Christmas Program/s

Have I mentioned Ava's been excited about Christmas this year? She has. : )

But almost as exciting as Christmas itself was Ava's Christmas dress. She picked it out this year and kept waiting and waiting to FINALLY be able to wear it.

Ava had a Christmas party at preschool on the last day of the semester and she heard the two words together (Christmas and party) and insisted she needed to wear her Christmas dress. So I let her.

They were having a little gift exchange and Ava was quite excited to take her present (a princess one even) in to school.
When Ava came home later that morning, she promptly took the gift that she had been given, still unwrapped, and put it under our tree. When both Ryan and I tried to tell her that she could open it now, she emphatically insisted she had to wait until Christmas. It's still there waiting for her. Let's just say she doesn't get that from me. : )

Then Ava's first Christmas program at church came. It seems unreal she's that old but I'll spare you that whole saga. : )

We spent lots of time practicing and talking about it and Ava knew her songs and was so excited she was going to have TWO grandma's and grandpa's there.

Posing with a present from Grandma Sunday morning

me and my little girl


Ava wanted a "just girls" picture. : )

Overall, Ava did great. I had been worried because she's definitely shy in setting like that. So we had talked through it all, that mommy would wave and that we would pray that Jesus would help her be brave. Well the day came and I went to go sit down and I couldn't find a seat that would put me in her sight. I panicked and had a slight mommy meltdown for her but then like many other times yet to come, had to trust that she'd be ok.

When she went up I could see her looking very hesitantly around and was worried she'd come crying off the steps as her teacher had to "help" her up the stairs. But she stayed up and while she didn't sing, hung in there until the end (a sweater sleeve that totally ripped didn't help her concentration). : ) For the last song that the whole Sunday school sang together, she got to see Daddy and my mom and I could see her visibly relax and she sang along.

We told Ava how proud we were of her that even though she was scared and couldn't see mommy, that she still stayed and stood nicely. Although after we had talked through everything and about how she couldn't see me, she soberly asked, "Mommy, next time, will you sit so I can see you?"

So if I shove you aside while trying to get inside of church for the next program, don't take it personally. Just trying to keep a promise to my little girl. : )

But the most special part to the whole story? That night as I was putting Ava to bed and saying her prayers with her, I heard her quietly tell Jesus, "and thank you that I could have two grandma's at my program. . ."

oh I love my little girl.