The Most Beautiful Christmas Eve

It's 11:38 on Christmas Eve -- early for Scott and I, really. We've had much later Christmas Eve nights in years past.

I know I won't post this until days and days after Christmas Eve when I get a chance to look through the pictures I took and get everything all organized, but I just don't want to forget...

the dress on Abigail at 5:30 Mass



her singing there





sitting next to Anna in the pew as the music swelled up and I remember when she was just a baby and I cried tears as I held her because finally we were a family that first Christmas. I told her that story again as we sat and listened to music tonight





listening to Abigail singing on the alter







coming home and having simple snacks before bedtime









"Star light, Star Bright ~ First Star I see tonight ~ Wish I may, wish I might, ~ have this wish I wish tonight." 



when the doorbell rang and how there was a letter from Santa







and how the girls sat so still as I read the letter aloud to them slowly.



how I had no idea the emotion that would take me over when I read the words, "and this will be my last letter to you. Perhaps one day I will write to your children" I sobbed.

Something in those lines -- it's more than I can explain on this blog, and in this space -- but it was a beautiful moment for me, like my whole childhood, and the childhood of my daughters hit me in one moment



setting up and getting everything just so

these moments, these that I cherish so, I could never ever forget them.



Yes, it was a most beautiful Christmas Eve...

"Backward, turn backward, O Time in your flights; Make me a child again just for tonight." ❤ Elizabeth Akers Allen