Celebrating Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Sassers!!  We had a beautiful Christmas that extended over a week so that we could celebrate with both sides of grandparents.  Keeping them separate was not the original plan, but rather became the wisest choice with the terrible increase in COVID cases. Christmas during COVID = making hard decisions.  

Grammy and Gran Gran joined us for the week before and day of, and then Gia came on that Monday and is staying with us through the new year and early January. Even though this Christmas felt quieter than normal, especially since we usually invite neighbors and friends over to our house to celebrate, it certainly wasn't quiet as we had 3 little ones so excited about all the presents they received!!    

Starting with Christmas Eve...One of the biggest disappointments is that we could not attend church in person. I absolutely love the Christmas Eve service to center us during the season on the reason why we are celebrating. To see the last lit Advent calendar, sing silent night, hear the message, give to the poor through a special offering. Staying at home felt wrong.  However, we made the most of it: by watching my home church on the iPad, and then James and I watched a beautiful video by Northpoint church (at around 130AM, after all the presents were finally wrapped).  

Grammy and Gran Gran let the kids open their presents from them on Christmas Eve (they've gotten soft as grandparents, we could NEVER do that as kids!!)

Kiddos did their normal on Christmas Eve:  cookies for Santa, carrots for reindeer, then off to bed SUPER excited about the next day. :)  

And, they had reason to be. Santa came!  The kids managed to stay put upstairs until all the adults were downstairs and ready to watch them find what Santa had left. He left some fantastic gifts for the kiddos.

We opened presents in the morning, enjoyed grits casserole and cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then spent the rest of the day cooking a huge Christmas (late) lunch and playing with gifts.  The weather was frigid. One of the coldest Christmases I can remember. No snow, though (we'll most likely never see a white Christmas around here!)

Daddy snapped some pictures of us all in matching Christmas PJs (that Snowflake - our elf - sent us in the mail early December).  I loved them, the kids loved them, and James tolerated them (haha).

For our small group of 7, we cooked quite a Christmas feast.  I didn't even make the kids dress in fancy Christmas clothes, instead letting them join at the dining room table in lounge wear. But, you know, 2020...it taught us what is most important :)

After my parents left on Monday, Gia came down that afternoon to start the next round of Christmas festivities!  The kids were overjoyed to see more gifts added under the tree, and they love all the goodies that came from Gia and Aunt Wyllene.

We are looking forward to another couple of weeks with Gia, ringing in the new year (we welcome it!!) and looking back on what was an unusual - but still blessed - about 2020.