Biruk's First Christmas...

At the start of the Christmas season I heard Third Day's song, "Merry Christmas."  The lyrics are powerful and read as follows:


There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn
Crying for momma's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
There the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,
Make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child
And we celebrate his perfect gift of love
He came to earth to give his life
And prepare a place for us
So we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

I remember listening to that song in my office, with tears in my eyes, and basking in those last few lines of the song.  The Christmas we had been waiting for had finally arrived and would go down in the books as one of the best ones yet!  And man...did it ever.

Christmas Eve has always been a night filled with rich traditions in our family due to my Mother's Czech heritage.  For the past 34 years of my life, we have traveled to New Jersey to celebrate Christmas with our extended family.  The night is filled with so many things I look forward to each year...sauerkraut soup, boiled ham and potatoes, Czech breads and cookies, and more.  One of the best parts of the night is when the Golden Pig arrives.  The Golden Pig "rains down coins" on all of the kids.  I know that sounds really weird, but as kids, it was the highlight of the night.  Coins would "fall" from the ceiling and all of us kids would scramble to get them.  This year Biruk got to participate and it was...well, let's just say it almost gave me a heart attack!  He has huge hands, and he totally got the grabbing the coins down, but then, he thought he was supposed to eat them!  So, every coin he picked up with his big ole hands, I had to quickly take out and put them into his bag before he could ingest it.  Once he understands coins are meant to be spent and not eaten, he is going to give those cousins a serious run for their money!

Biruk's real entertainment for the night was a small set of stairs.  When I say small, I mean there were only two steps on the staircase.  Biruk thought that was the world's greatest playground.  He climbed them over and over and over again, giggling uncontrollably.  By the time we were ready to get the kids in their Christmas jammies and load up the van...oh yeah, WE TOOK A 15 PASSENGER VAN (that was pretty amazing in itself)...he was worn out and done for the night.  I couldn't help but stare at him on the way home, pinching myself again to remind myself, this is the unbelievable life I get to live every day.

The next morning's that feeling was just magnified.  We had put Biruk's pack and play in the closet in our room with the door left ajar.  That morning, we were awaken to him pushing the door wide open, giggling, and grinning from ear to ear.  This was the Christmas morning we had been dreaming about.  We took him down the stairs and his eyes lit up as he saw the Christmas tree covered in its lights and overflowing with gifts underneath.  He giggled again, crawled over to the tree, smiled....and then headed directly to his high chair!  So much for the Hallmark moment...our kid LOVES to eat!

The rest of the morning continued to be everything we hoped it would be.  It's been our family's tradition to read the Christmas story together and then go around the table sharing what we are thankful to God for over the past year.  It's the highlight of the morning for us and a reminder of how God's love and work are evident in so many different aspects of our life.  It's a time where I find myself beyond thankful that I grew up in a home where Christ wasn't just a part of our home, but was the center of everything.  Listening to my sisters and their husbands and kids share about God's work in their life, as well as having the privilege to hear the same from my parents too, is the greatest gift a kid could ever ask for.  My Dad usually has words of wisdom, but this year decided to show a video he had made.  It was entitled "From Mourning to Dancing," and was a slide show filled with pictures of our family that now included Biruk too.  My heart was full that this is the heritage Biruk has now stepped into...again, the most amazing gift a kid could ask for.

The morning ended with opening presents, sharing a lot of laughs, and watching Biruk climb through this kid tunnel that we had bought him for $3 at a yard sale.  He laughed so hard and climbed through over and over again, chasing his cousins, until he finally threw up.  What a way to wrap up his first Christmas morning!  We gave him an impromptu bath, put some new clothes on, and strapped him into the car for our 9 hour drive to Maine.  He slept the first 5 hours!

That night, after getting settled in at Nate's family's house for the second part of our Christmas adventures, I couldn't help but snuggle with Biruk for a little longer.  I couldn't help but squeeze him a little tighter.  And I couldn't help but wish the day would never end.  It was a Christmas that I hoped would remain forever etched in our hearts as the Christmas we had always hoped and dreamed for and the Christmas that had now arrived.  Thanks be to God...the author of an incredible story he keeps writing.

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