Christmas 20009 - Part 2

So, continuing on with our Christmas. First of all, Ryan and I were so amazed to see how much snow was falling on Christmas Eve. I know this may sound a bit silly, but for me the snowfall brought a huge amount of peace. Just to know that we were going to have a white Christmas when we woke up Christmas morning. Wow. God certainly takes care of every detail. I can't remember the last time we had a white Christmas....and one being sooooo white! God, thank you! Your love is amazing!!!! One thing that has helped us is to do different things....making new traditions. The white Christmas for us was something different. It was something that we were not use to seeing year after year. Hope that all makes sense!

We had a great time playing outside in the snow. We built a huge snow fort and had snowball fights and we built a snowman. During all of this, I was thinking, "God, I wish so much that Landon was here with us." But, you know, Landon is not missing out on anything. What he is getting to experience is beyond what we can imagine, right now. He is in perfect paradise with our Lord and Saviour. As the Lord was speaking this to me, I had another thought. I immediately got down onto my back and looking up into the heavens, I spread my arms and legs out and in and made a snow angel for Landon. It was a way for me to feel close to my son.

It was also nice being "snowed in." It took the pressure off of having to be anywhere at any certain time. We just got to hang out as a family and spend time together. We stayed in most of Christmas Eve and had so much fun making cookies for Santa.

After our cookies were all made, we placed them by the fireplace along with some carrots for the reindeer. Can't forget those reindeer. :) We all sat together on the couch and daddy read "The Night Before Christmas."

I had mentioned before, in another post, that we had gotten Landon a small, live tree and placed a strand of blue lights on it along with his ornaments. Here are some more pictures of Landon's Christmas tree along with some close-up pictures of his ornaments. We used some of the pictures that our wonderful Miss Sarah took for our Christmas card.

It was so wonderful to wake up to a very white Christmas. Logan and Addison ran into the living room to see what Santa had brought them. Avery woke up to her first Christmas looking so cute!!

Here are some pictures of the kiddos opening their gifts

Later that day, we drove out to my mom and stepdad's house to celebrate Christmas with them. Logan, Addison and Avery had a fun time getting to open gifts with their cousins. The next day we were off to celebrate Christmas with my dad and stepmom at my aunt and uncle's house. The kids had a blast getting to sled down a hill close to their house!

After we left my aunt and uncle's house, we drove out to Floral Haven to place some Christmas flowers and other items on Landon's marker. Still to this day, it seems so surreal every time we go out there. Then, when we are there, a peace always seems to wash over me completely.

We placed some flowers in his vase and wrapped a "Baby's First Christmas" bib around the bottom of the vase. Logan brought a sleigh bell that he received in school when they had their Polar Express Day. Addison colored a page out of her coloring book and placed it in Landon's stocking that we layed down next to his marker. We all knelt down around his marker and prayed. As we prayed I heard the Lord speak, "Be still, and know that I am God."