Christmas 2012

Christmas looked a bit different for us this year compared to years past. The DuBay family gathering was scheduled on an evening when Daddy worked and you kiddos were sick with snotty noses and a croupy cough so we decided to forgo attending. Papa & Mema spent Christmas in Alabama with Uncle Derek, Aunt Teri and family flying out on the 19th. We allowed you to open two items from your stockings from Papa and Mema before leaving for Springfield the weekend prior to Christmas. Daddy had to work Christmas Eve so I allowed you to open your remaining stocking gifts from P & M in the morning. Mommy took you to the candle light service at church Christmas Eve. Christmas morning you woke and opened your stockings from Daddy and Mommy and then we all sat down to a yummy pancake breakfast Daddy made. After breakfast you opened your gifts. Honestly I don't recall all the details even though Christmas was just a few short weeks back. I can tell you that Christmas was quiet and peaceful. Papa and Mema had left your gifts here for you, but we waited for them to return from AL in early January to open them. I couldn't quite wrap my mind around not have Christmas without them so we "redid" Christmas on Friday the 4th - gifts followed by another pancake breakfast made by Daddy. 

The two bigs in front of the tree Christmas morning

Little Miss inspecting a handful of her stocking items - wooden alpha and number magnets, felt cupcakes for tea parties & a juice and milk bottle for her babies 

MJ opening her gift from Papa & Mema
A Tag Junior Reader, book set & storage bag

Papa and Mema added to Dawson's Imaginext line

Gabi thrilled with her new girly perfumed lotion set 

Our favorite gift from this Christmas was the Jesus Calling devotional book by Sarah Young. I have LOVED crawling in bed with all 3 of you {nearly} every night and reading the daily devotion. You take turns looking up the additional scripture verses on Mommy's iPhone. I have noticed such a difference in your evening/bedtime demeanor on the evenings we complete the devotional. You each settle right to sleep after tucking you in.
I decided last year to record what your gifts were, so in keeping up with that here is this years list.
Gabrielle:

 MP3 player

 Fijit Friend Willa
Lego friends set

Dawson:

 Robotic toy

 Lego DS case and 2 DS games

 BOB book set 1 

McKenna:

 Shopping cart

 Large plastic food set

 Toy Vacuum