Christmas 2013

The kids and Peepaw on Christmas Eve when they came up for a quick visit. This was the first time since 4th of July that Meemaw and Peepaw had been here. It is always nice to have family come for a short visit. These little guys sure do love their grandpa.

Flying hugs for Uncle Caleb!

Opening gifts from grandma and grandpa!

New drawing books from grandpa and grandma Nielsen! So excited!

 After our Christmas eve gathering with the Nielsen side we had a relaxing Christmas Eve at home. This was only the 2nd Christmas Eve that we have had in our own home since Jake and I got married. It was one of the most relaxing low stress holiday's that we have ever had.

Christmas morning was reserved for Santa gifts and enjoying some quiet family time in our own living room. Baleigh had not really made a list this year and our standard is that Santa will bring you one thing - the thing that you want the most - as long as it is reasonable (no pony requests). Baleigh got a set of My Little Ponies because she has recently really gotten into the cartoon show based on them. She loved them! She also got a couple new outfits from Grandma Diane and Aunt Debbie and Uncle Hugh. In her stocking she found a Kaleidoscope, candy and some gum. Thor had is heart set on another guy from Ben Ten. Last year he was SO excited to receive Gravitack. This year he was looking forward to Articguana. After a few months of searching on Ebay "santa" finally found it! He was thrilled to open it and after opening his lava lamp and mini lego mantis he retreated to his room for the next two hour and played with his Ben Ten guys. 

Playing with his new Ben Ten guy and all his ones from years past. He is amassing quite a little collection. :)

 After a quiet morning at home we jumped in the car and headed the 2 miles down the road to my oldest brother's place for the big family get together. This is the first year since before I joined the Army that our whole family has been under the same roof for Christmas. Usually someone is off somewhere with their spouse's family. But the stars aligned and we were all present. 26 of us in all this year - by 4th of July there will be 28. I brought all the "gingerbread" houses, and everyone brought a bag of candy to decorate them with. My sister-in-law Tracie had decorated their home beautifully and my other SIL Emily provided trivia and games for the adults and children to play during the children's gift exchange. We had a wonderful time hanging out with everyone!

Thor starting his house

Emily and her daughter Ivy with their house~

Baleigh was so proud that she had completed her house all by herself this year!

My baby brother Caleb and his girlfriend Rachel working on their masterpiece. It turned out really great!

Our completed village! Some of us have some mad decorating skills.

Jake "helping" Baligh while she was playing BINGO with cousins

My favorite kid in the family at the moment. Ryan is a 2 year old ham that ran around taking "pictures" of everyone all day. This kids could seriously not be any cuter. His parents are doing a great job, raising a polite, sweethearted little man. Love him to death!

Group picture of the cousins.

Family gift for my parents. My dad is a riot. He can still make my mom laugh like no one else.

Blessed

I am blessed. In so many ways. I was blessed the day I met my husband. We only knew each other for 3 short months before our first separation, and we both knew, deep down that we were meant for one another. 5 years later we finally stopped being separated long enough to get married. We have said more good-byes and had more reunions that many couples. We spent years separated by continents and oceans, and the military in general. The biggest blessing that we could have asked for(or not ask for). In those years of separation we developed deep, loving relationship through letters, and emails, and (in the pre cell phone years) the VERY occasional phone call. Homecomings were sacred. You have not experienced true passion until you have been separated from your true love for over a year. When your eyes lock, in that moment,  nothing else even matters. You don't care if your hair is perfect, or your outfit looks right, you don't care if people stare. All you care about it jumping into that person's arms and never letting go again. 

I thought when Jake came home from an 18 month deployment that I would never be happier. I was wrong. Fast forward 3 1/2 years to March of 2009. I had finally completed 3 1/2 months of  Army Basic Combat Training and was allowed to see my husband and my two babies. Thor was just 2 1/2 and Baleigh was not quite 1 1/2 yrs old. I vividly remember walking across the parking lot, and then running, then crouching down and my chubby little boy running towards me. He had  a tiny dinosaur clutched in his fat little paw, and he launched himself into my arms. I could not have been happier than I was at that very moment. I was blessed. There was a moment (ok, maybe a little more than a moment) when Baleigh did not recognize me and was hysterical when I picked her up. It crushed me that she did not recognize me or want me to touch her. We eventually warmed up to each other again when I was able to be home with them again every night - 6 months later. But I was blessed to realize how much my family means to me, because I have been without them so many times. Very few will ever be able to know what it is like to be without their family and then be re-united with them. Jake and I have a unique perspective on love and family-togetherness.