What a day!

Wow, what a day! The kids slept pretty good and were up at 7:28 this morning. Laci was less interested than even I thought she would be but Christopher was ready to go! He was so into his tool bench that was hid big unwrapped gift that at first he wasnt interested in opening anything else!! Laci also wanted to play more with the tool bench than HER big toy (the 2 in 1 laugh and learn kitchen) that was set up. We finally had to take the big toys upstairs to the newly dubbed "play room" (laci's old bedroom) just so we could get his interest again, LOL. After a while we took a break and I started breakfast, we had coffee, orange juice, cinnamon rolls, grits, eggs, and bacon. My mom, steve, and the boys got here almost right on time. The house was so full of happiness it was wonderful! My mom helped me with the bacon and when it was done we lit the candles on the table (thank you brian) and all sat down to a nice big family breakfast, which was only really broken up by Christopher throwing his fake vomit and fake dog poo on the floor and cracking up about it.
After breakfast we started the gifts and that took about 30 minutes to comeplete...maybe an hour...and it was so fun! The boys liked their gifts and my mom and steve really seemed to love the cake serving set and champagne glasses that me and brian bought for them. They are beautiful if you ask me! After gifts Laci layed down for a nap and my mom and them went home. Me and brian and topher cleaned up the livingroom and kitchen and started putting toys away and getting ready to go to his grandparents house. We took off after Laci woke up and oddly enough the ride wasnt all that bad even though it was raining and cold and nasty outside.
We got there and had a nice lunch and visited and then did gifts too. Man, my kids have gotten everything a child could want this year. It truly touched me to see all the wonderful gifts everyone got for them. As a mom its doubly exciting to see your little boy or girl going crazy over a toy they have been eyeing for months! I got in some good laughs with Lauren, Breanna, Chase, Kelli, and Mark, and really enjoyed seeing everyone for something so happy spirited. I was worried that Michael and Ann and Lauren may not come up so I was happy and excited to get to spend some quiet one on one with them today for Christmas. I know this was very hard for Debra Bre and Chase too....but for whatever reason God chose to take Mike and Adam from us I am glad it happened in the same year....I say that becasue it forced us to console each other and move on from one heartache to the next, and we stood together tattered and bruised as a family, and a whole, and we survived this first sad christmas without two prominent figures. It wasnt easy, and there was time I felt that sudden pang of heartbreak when I looked up or had a thought and was hit with that sad reality all over again. But here we are, Christmas is almost over, and we made it. We did it! We survived and we lived on to another day. I think Debra said it best, I am thankful for my sadness.....It only proves the depth in which I love...and for that, for my family I say, Merry Christmas....bring on 2008!!!