JACK's CHRISTMAS

 jackson wrote a letter to santa a week prior to christmas...

i had my family come over to open presents with jackson so he could have his own little christmas with us.  it was so much fun for jackson to have everyone there.

jack wanted a picture with all of his new toys!  he couldn't fit them all in there but they sure tried!

his cousins had to dress up with him!

okay, that hulk mask is too scary! what?

i thought it was a kid's costume.

it scared many including asher, but most especially the dogs and the adults

cute cute cute

later, we watched a christmas movie, all cuddled up together on the couch, sipping hot chocolate.

then we headed up to see our brady!

brady took us out to ice skate outside.

it was so much fun.

jackson hasn't skated since i took him to the outdoor one at sea world years ago.

brady was a huge help with helping me keep him up and off the ice.

jack isn't loving pictures of himself sometimes, 

so he puts a hand in front of his cute little face.

he took a few of us from his 4 foot view on skates

we walked around where Sony Pictures films and the outer layer of shops to find dinner.

we ended up just making dinner from home, making a ginger (graham cracker) bread house with jackson, sipped hot chocolate that brady makes best and listened to brady read a little christmas story out of Luke, watched a church video and then i scratched jackson's back to sleep.

i had to wake him up early to his santa gift, his little note from Smartie the Elf, a note from Santa, and breakfast Brady made for us.

brady drove us to the airport, dropped us off and then we got close to his gate.

i was trying soooo hard to say goodbye without getting sad that he was leaving for two weeks.

he is telling me, "mom, i am going to miss you, but i won't cry right now but if you have to, you can.  you keep hugging me and kissing my face so i think you are going to miss me too."

i told him how much fun he was going to have at his dad's house and how excited he should be.

i told him to call me everyday so he could read me a story.

ah, airports. such a place of emotion.

it's like that movie love acutally...

but i am in it every other week with my little babe.

he is so strong.  he walks right up to the ticket attendant, ready to go.

we said our goodbyes a dozen times thinking each one was the last.

his bag filled of stuffed animals and a christmas present to open...

i said our last goodbye and told him to sit in the middle, window seat so i could see him wave goodbye.

i watched the plane come out and then saw his little hands against the window, face pressed against the window and then lost it.  ugh... saying goodbye for two weeks, especially right before christmas when i was told only days before his flight he had to leave early, created a tidal wave of emotions that had tears rolling down my cheeks.  the flight attendant came over to tell me how great of a little boy he was as he walked him to his seat.  he told me jack had a great conversation about how he gets many christmases and how he flies every other week and how much he loves his mommy.  the flight attendant came over and gave me a side hug.  oh, christmas had much potential to be a blue one.

being away from your 6-year-old on christmas 

is something no parent should have to get use to.