Christmas 3: Kansas Edition

In a two day span we covered a lot of Christmas ground in Kansas.

A visit from Santa Claus on the evening before Christmas Eve (apparently he makes special visits early to very  good little boys), Christmas with my mom's family at Grandma Moore's house on Christmas Eve, and stockings and Christmas dinner at my mom and dad's on Christmas Day. Then, at 3:30 am the day after Christmas we left for Colorado, but I'll have all of that in a separate post...maybe a couple of separate posts.

A gentleman in Carbondale has been dressing up as Santa Claus for years, decades really, and visiting houses around Christmas time. One Christmas Eve 20 years or so ago, he visited our house. We arrived home from my Grandma Moore's to a very cheery Santa Claus standing on the roof of our house. My parents told me that his sleigh and reindeer were waiting on the back half of the roof. I believed them. Then two years later my father crushed those dreams of a real Santa Claus when he asked my sister and I to help him wrap gifts and I was old enough to read him write FROM: SANTA on many packages I knew were not from Santa Claus. But I digress....

So, my nephew Bryson was also at Mom and Dad's when Santa came to visit and they asked him to get the door when he came knocking, but Bryson wasn't having it. My mom wrapped up two gifts for the boys and left them outside for Santa to bring in. Someone finally let him in and both boys were quite hesitant to go see him, however they each took their gift from him. Gabe was thanking Santa for his jammies for days.

Ho, ho, ho!

Notice how the boys are keeping their distance...

That's a look of terror.

Still terrified, but feeling better next to Daddy.

Bryson gets chummy with Santa....

....as long as Papa is close by.

Notice the red arrow pointing to the Christmas ornament...

....it's Ron Santa on our roof circa 1992 or '93.

Daddy: Go tell him thank you.

Gabe: Um no (as he backs into Daddy).

For a candy cane...

...well, okay, but Daddy you're coming with me.

Whoa! Close enough for a high five!

And knuckles...wow.

"Santa, I want a green tractor, a horse, and...."

Gabe is not having it.

Still not comfortable.

But Bryson is. He's got this Santa thing figured out.

Jerad, Ron Santa, Bryson, and Amy

Uncle Charlie and Ron Santa.

Christmas Eve we traveled to Grandma Moore's house where the whole family packs into her cozy kitchen and living room for ham sandwiches and finger foods before attending Christmas Eve service at the United Methodist Church. Speaking of that service, I wish I had taken my camera. I didn't know that Gabe would have two significant firsts in the church that night.

Let me paint a picture for you instead...

The pastor invites all the children to the front of the church for the children's moment. Gabe and all his little-ish cousins go ahead and join the crowd of kids. I watch with pride as he bravely follows his cousin to the front without worrying about going without mommy or daddy. For those of you who may have forgotten he is only 22 months old (as opposed to nearly 2...I'm counting in months as long as I can to keep the idea that I still have a baby darn it.) The pastor proceeds to ask for volunteers for the different parts of the nativity scene. She needs angels, and shepherds, and a Mary and Joseph, and a star (which my nephew Bryson requested to be). Gabe basically has no idea what she's saying and is pretty well running his own agenda. He begins at the table of handbells. His older cousin whisks him away from the table before he's able to play a song for the crowd. Then, the pastor finally has all the parts filled for the nativity scene and Gabe is still wandering, not aimlessly though. He definitely had a plan in mind. The pastor asks everyone to pray and most of the children, and crowd in the pews bow their head in reverence as my son takes on the mic stand and nearly successfully knocks it to the ground in the middle of her prayer. I have my 12 year old cousin Trenton to thank for saving Gabe on that one. The prayer ends and thankfully the children return to the pews without further incident.

Gabe sings and claps with the performance of the handbells. Then the pastor invites the congregation to partake in communion. At our church Gabe attends the nursery every Sunday so he's never been privy to taking communion. Gabe sees the juice cups and bread straight away and we're in the first pew, which means we have an excellent view of what's going on, but we'll be the last pew to partake in the communion process. While the couple of hundred people in attendance take communion Gabe is begging us, not so quietly, "Bread! Bread! Bread! Juice! Juice! Juice!" Finally, it's our turn, and Casey takes a chunk of bread for himself and one for Gabe, and I take a juice for myself and one for Gabe. Casey explains to Gabe that we are eating the bread and juice to remind us that Jesus died for our sins, and then he led us in a prayer of thanks. It was a small moment, but it was a monumental moment too. One I won't soon forget.

Then, we returned to Grandma's to open gifts and Casey was able to snap a couple of photos.

Letters game from his cousin.

Mickey Mouse cups from Aunt Suzanne.

(One of which we already left at a Chili's in Salina, Kansas...oops.)

Then, there was Christmas morning which brought stocking gifts and presents from Grami and Papa, and his aunt and uncles, then dinner as a family.

 

Good Christmas Morning!

Headed for the stockings.

Wait! That's not yours!

Now you've found the right one.

March of the Penguins!

Slinky and Mickey Mouse coloring book.

The boys helping sort gifts.

Oh, hope that gift he just tossed wasn't fragile.

Gift happy!

Christmas pjs courtesy of Uncle Daniel.

Opening a gift from Aunt Mamy and Uncle Jerad.

Bryson playing with the tunnel from Grami and Papa.

Gabe right behind him.

It was a wonderful Christmas season. We have so much to be thankful for and I am. We kicked off the new year today as lazy bums. I didn't even get out of my pajamas until 4:00 pm.

Happy New Year to all of you! May your year be full of joy!