What Christmas Means to Me

I can't decide if my childhood or my adult Christmas' are more special. How about you other moms? My childhood Christmas went something like this......I remember opening one gift, reading the Christmas story and going to sleep on the bunk beds on Christmas eve in my brother's room. Our Christmas morning started at 3:30 a.m. yep! We had presents to open, coffee to drink and sausage balls to eat before we headed to Dumas to spend the morning with my "mom" really my grandmother, but that's the name we called her. The day after Christmas we made the trip to Mobile to spend several days with Grandmother and Papaw and all the Sheppard cousins. In my memory there were very few Christmas that were cold in Mobile, so we would spend a lot of time outside. The Sheppard family is huge, so there was never a dull moment, that's for sure. It is mostly girl cousins on that side, we always had the best barbies, baby dolls, hair stuff, make-up...you name it. You girls remember the kit and kaboodles, (or is that the name of dog food).....I can't seem to seperate it, but anyway, Jennifer, Jenelle, Blair, and me had so much fun.
Next is the adult Christmas memories. I can't tell you how much fun, Doug and I have had being parents on Christmas. To be honest I don't recall the first few Christmas Doug and I shared before kids, really. From the gifts we have purchased to late night "instruction reading" sessions to put the toys together, it has been a blast. Last Christmas was the most fun, I guess. All three kids really "got" Santa, Bryant was 2 1/2, so it was all fun and games. Everyone in the family asked Santa for a Wii, if you don't remember they were impossible to find until Dec. 23rd! We got ours, thank goodness to Santa. Doug and I spent Christmas Eve playing with the new toy. Even with all the parties and church things around this time of year, being an adult and celebrating our Savior's birth is the best.

Some special memories we know we'll have from this year
our first Christmas in the new house( even though we have hardly any decor out)
Bryant being afraid of Santa, "Because he has scary shoes"....(who knows where he got that one)
Nathan and Emily bringing Owen home!
Bennett and Addison asking Santa for the exact same thing, (ninento ds)
having a fireplace on Christmas morning
baking goodies in my new kitchen

I hope the next few days are filled with love, joy, and hope for all of you