameron was really excited about this part.) I decided to take a few bites out of each cookie...you know, to give that "visual" effect that Santa munched on a few, but he had eaten too many already to eat them all! Somehow though, when we woke up on Christmas morning, they were all gone! (Val stayed up until 2 a.m. putting together Cameron's train set, and he ate all of the cookies!)

Christmas morning was perfect. Cameron ran to the fireplace to check on his cookies and then ran straight to the tree. We've decided to leave out 1 gift every year that is unwrapped and already set up, so that way it looks like Santa set up that one toy specifically for Cameron. This year it was his GeoTrax train/airplane set. I honestly don't think Cameron has skipped one day since Christmas to play with it! Good choice Santa...it was just what he wanted!

Watching Cameron open gifts was pretty funny. EVERY time he opened a gift, he would say, "Wow...this is exactly what I wanted..." Except, when he got to any clothes! Those just got tossed aside and then he would say, "What's next?" Hmm...spoiled a bit?

This is the guitar he specifically asked Santa for... he likes to jam out while watching Imagination Movers.

We were able to spend Christmas Eve with Val's family and Christmas Day with my family. I was so excited because we all waited to open gifts at my mom's house together...and that is a big accomplishment. If you know me this is really important, and it doesn't always work as planned each year! We survived and loved every minute of Christmas 2008 and God truly watched over us this year.

As of today, 2009 has arrived. It makes me excited and nervous at the same time. I look forward to all of the great things God has planned for us, but then my crazy mind always worries about things that may not be so great. Hopefully God will grant me the strength in 2009 to enjoy all that life has to give, without thinking about the bad! I hope 2009 brings everyone what they dream of....