christmas memories

since i also lost the rest of Christmas 2009...here are some moments i don't want to forget...

{listen to robyn's comment from the last post. i reformatted both cards in my DSLR and point and shoot - but i had them switched and switched them back and started shooting...at least 100 pictures lost again to "card error". right as we were singing happy birthday to jesus. almost ruined my night. but i didn't let it. i have the memories in my head. still makes me feel sick, though. and now i don't trust that card at all. i think i have to get a new one.}

*when the kids first came downstairs Christmas morning and were able to see their stockings...rebekah picked sawyer up and took him to his stocking and looked through it with him before she even glanced at hers. oh, her heart is precious, i could learn a lot from her...

*finding bailey mid-afternoon sitting in front of the Christmas tree in her tinkerbell dress playing with her new Tag pen on her new Fancy Nancy book.

*joshua and bailey both got radio's for their rooms. and rebekah got an ipod. they were all listening to them all in the same room most of the afternoon yesterday. it was loud.

*i was floored by my gift from pat. i kept telling him thank you, thank you. wow...
he stopped me. gave me one of those hugs. then looked me in the eyes with moist eyes and said, "i loved giving it to you. it's the one time a year i get to spoil you."

*at the end of our candle each one of us prayed. it was sweet to hear what the kids said. but i was sobbing by the end. it was the only moment that i let myself think of them....my children halfway across the world...and let myself wonder what their day was like. i had to guard my heart...and pull it back together for the ones here now. but they weren't far from my mind and heart.

*joshua got a remote control jeep. he had been asking for it for a couple months. and was SO excited. unfortunately the battery had to be charged before he could use it. we told him after "rest time" in the afternoon he'd be able to use it. but then pat looked more closely at the directions during rest time and it needed to charge for 8 hours the first time...not 4 hours. so when he came down from rest time ready to play with it and pat so gently told him the sad news he burst into tears. it was heartbreaking and precious at the same time. he had plenty else to distract him and was fine...but at 6 pm on the dot {in the middle of dinner} that jeep was flying around the house :-)

*loved talking to my parents on the phone {does it ever get easier not being with your parents on Christmas?? i think not.} and spending the evening with pat's family. the love was overflowing from everywhere. we are so so blessed and i pray we never take it for granted.