Christmas Part III -- finally, Christmas day!

And finally, Christmas day came and it was wonderful! We woke up and opened presents with the kids and just as we expected, Kaiya had WAY more fun with the wrapping paper than with her actual presents! Oh well, she'll enjoy her "stuff" eventually, we hope!

(Kaiya LOVED her new book) (REALLY loved it!)
(Clever Chris wraps presents so that you have NO clue what's inside! No, this is not a broom for Christmas, it's a frying pan!)

(Katie showing off her new purse and shoes, because you can't be a princess without princess slippers!)(Yes, this is a 3-foot bone for our horse of a dog! It was so big, Chase wasn't really sure what to do with it! He still has only eaten a small hole through the center at this point! Hopefully it will take him a LONG time to conquer this one!)
(Colby checking out his new Ice Age game)

(And helping baby Kaiya with her new toy!) (The best Christmas gift we've ever received!)
(Here's Katie trying out my new Hip Hop Abs video. Yes, I DID ask for Hip Hop Abs for Christmas! And after all the food I have eaten, I'm gonna need it for sure! Anyone want to join me?!)
(Our little family!)
(Daddy and his girl!)
(Chris' family gathering.)

(A new photo album for Kaiya) After spending some time with Chris' family, we headed to my parents' house to enjoy Christmas evening and to have a sleep-over!

(The night started with Grandma reading a special Christmas story, which we all loved!) (This was so funny -- can you see Kaiya's little head in there?!)
(Some family snuggles) (Opening presents together)

(A DELISH dinner, thanks to mom!)
(Watch out Kaiya, here comes cousin Ash!)
(Grandma and Kaiya winding down the night!)
(And enjoying some time together the day after!)

What a WONDERFUL Christmas it has been for our family! There has been so much to do and see and most importantly, so many memories made together with our families that we love so much. I am reminded of last year at this time when Chris and I were busy filling out all of our paperwork for our adoption profile, anxiously wondering if next Christmas would find us with a new addition to our family. And now Kaiya is here and Christmas will never be the same for us! It has been such an amazing year and my heart is so full for the blessings and miracles that we have experienced! I love my husband so immensely and cannot imagine sharing this journey with anyone else! And we love our little girl more than we could ever express. I feel like the luckiest girl alive!
And finally, what would any of this mean if it weren't for the precious gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Because of Him, I can have this family forever, and am afforded blessings that I do not deserve. I love Him with all of my heart and am humbled by all that His birth, His life, and His death mean to me and to all of mankind. He is truly the reason for all of the joy that Christmas brings and the hope I cling to every day of my life!