Tis the Season

It was December and I knew I had to get in Christmas spirit. Our awesome neighbor, Amy and her friends came over to my house while we were all at school and work and decorated for Christmas. It looked amazing and it really made me get excited about Christmas. I really have been blessed with some pretty amazing friends! Brandon ordered a swing set for Hallie's big Christmas gift and I shopped for some other little things to get her. It was so tough not to buy little things for Avery Kate. I still got her stocking monogrammed though (cried my eyes out at the counter in Threadworks) but I needed to see it hanging on our mantle. Right before Christmas I went to get Hallie a little baby swing to hang on the swing set. I grabbed a pink one and thought, oh perfect! Avery Kate can use this one when she gets a little older too. It wasn't until I got to the register that I realized that Avery Kate wouldn't be able to swing with Hallie - ever. It really upset me. I just kept thinking how Avery Kate should be with us for Christmas, wearing her little red Kicky Pants dress from Pink & Blue. I wanted Hallie to be able to teach her how to swing, and how to climb up on the slide. But I knew she'd never get to do that.
The next morning Brandon's cousin, Candace, texted me telling me that she had a dream that their Paw Paw (Who died the day after Hallie was born) was pushing Avery Kate on a swing. She said they were both so happy and smiling. OK, so Avery Kate is enjoying that swing set after all. That was just so out of the blue, and certainly not a coincidence.
We celebrated Christmas with all of our families. Poor Paw Paw spent Christmas in the ER. That didn't stop us from going there and seeing him though. We all knew it would be his last Christmas, and I didn't care where he was, I was going to spend it with him, and I did. There many tears for Christmas, but I think the smiles and laughter outweighed the tears by far. I did feel like I had a lump in my throat the whole time, but it was more like me fighting back my tears. I didn't want to "ruin" a happy time for everyone else. But even as we would drive through our neighborhood, I could see families so happy and spending Christmas with their kids. I have to admit, I was so jealous! I just wanted Avery Kate there with us to celebrate it all. But who better to celebrate Christmas with than Jesus? She got to spend Christmas with the "Reason for the Season."

Our Christmas card picture 2011.