Our Early Christmas

This year we are going to KY for Christmas. My mom, dad, and brother are flying there for Christmas so we're going there, too! I'm excited to spend this time with my family. I'm real excited to do a gift exchange with my cousins like we used to do when we were little. I feel like it's one way of keeping mammaw's memory and legacy alive this Christmas.

Since we are going to KY, we didn't want to take all of Cooper's gifts there, then back. So Santa came early this year. A week early, actually. And he made Cooper a very happy boy.

We have had the Christmas tree very high up this year to avoid a Christmas tree disaster. We moved it into the living room so Cooper's gifts would surround the tree. When Cooper came down the stairs he started exclaiming, "Choo-Choo-Treat, Choo-Choo-Treat!!" He ignored the presents and went straight for the ornaments on the tree.

Cooper said, "oh boy" pretty much for an hour solid as we watched him open his gifts. He wanted to play with each one after opening it.

Our traditional Christmas breakfast: waffles. This year I put some almond extract in the mix, and we layered them with syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit! YUM-O.

Wanna know what made me really giddy on our early Christmas? There was snow on the ground. Something that hasn't happened for me since childhood. Why does it bring such excitement? Andrew said that the cooler weather and snow made things feel like Christmas. In FL it didn't feel the same.

At one point Andrew said, "this Christmas is way more fun with Cooper."

Amen. Amen. Amen. I know this type of joy and excitement won't always be with Cooper on Christmas. So, I'm soaking it in this year. Soaking in the excitement that beams through his eyes. Soaking in the jumping. Soaking in the "oh boys".

Soaking.

It.

All.

In.