Our 2020 Christmas At Home

We had a nice Christmas day spent at home.  The kids weren't up *too* early but were so excited for the fun of the day.  We did stockings right away, because of course we should.

After stockings we did pause the kids and read our final day of Jesse Tree and Jotham's Journey devotions.  It just seemed right to focus everyone's hearts properly before we went on to gifts.

This year we did three gifts for each of our children.  We kind of tried to do a gold (a very wanted item), frankincense (something to deepen their walk with Christ), and myrhh (something for the body).  Honestly the youngest 3's frankincense gifts were non-existent to a bit of a stretch, but it was fun to have a different kind of theme to shop around this year.  This was a year when our budget was not so tight as it's been in some years past and we don't take that for granted.  We enjoyed shopping for our children and thinking of each one as we chose their 3 gifts.  We did also give them each a Christmas Eve box with books and a new very soft oversized blanket. 

Instead of opening youngest to oldest, we opened middle and out (middle child over here!).  So we went Mia, Zayden, Xavier, Natalee, then Evalynn.  Evie was content to help everyone anyways and get into all the stocking stuffers so she didn't mind being last.

The children also drew names for each other this year.  They didn't keep whose name they drew a secret, but they did keep what they bought their person secret.  Because of the pandemic and no in store shopping, we had the kids think about their person for a couple of days, and then I called them one at a time to the computer with me and we shopped online with a budget of $10-15.  They were SO excited to give and receive these secret Santa gifts, and chose to open them first.

I was impressed with how thoughtfully each child chose for their recipient.

From Xavier to Ameliya - bike accessories for her bike.  She'd been wanting a basket, but he chose a set with the basket, tassels, and spokey dokes.

From Natalee to Zayden

She chose a monster truck Lego set for Zayden and the much wanted whoopie cushion.  He wanted that so bad and she knew it and couldn't wait to give it to him!

From Zayden to Xavier

Also a whoopie cushion and a NY Yankees pennant!  Z couldn't wait to give his big brother something Yankees! 

From Evalynn for Natalee

Mom helped Ev do her shopping and we chose the game of Yahtzee and nail stickers for when Natalee paints her fingernails.

{Ev carried this bag around and collected ribbons and other treasure the entire time we opened gifts.}

From Ameliya for Evalynn

Ev has LOVED our snowman disk stacker that came up with the Christmas decorations, so Mia got her a nice wooden disk stacker so she could still play when the snowman went back into storage.

And now, gifts from Mommy and Daddy...

In summary....much Calico Critters, a bunk bed rack, and dolly & me nightgown for Mia, desk chairs for both big kids, and the Elsa dress Natalee wanted so badly!  I was so excited to give Natalee all the framed horse prints I'd done up for her bedroom walls (pics to come!).  Zayden loved his backpack, but also had new action figures and micro machines.  Xavier got the Yankees hat he'd been wanting and both boys got Lego technics with the new pull back action.  Evie loved her dolly set and everything else all the kids opened (ha!) and mommy loved the light table Daddy made her and can't wait to have so much fun with it!

Some years Mike and I have forgone gifts for one another, but this year we each chose one gift to give.

A Barefoot Dreams house coat for me!  So soft and cozy!

Gaming headphones for Daddy!

After gifts everyone was starving.  We had planned brunch, so I headed into the kitchen to get cranking on our biscuits and gravy.  I did buy frozen biscuits instead of making from scratch - Merry Christmas to mom!

The rest of the day was for enjoying.  Some of us got dressed.  Some of us did not.  The kids played.  We assembled things that needed put together.  There were Legos to build and toys to enjoy.  At one point I dug through 2 trash bags for a missing item - wouldn't be Christmas without that!

My pre-teens modeling their new desk chairs!

Everyone had stocking puzzles so they worked on those.

And when the afternoon got long and we were missing our grandmas and papas and cousins and aunties and uncles, mom pulled the ole "family gift" trick out of her hat.  Evie napped and we played a new game!

Trekking the World

She woke up before we were done - have a cookie Lovey.

Daddy made hamburgers for supper and we had tator tots and veggies with them.  Not super Christmasy food but everyone liked it.

While the big kids played with some new toys in the toy room and Daddy cooked, I played with Evie.  

Tending her baby...

Getting to know the light table.  In the Air Fort - living the dream!

Zayden FaceTimed Theo to catch up on Christmas!

Overall it was a good Christmas.  I had a couple of moments - anxiety, sadness, a lot of big feelings - but those moments didn't define the day.  These people in this picture - these people defined my day, and I'm so thankful to the baby who came to fulfill the purpose of saving this fallen world so that I could be with these sweet people - my favorites - on this day.