My favorite moment of Christmas.....

I sure can tell you that my favorite moment has NOT been today. The running to the crazy Wal-mart to get some toy bins to accommodate for our very blessed Christmas. The non-stop cleaning, organizing, throwing away. The TEN HOURS of putting toys together! But it was all SO worth it. I had a WONDERFUL Christmas, filled with family, great food, love, and happiness. I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I woke up an hour before they alarm went off, and started imagining my husbands face as I gave him the present he has asked for three years in a row. The excitement of my son as he saw that Grandma and Grandpa got him the train table he was so wanting. The wonder on baby girl's face as she discovered the wonders of Christmas. There was so much hat made this year so wonderful, but here are my top ten favorite moments.

1. When little man ran downstairs, stared into the cookie plate, and then turned around and shouted "the cookies are GONE!!!!"
2. My son then noticing the "footprints" that Santa left on the floor in front of the fireplace. Too excited Santa visited to even notice the big presents he left.
   
3. The multiple times my son told us "Thank you THANK YOU mommy and daddy for putting my train together! (yeah, this thing is a monster! Took four hours and two of us to get it together for him on Christmas night, not to mention a chunk of our family room/loft)
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
4. Baby girl demanding her unwrapped toys just sit in front of her, and then just as insistently demanding we help her unwrap them to discover her FAVORITE baby doll. Too cute. 
   
5. Baby girl as she "showed us her tooshie" (she lays on her back and pulls up her legs) in her beautiful red, white and black Christmas dress, laughing and giggling as she was the center of attention.
6. Hearing my beautiful daughter wail her new-found word "apa apa" when my husband took her from Grandpa o change her diaper, and knowing that she knows the same unconditional love that I feel from this generous man.
   
7. My husbands face when he unwrapped his "Santa" gift, and then his joy as he played with it while the kids played with their toys. 
8. Watching my parents exchange presents, and hoping that 20 years from now my husband and I are still that excited to find the "perfect" gift for one another. 
   
9. Looking down the railing as we put together the train table, watching the kids {gasp} getting ALONG? as they played with baby girl's new kitchen set that took me 3 hours to put together.     
   
   
   
   
   
           
   
   
10. That one special moment after gift-giving. Hubby was in the kitchen looking at his beloved new tool, little man was at his new Handy Manny gift bench, and baby girl was feeding her new dolly. I sat there, cuddled on a chair, not in a rush, no where to be at the moment. Just curled in my favorite chair with a cup of coffee and basking in the glow of where I am, what I have done, and these beautiful children I have created. It was my perfect picture of Heaven. 

I hope that you all enjoyed your Christmas, too. Please share YOUR favorite moment, and treasure it forever!