Beltman Family News: Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas 2014! The Beltmans have had an amazing Christmas break so far, including an absolutely perfect Christmas Day yesterday. We have all been off work and school since December 19 and have been soaking up all the relaxing family time.

We had a free one week pass to the Waukee YMCA to use up so we went in Monday and got signed up for that and then went swimming most of Monday. Sophia and I alternated running on the track and catching up with the boys in the pool on Tuesday. I think we have determined she has a future on the track team and if Collin doesn't end up on the swim team I will be shocked. That kid dives right in the minute he touches the water and spends more time underwater than above it. Sophia absolutely loved getting to run on the track and easily did a mile each time we were there (interspersed with a few seconds walking). I may have ended up sore trying to keep up with her sprint-walk-sprint pattern.

Wednesday we spent the day prepping the house and food to host our first orphan Christmas dinner, which we hope to make an annual tradition, and then got all dolled up for Christmas Eve services at church. It has become a tradition for us to greet at the 5:30 service each year. This year we tweaked the tradition a bit and Brad and the 11 o'clock praise team played the prelude music while the other three of us greeted. The band sounded amazing and they loved playing to the packed sanctuary. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music as well.

After church we headed out to look at some Christmas lights, including the beautiful travelling nativity that one house puts up down the street from us, and then headed home for the kids to open one gift and eat some chili, garlic bread, and apple crisp. Christmas Eve really is my favorite day of the year and I couldn't have asked for a better one this year. We even got SNOW!! Just enough to turn everything white and look magical falling down, but not enough to effect travel.

We had told the kids that they couldn't wake us up before 7 on Christmas morning so at exactly 7 Sophia rushed into Collin's room to wake him up and they came barreling into our room at full speed singing Christmas carols (a tradition from my childhood). We got woken up, the phone ready for pictures and video, and headed downstairs to tear into presents. The kids were genuinely surprised and happy with their gifts and are still playing with them non stop, including a rather intense round of Trouble first thing this morning. (Which I won, but who's counting, right?!!)

After all the presents were unwrapped we enjoyed a nice breakfast and then got to work getting everything ready for our 1 o'clock meal. Most of the food was already prepped so we just had to get things into the oven on time and make fresh rolls. Everything timed out great and I was only 10 minutes "late" getting food to the table. In the end we had ten extras this year and hope to have even more next. We did have three people who got last minute invitations to spend time with their family and were happy to send them on their way instead of holding them to coming to our house. We all ate much too much food and sat around talking for a couple hours. After everyone was back on their way we managed to get the house put back together and head outside for some play time. I'm not sure I remember another Christmas Day when we were able to be outside! After we headed back in we spent over an hour playing games and reading books with the kids before bed. Once the kids were in bed it was time for Brad and I to enjoy a movie and relax! The perfect ending to two perfect days.

Today we are lounging around the house, debating whether to go swimming, and enjoying our new gifts. Later today Brad's family will start arriving and we will get to enjoy another Christmas celebration with them tomorrow.

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and got to spend lots of time with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!