The three of us went into Christmas pretty tired, due to the sleeping issues Lucy had been having for a couple of weeks prior. I was beginning to think one or all of us would end up sick, and that it would be just plain exhausting.
But nothing could have been further from the truth! We all managed to stay well, and Lucy began sleeping through the night again, praise the Lord, on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve/Day turned out to hold some of my favorite memories with her and Andy since Gotcha Day - hands down. It was just
so very special. Every. Single. Moment.
I will treasure this Christmas with her for the rest of my life.
Growing up, my family always looked forward to Christmas Eve just as much as Christmas Day. Mom would bake all sorts of goodies, from her chocolate chip cookies, to her coveted family fudge recipe. Dad would work on sausage balls all day, kitchen towel tucked in his belt as an apron. And there would be a table full of other sweet and savory treats.
We'd all grab a plate, gobbling up as much goodness as we could, read the Christmas story aloud, pondering the true and perfect meaning of the season, and then dive into our presents from one another.
It wasn't until later in life that I found out this tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve wasn't necessarily the norm. My cousin Kathy and her family did it, so as far as I was concerned, that meant everyone else in the world did too! Anyways, I was always giddy on Christmas Eve morning, and found myself to feel much the same this year.
Andy and I were a little concerned about how Lucy would do with all of the stimulation, excitement, non-routine days, and abundance of presents that Christmas brings. But what can you do? It's Christmas and we just had to jump in and pray for the best.
Once again, she handled it all like a champ. As if she'd done it multiple times before. She loved, loved, loved it all. Everything from the food, to the parties, to the hugs, to opening gifts, to staying up late, to seeing family and friends left and right. It would have been tough to handle just a few short months ago, and was again a reminder of just how far we've all come in such a short amount of time.
So, Christmas Eve, we headed to my parents' house around 6:00 pm and started the above traditions.
The next morning, Andy and I had decided to invite the grandparents over to watch Lucy open her gifts from us. The plan was for them to be downstairs waiting on her when she woke up. Boy was she ever excited to see four people she loves dearly all in the same room,
her living room, first thing in the morning. She couldn't get down stairs fast enough! Didn't even notice the new presents wrapped and waiting on her. Just went straight to handing out Christmas hugs.
We decided to go ahead and eat breakfast since she hadn't even noticed her presents. Like that will ever happen again! We all enjoyed a wonderful meal of breakfast casserole, muffins, fruit, coffee, and sparkling grape juice.
Lucy finally began opening presents around 9:00 am (when I bet every other child in the world had already ripped into theirs and started playing with them!).
She was so methodical and orderly about opening most of her gifts, making sure Grandpa or DanDan got each and every speck of wrapping paper and ribbon into that trash bag. That's my girl!
I'm so glad she took her time, allowing us all revel in the sweetness of what was unfolding before us - an orphan-no-more experiencing her first Christmas with her forever family - and a forever family who had been missing out on her for 2.5 years. What a little miracle she is!
Next to the reminder of Jesus' simple, yet glorious birth and then His saving death on the cross, having Lucy home was the best part of our Christmas. And to think, last year we didn't even know her face. And now, here she was, in our living room, wearing Christmas pj's, opening gifts Andy and I bought and wrapped just for her, making us unbelievably thankful. It was almost too much to take in.
Things were winding down sometime just before lunch. The grandparents headed their separate ways, leaving the three of us to just enjoy one another. Lucy took a nap, and we all got ready to head to dinner with everyone, my sister and her family included, at my mom and dad's. It was nice to have time together, no opening gifts, and just enjoying food and fellowship. Andy and I had worked to finish up Lucy's Gotcha Day slideshow/video that afternoon, so we shared it with everyone that evening. Such a sweet time to sit around the living room with people who care about Lucy, reliving our journey to her through pictures, video and music. I can't wait to finally post it here for everyone to see! It's perfect and I'm grateful to my husband for his hard work to make it happen.
So, that my friends was our Christmas. I loved every single second. The past several Christmases have had their challenges, as we so badly wanted our daughter home.
But it has been completely worth the wait. I know many who are waiting on their children to come home - whether they know who they are and where they are, or are waiting on a name and face to show up in their inbox. It will happen! The Lord is faithful. He takes care of those who wait. And He takes care of the families that wait with open hearts and open arms. May you find yourself in our position next year.
Merry Christmas, friends. We have so treasured your support and encouragement for us and Lucy. She is an answer to our prayers and yours!
Love,
Andy, Sheryl and The Goose
