Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is always a special day; anticipation swallows every child’s heart and the grown-ups are a little anxious about the stress of the next day… But everyone is content. It’s a very interesting sort of day… For us it was fairly normal (as normal as normal is) – Beth and I stayed at home while the guys went out to run some errands (and on Christmas Eve that takes a while).

Ayden woke up Uncle Gabe and read him a book.

Samson looking snazzy.

Beth and I cleaned the apartment because it was important to us to have a clean house Christmas morning (you know, before it gets destroyed). Anyway, she was being “fierce.”

He really enjoys eating oranges…

“YEAH – WE BE EATIN’ OUR FRUIT. GOTTA PROBLEM WIT DAT??”

Apparently oranges make one want to be upside down.

Then we all went to church – Gabe and I to First Baptist in Morgan Hill and the Balls to a church here in Salinas (a rather nice one actually). I really missed the candlelight service as it’s a long standing tradition and with the fragmented state of my family right now I am trying to hold on to the things I can. But it was nice to see Vickie and Jean and to hear Gabe give a little testimony about what God has been doing in our lives.

Of course, First Baptist is where we got married. So we took some pictures in the sanctuary.

“I still do!”

Very excited to be the Sedberrys!

After church Gabe and I went by Dad’s house to open our one gift each – Gramdad and Grandma Sylvia got us $100 to Amazon.com (sweet!). Then we went back to the Balls’ house. Completely humoring me, everyone opened one gift each – the gifts from my mom.

Oh yes, so excited. Can’t you tell?

Opening my gift.

Paper!!

The gift is attacking Levi!

Apparently Gabe is attacking the gift.

She got us all pajamas (which was perfect because Beth had wanted to start doing that anyway) so we all went to bed in brand new comfies. I think that one-present thing was the only “normal Christmas” thing I did. I am constantly reminded about the divorce and the division in our family, but the Holidays make it that much sharper. It was nice to share a special custom with these people I only met two years ago; people who have become our functional family. They were quite sensitive to the situation I am in this year and really made it a wonderful time.

Our 3rd attempt at a picture.

Then came the fun part! For the last few weeks I have been gathering goodies and putting together bags for Christmas Morning and finally I got to assemble the stockings! I don’t know how it is for everybody else in the world, but for me the stockings are the best part of Christmas. You know that you’re going to get some great presents under the tree. And you also know that you will more than likely get a few things from your list. But the stocking is a total surprise! You’ll get cheap things that will probably get thrown away, but you’ll also get some really neat things that you never thought to ask for. And you always get candy! Santa never leaves you wanting with a stocking…. Stockings are awesome. Anyway, I was so excited to have the opportunity to…. Er, help Santa. I think I enjoyed it more than anybody else enjoyed it on the other end! It was such a blessing for me.

Yay!! And my stocking most certainly did not remain empty. Gabe and I do all of our gifts for one another with the stocking so he filled mine before I got up in the morning and it broke the hook off… He is so wonderful! I’m spoiled.

Somehow, even though we are all broke, Ayden (and the Balls) got a million presents under the tree! God is so good!

Though not what I am used to, this was the perfect Christmas Eve…