Christmas Blessings

     I'm so sad...another Christmas has come and gone.  It always makes me sad after Christmas, just because I always feel so much joy leading up to this time of year, and now it's all gone. ;(
     Although I'm bummed, I have to say that we were so blessed to have spent another great Christmas together.  Each year that Cameron grows older, we get to see another side to the holidays.   This year we really focused on Jesus being born this day and the fact that Santa brings him 3 gifts because the Wise Men brought Jesus 3 gifts.  He seemed to really understand the overall concept, so that was a plus.   We had also been using the advent calendar to count down to the big day, and I was really happy with how Cameron kept track of the days. He would wake up each morning and first look for "Boy" elf and then remind us that we had to open another door on the calendar.
     Although getting home from Christmas Eve Mass was a little scary, it was all worth it.  We were also supposed to have a party that night with Vals' family, but because of the weather, we only had a few guests, and we managed to make the best of it. 
     Cameron was THRILLED Christmas morning when he saw that Santa had ate his cookies and that he brought him his Spiderman Mask and Web Shooter, a Transformer action figure, and a SuperWhy Computer.  What a lucky guy. Just like last year, everytime he opened a gift, he said, "Wow...this was just what I wanted!"  I'm guessing this phrase might stick around for awhile.  We then managed to make it over to my mom's to open gifts with my side of the family and then I came back with my mom and made my first Christmas dinner.  (Ok, my mom did 90% of the cooking, but I helped!)  I was completely exhausted by the end, but SO glad that we did it.   
     Reflecting on this day...it's kind of funny because it's been exactly one year that I had been praying to God for another blessing for our family.  At times I feel like he isn't listening, but looking all around me I know that I have so many blessings right in front of me to be thankful for.  God has his own path for our family, and I'm a firm believer that just because I'm not getting the answer I want right now, doesn't mean that God doesn't already have it all worked at for me in his own time.  As hard as it may be at times to accept that, I am praying on it each day.  I'm truly blessed with the family that I have all around me and spending this extra time with them this holiday just helped me realize it even more!  Here are some photos from the day...

Grandpa and Dani put a smile on his face!  They got him tons of X-Men action figures to play with and Cameron hasn't put them down since!

Buzz Lightyear...who broke a few hours later.  Bummer.  Luckily we found another the day after X-Mas.

Where's Daddy you ask?  Either passed out after eating dinner or playing Wii, we don't remember!

This was the best shot we could get of the 3 of them...we probably tried about 15 times!

Let it snow...

We have been gearing up for Christmas Day this entire week.  We've been busy making gingerbread houses, baking cookies for Santa, and building snowmen! :)  I was SO excited to get a white Christmas this year, and Cameron was thrilled to get the chance to play in it.  (Although we did a lot of praying while sliding all the way home from the Children's Mass on Christmas Eve!)  The Lord truly watched over us to get us home safely.

I think the Gingerbread house was supposed to look like this...

but our special house looks like this! ;)  Thank you Caroline and Andrew for helping out!

Getting those cookies just right for Santa!

Brrr..it was quite chilly out, but totally worth it for this snowman! (Cameron also spent

alot of time trying to catch the snow in his mouth to eat!!!)

Christmas Eve...how could Santa not love our cookies????

All Aboard the North Pole Express!

This past weekend, we had the chance to visit the North Pole Express in Grapevine.  We missed the opportunity to get tickets last year, so we were excited to have the chance to see what it was all about.  My mom and niece, Emma, had the chance to join us.  It was REALLY cold out there, but the kids had the chance to take pictures with Santa (this is Cameron's 3rd time at this!), play in a bounce house, and watch/be part of a Christmas show before boarding the train in their PJ's.  On their way to the train they had snow coming down which the kids thought was so cool!  Santa managed to make his way onto the train, and that was quite a hit too!!! 

Emma and Cameron getting the chance to be part of the show! (And I just realized that if you look closely they are holding hands...so sweet!)

Jolly St. Nick again!

Waiting for the train to leave the station.

Grandma and Emma!

He's BACK!!!!

"Boy" elf has made it back to our home for a second holiday season! :0  ("Boy" was the name that Cameron gave his elf last year.)  He made his way in from the North Pole on Thanksgiving Day, and hopefully he can work some magic on our little boy.  We've been going through a bit of a stage with Cameron these past few weeks.  (To give you an idea of what we've been dealing with, we've already taken away 2 gifts from under the tree that we had bought for him...(Santa's gifts come on X-mas morning, unwrapped...duh!)  Cameron's little elf goes to visit Santa every night to report on Cameron's behavior, and then reappears in a new spot the next day.  Here's the first day that "Boy" came in...Cameron seems pretty happy that he came back this year. 

Go Texas Longhorns!!!!!

No, it's not what you're thinking...Val and I have not become big Texas Longhorns fans. :)  But we are fans of the Texas team that Val has been coaching for the past few months.  His nephew, Chris, has been playing with the Frisco Football League for quite some time now, and this was their last year to play in this league.  Their goal was to finally make it to the championship this year, so Val was on board to help join the coaching staff, and it paid off!  Not only did they make it to the championship game...but they WON!!!  It was quite an exciting game, and Cameron loved cheering on his Daddy and his cousin.  I loved that Cameron got the chance to see such a big accomplishment happen for these kids, and he got to see his dad's coaching in action.  Congratulations Val...and to the entire team. :)