Bridgetty's first Christmas

 CHRISTMAS MORNING! Bridget's awake an extra 40 minutes early... had a run in the baby walker and then Breakfast Smoothies with Daddy before her Cinnamon Rolls and Clementines!

 Uncharacteristically, Bridget managed to eat Breakfast without need of a full bath and new set of clothes... hip hip hurray... on to the presents!

 Jared opened his presents first....

and will be making a lot of noise with them later!

 Bridget was really excited to open presents - which really surprised me, I hadn't really thought she'd know what was going on, but it turns out she's bashful and a trasher (Daddy's girl for sure!).

 Jared & Bridget opened her presents together... but really Jared's sole responsibility was holding her up high enough to grab at the wrapping paper!

 The video is 10 minutes long... and you can see Bridget opening her presents.

 Bridget also loved the wrapping paper... the video is a little fuzzy but you get the idea.

 

 Bridget opened some amazing presents from Grandma & Granda - a gorgeous Zoo with 26 animals and a zookeeper inside their very own enclosure!
The Ballapallooza was hugely exciting and according to Jared - has more moving parts than a V6 engine!
We're still looking forward to putting it together tomorrow when we have the right size batteries and have cleared a small forest sized space for it - Bridget was so excited but all the colours and we can't wait to see how it turns out!

 Jared & I bought a Barn Yard sit and stand walker with a little phone attached which Bridget took great delight in throwing away and having us fetch it back to her... a new game we'll do our best not to encourage!

Bridget got an amazing Trunkie from Auntie Nee-Nee and Uncle Parkie... our international baby will be very stylish on her Gruffalo styled luggage wheeling through the airport when she gets a little bigger!

We spent a good part of the morning putting together the toys (lesson learned for next year) wrap boxes and pre-assemble toys!

 Bridget's gorgeous Zoo was a total hit! We played with the animals while trying to get our Skype/ Hang out conversation going. It was amazing to see our families over the web and laugh and joke together about Brussels sprouts, unlikely gifts and gaunt faces! We had a really simple Christmas Dinner, just the three of us and had some lovely visitors carol to us and chat for a while.

 Bridget loved the chocolate Yule Log... it looks like she's wearing most of it - but I assure you - plenty went in!

So after a very needful bath - the night rounds off with Jared cracking open his new Metallica Rock Band and serenading us all...

So after a really lovely carb and sugar filled day - back to work and austerity measures tomorrow! Of all the things I've loved this year, hanging out with family, watching The Forgotten Carols with Jared and witnessing a softening of his Christmas Scrooge stance have been among my favourite Christmas memories this year. As I've read and pondered on the Christmas story this year, I realised that The Shepherds preceded the Kings - Shepherd's answered the call and visited The Good Shepherd, as Christ was Shepherd first and as King he will come again having redeemed his people.
One of my favourite passages in the New Testament is John 10 - it has given me great comfort and direction in my life, and it has particular meaning to me this Christmas Season:
 I am the good ^ashepherd: the good ^bshepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and ^aleaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

 13 The ^ahireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

 14 I am the good ^ashepherd, and ^bknow my ^csheep, and am known of mine.

 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so ^aknow I the Father: and I lay down my ^blife for the sheep.

 16 And ^aother ^bsheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ^cone fold, and one shepherd.

 17 Therefore doth my Father ^alove me, because I ^blay down my life, that I might ^ctake it again.

 18 No man ^ataketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have ^bpower to lay it down, and I have ^cpower to take it again. This commandment have I ^dreceived of my Father.

This Christmas we eliminated many of the falsehoods and distractions from our celebration, keeping our worship more simple and focused on the Saviour and the commemoration of his condescension. I was reading in Alma 5 this passage and it seemed to fit well with me as I prepared to spiritually feed and shun tradition and focus on discipleship.

 37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are ^apuffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone ^bastray, as ^csheep having no ^dshepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath ^ecalled after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not ^fhearken unto his voice!

 38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good ^ashepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not ^bhearken unto the voice of the ^cgood shepherd, to the ^dname by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

 39 And now if ye are not the ^asheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the ^bdevil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a ^cliar and a ^dchild of the devil.

 40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is ^agood cometh from God, and whatsoever is ^bevil cometh from the devil.

 41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth ^agood works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a ^bchild of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.

Bye-Bye Santa - the ultimate false prophet by David A Bednar's description - obscuring our view of The Master, no more!