Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas, Madagascar, and Pink Eye...

I never got around to sending out Christmas cards (for the second year in a row) but here were a few pictures that I took of them with good intentions several weeks ago!





I haven't had a chance to get the pictures from the last couple of days off of my camera. I have a few from Christmas morning at our house, but I'll have to post the rest later.

Christmas Eve night, we went to our church for a special service. One of the traditions at our church is for the children to wear their pajamas and go on the stage to sit and listen to a special story. Jaiden looked so forward to it and sat so still and listened so intently. Jeryn on the other hand, pretty much ran laps around the church in his pajamas. By the time we got back to the house, his toes had busted through the enclosed feet of the pjs. I think he outgrew that pair.
Here is Jaiden on Christmas morning, as my mom would say, "proud as punch!"

The one thing Jaiden really wanted was a "princess cook set." We also got Jeryn his own rocking horse because he loves Jaiden's.






On a side note, this was the Christmas that Jaiden learned there was no Santa Clause...It sounds so cruel I know, but Mario told her on Christmas Eve. To be frank, we have barely talked about Santa Clause to her anyway. My parents never made a huge deal of SC to me. In fact I don't remember even believing in him nor do I remember learning that he wasn't real. At any rate, we have always talked to her about the real meaning of Christmas and have never really said much about him. So something was said that night as we got into bed and Mario just said, "Well...he's not real..." I couldn't believe what he had just said, but I went with it. Jaiden showed no surprise or concern, she just said, "Oh, Okay." She was certainly not any less excited about opening gifts on Christmas morning. I don't think she cared where they came from, she was just excited about opening them! :)

I'm sure you think we're awful, but we just want her to be thankful and celebrate our Savior rather than a fake Santa. Every tells their kids at different times, but we just decided to do it now (well, Mario did anyway :) So I explained to her that it was a myth that if you were good, Santa would bring you gifts. I told her that there were lots of children in the world that were good, but would not get gifts for Christmas for one reason or another and that's why we needed to be thankful. She completely understood and we related it to the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes--how the recipients were good kids, but were much less fortunate and so by sending the boxes they would hear the good news about the only gift we ever really need--JESUS!
These were made about a week before Christmas. We were at Granny & Papa's and she found Papa's Santa suit in the storage room. She looked so cute in it!

Speaking of the shoeboxes, I got an e-mail on Christmas Eve that our boxes went to children in Madagascar!!!!! We were so excited and Jaiden couldn't believe it! She loves the Madagascar movies, and we recenlty had a customer appreciation night at the theatre and she got to come see Madagascar 2. So when we shared with her that the boxes we put together had gone there, she thought that was pretty neat!

We got back from Mom & Dad's this afternoon and I ended up taking Jaiden to the after hours clinic to have her eye seen about. She woke up this morning with her little eye all puffy and swollen and it has looked irritated all day. The doctor said she had pink eye and call in a prescription for her. We are doing eye drops four times a day, which was not something she just wanted to do! But with a little coaxing, she let me. Now I'm just praying that Jamie's family, mom&dad, and all of us don't get it!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and spent lots of time with your families!

8 comments:

Morris Family said...

Looks like you all had a great Christmas!! I am waiting on the day for Marcus to catch me being "Santa". HA! But it is better for them to understand the real meaning of this time of year...it is so precious! Hope Jaiden gets to feeling better!

the Fosters said...

I hate it that Jaiden has pink eye! I am sure it doesn't feel good
! Looks like you all had fun Christmas morning. The pictures are great! Can't wait to get together soon!

Anonymous said...

When our two oldest children were born my husband and I were lost and we made a HUGE deal about Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc. One day after we were newly saved our oldest daughter asked us which was greatest... Santa, the Easter Bunny, or Jesus. We were shocked but understood since we had made them all omniscient, etc. So we told them the truth about Santa. They accepted it well. Our third child we treated as you have Jaiden... just didn't talk about Santa and did talk a lot about the real meaning of Christmas.... the birth of our Saviour and Lord. I think we all just have to keep listening to God on every issue that isn't spelled out clearly in scripture and then doing it to the best of our ability in Him. You are doing a great job of living Him out before your children. God be praised.

Heather said...

Sounds like you had a great Christmas...minus the pink eye, of course! Your family is so blessed...I just love reading your posts!

His Doorkeeper said...

I'm late getting around to reading your blog but sure hope Jaiden's eye is better and that the rest of you don't get it too.

Jaiden is blessed to realize at an early age tht there are children who aren't as fortune as she. You are not taking anything away from her the way you explained it. She will grow up with a loving, giving and thankful spirit like her parents! Bless you all for your sweet hearts!

Happy New Year!!

Jacquie said...

Those are just the cutest pictures!!! I love the Santa suit on Jaiden.

You've already read how we "handled" the Santa issue. I don't think in your house you will have to worry about scarring them either way - your home is so Christ centered.

You're a great mom, Micaela. I hope 2009 is filled with big and small blessings for your family!!

Leigh Ann said...

Such a beautiful family you have, Micaela! I think the way you shared about the myth of Santa and the true meaning of Christmas with Jaiden was so wonderful. I think even adults could benefit from that conversation.

Happy New Year!

Sharmin said...

I hope Jaiden is feeling better, pink eye is the pits! We enjoyed seeing you at Christmas, I'll have to send you some of the pictures I tried to take of the 3 4-year-olds on the stairs. If you look at all the ones I took and click through them quickly it's pretty funny. Of course, mine is the one acting goofy!

We will be in LR on Friday (Jan. 9), Austin has to see an allergist. The dr finally decided it's time to do something else since the Dallergy isn't working.