When Matt and I WOKE Ava up Christmas morning (that's right, we were probably the only parents in the world who had to wake up their kid), she did not want to get out of bed. This is nothing unusual for her, but on Christmas morning? Really? We told her Santa had come. We told her presents awaited her in the living room. We bribed her with hot chocolate and M&Ms... And yet, she wanted to stay in bed.
Finally, Ava decided to set her morning in motion, not by getting out of bed though... But by reading a book. Not just any book either, Ava specifically asked for the Bible. Matt and I thought her request was quite fitting considering reason for celebrating today.
About 30 minutes after we woke Ava up, she finally made her way down the hallway to see what Santa had left her. Instead of tearing into all of her new gifts, Ava stood in the exact same place, taking everything in, for about 2 whole minutes. That's a long time for a 2 year old... Especially for a 2 year old surrounded by new toys!
Eventually, Ava moved from her "let me check everything out" position and moved immediately over to the empty plate of cookies and empty mug of milk.
Ava leaned over the mug and excitedly shouted, "All gone!" Oh yes, the milk and cookies were definitely all gone, and I believe it is safe to say that Santa enjoyed every last bite of the treats Ava left for him.
And now, on to the toys! For several months now, Ava has had her eye on a certain teddy bear at Target. "Teddy bear" was the only thing Ava could squeak out through her tears when Santa asked her what she wanted for Christmas. Ladies and gentlemen... Meet, Teddy Bear!
Do you see the baby-doll crib in the picture below? Santa must have pulled some serious strings to get this crib to Ava. My grandpa made this crib for my mom when she was a little girl. My mom passed the crib down to me when I was a little girl. Santa must have found it somehow, spruced it up, added a bed skirt and bumper, and gave it to Ava for Christmas. Ava has played with the crib non-stop since receiving it, and the crib is now the official home for Ava's plethora of baby dolls.
Another one of Ava's favorite gifts from Santa is this art center. There is plenty of storage for markers, stickers, and paper galore! Plus, there is a lid that conveniently hides all of the art supplies while providing a flat surface, perfect for coloring, painting, and being creative!
I have been known to throw Ava in our jogging stroller, and gasp for breath, grunt, and will myself to run through our neighborhood. Our stroller, which in all seriousness is called a, 'BOB' is well known by my future running partner. When her eyes came across the stroller seen below, she placed her new baby doll in it and exclaimed, "Bob!"
Here is a throw back to my elementary school years... A Caboodle. Come on, I know I'm not the only one out there who owned one of these!
And not to be left out... Ava's stocking. Filled with her annual Christmas ornament, trinkets and candies.
After we opened presents, we enjoyed our first of many, "Blackberry French Toast Casserole Christmas Breakfasts." We got dressed, and headed to church. Due to the fact that Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, our church did not have childcare for the little ones. I completely understand their reasoning behind this decision, and I am thrilled that all of the hard-working Sunday School teachers got a morning off, and that they were able to enjoy the Christmas Day service. This did however, mean that Ava had to come into the Worship Center with us. She did great during the music, but I am sad to say that during the lesson, I had to take Ava out into the foyer. Either way, Matt and I were sure to let Ava know that Christmas is a day to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It should also be said that in this household, Christ's birth, and resurrection, are celebrated on a daily basis!
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Following church, we headed to Matt's uncle and aunt's house (Tim & Kathy) for a wonderful, family Christmas lunch. As soon as Ava was finished eating, she spent the majority of the afternoon going up and down the stairs, taking Aunt Kathy along for the ride. Thanks, Kathy, for being such a great sport!
Eventually, we all huddled around the, ahem, GIANT Christmas tree to exchange gifts. I mean, seriously... Look at that thing! You are seeing less than half of the width in the picture below, and the tree's height is several more feet past the top of the photo. HUGE! But absolutely breathtaking.
As if our day had not been busy enough already, after lunch, we headed to my parent's house for yet another Christmas meal and gift exchange. We were apparently too busy having too much fun, because I don't have many pictures to show our time at my parent's house. I was also probably in a food coma from everything I had shoved in my mouth throughout the day.
Out of our time at my parent's house, I have proof that Ava loved taking her Playskool pup for a walk...
...And that God has blessed us with the most amazing daughter we could have ever imagined!
Merry Christmas!
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