Home for Christmas

It was one of the best... The first year, really, that the big girls truly understood Christmas. The first time Jason and I got to play Santa staying up late to wrap presents and assemble toys... The first time the girls really grasped Christ coming to earth as a baby... The first time we set out fudge and carrots for Santa and his reindeer... The first time we've been home, just us, for... well... since "we" started!
Jason and I had it all imagined in our minds that the girls would wake in wee hours of the morning, come pouncing on our beds and beg for us to open gifts. But.... That's not exactly how it happened. You see, Jason and I were up late, as were the girls. We were wrapping gifts while the latter listened for the jingling of Santa's bells. As we checked on the girls just before retiring ourselves, we traded ideas of how it might go down in the morning... Knowing for sure they'd be sneaking down the stairs while we slept in our beds... Missing the sweet looks on their faces. So, in an effort to wake before them to see their surprised eyes, we set our alarms for 6:30.
Upon awakening, we enjoyed some coffee together, really only a few sips, before we wondered out loud if they'd even get up at a decent time. They were up so late... They were worn out from the last few days of busyness... So, we did what any other rational parent would do on Christmas morning. We marched upstairs and shook them out of bed!
Tired and weary, the girls rolled downstairs to a dollhouse surprise from Santa and a scooter from Mom and Dad! They were excited, but not really sure what to make of it all. To our surprise, they both came in the family room and sat on the couch without saying a word. It didn't take long, though, before they were scooting around the family room and enthralled with their little dollhouse.
It was certainly a Christmas to remember.