Christmas Past and Future

I have been looking back at old Christmas pictures lately. I am not real consistent about making Christmas cards. Some years we send them out and some we don't. We didn't this year, which I am a little sad about. It's fun to look back and see how much my babies have changed. This picture was taken of Sawyer in 2006, his first Christmas. He turned 9 months old the day after Christmas. I love looking at baby pics of Sawyer. He is smiling in almost every picture we have of him. He was the happiest baby.
This was our only Christmas as a family of 3. We found out we were expecting our second baby in January of 2010.
So, by Christmas of 2007 Jaxon was almost 3 months old and Sawyer was 21 months old. I will be honest, I barely remember this Christmas. I didn't blog much and didn't take many pictures. I was not sleeping much those days. We all looked happy in the pictures I did find. We were tired, but blessed.
See what I mean about the big smiles? Happiest baby ever!
Christmas of 2008 was wonderful. Our boys were 1 year and 2.5 years. We were all getting plenty of rest at night and I was busy chasing toddler boys all day.
Jax was very fascinated with climbing inside boxes that year. He was much more interested in the boxes and bows than he was in the presents inside.
This was the year we thought it would be a good idea to buy our 2 year old a drum set. It was the only thing he asked for and he was so excited on Christmas morning. Yes, we were crazy and no, we don't have the drums anymore. It was also our last Christmas at our home in Texas. We moved to Louisiana the following summer.
Last Christmas was our first Christmas at our new home in LA. The boys were 2 and 3 and had the gift opening thing down. We started our Jesse tree tradition last year and it was so much fun teaching them about the true meaning of Christmas.
It was also around this time last year that we began thinking about expanding our family and praying about adoption.

I am enjoying this Christmas season very much, but I can't help but think about our future Christmases as well. The boys keep asking if Santa is going to bring Mia gifts and they are constantly asking when she is coming home. We were told that it would be a 9-12 month wait for a referral, so if that's true, we should at least know who are daughter is by next Christmas. If it is closer to 9 months, we may even be traveling to meet her around Christmas, which would be wonderful. It is my prayer that we will know her age, have seen her face, and are preparing for her to come home by next Christmas.

Yesterday, my heart was really missing my daughter. I can't help but feel that someone is missing from our Christmas festivities this year. We are so blessed to be on this adoption journey. I am so thankful for our growing little family.

We are leaving today to spend Christmas with my whole extended family. We will also be celebrating my Grandmother's 80th birthday with all 7 of her children and their families. I am so excited to see everyone.

Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!