Our Silent Night

It finally happened . . . we had a Silent Night.

It didn't start out that way.  The kids each had activities at the church, and by the time we returned home it was 8:30.  Mr. Level-Headed, who arrived home some time after we left the house, was studying for an upcoming assignment.  Everyone looked pooped, but I didn't let that stop me.  I told the kids to get their jammies on and meet me in the living room.  I started brewing some hot chocolate and pulled out the gingerbread cookies the boys and I had made earlier that day.  Elliot was the first one ready, and after he noticed what was going on, he excitedly ran around the house turning off all the lights.  Mr. Level-Headed started to suggest that it was probably too late for us to be doing this, but one look from me quieted his protest and he curled up on the chair.  He is such a good man!  When Avery came out to find the main room lit up by only the Christmas lights and hot chocolate and cookies sitting on the coffee table, he too began to get excited.  

I'm sitting with Mom!

Mom, don't forget to light the candles.

It warmed my heart to see how excited the kids were for our candle-lit scripture reading.  Last year, as I wrote in this earlier post, wrapping up our hectic days with Christmas cookies and reading scriptures by candlelight was the highlight of our season.  In spite of how much we enjoyed it last year, though, this year we just couldn't get our butts in gear to do it.  Sure, we read our scriptures each night, but everyone has been too worn out by bedtime to be concerned with adding the extra touches.  And as I learnt last night, it is the extras that make this activity so special.  In fact, the kids did not hang upside down or kick one another, which is their typical daddy-is-reading-from-the-scriptures shenanigans, because they were too preoccupied with their treats.  Embarrassingly enough, our scripture chain was a little backlogged and we had to read three nights worth of scriptures (how did we let that happen?).  Typically, this would have thrown the boys, in particular, into hysterics, but last night, they were begging for more.  Nobody wanted to leave their cosy spot.  There is something about fire that draws people near and makes them want to chat.  After the boys were tucked in, that is exactly what Mr. Level-Headed, Zoe, and I did.  We returned to our spots and started talking, and talking, and talking.  It was a magical evening, and now that we have done it once, I hope we continue to make the effort each night because it is so worth it.

The game-changers: