Around 5:45 am, I heard the boys laughing and talking in their bedroom. Our Christmas morning rule is that you can’t come into our room until 6 am, but of course that doesn’t keep them from waking up at 4:45 or so and anxiously watching the clock and listening for their brothers to wake up too. At about 5:58 they ventured into our room. Carina had been nursing back to sleep, but as soon as they came in, she was ready to party. Chad checked to “make sure Santa came” and then the kids lined up, youngest to oldest and then galloped downstairs.
After presents from Santa, we opened the rest of the gifts and it was a good, happy morning. All the kids were pleased with their gifts for the time being – the jealousy and Christmas let-down came later. We were all beat by lunchtime, and everyone took a nap.
That evening we went to my parents house for dinner with all the Charlotte Jeppsons. We had the cousin nativity with a little program organized by Bobby and Sabina, and a piñata. As always, it was a delicious and fun evening, and as always, I felt very blessed to be able to spend Christmas with so much of my family.
