Merry Christmas, Everyone!

"Merry Christmas, to all and to all a good night!" I know what Jolly Old Saint Nick meant when he said that--he was hoping that all parents would get the chance to go to bed early Christmas night after dealing with their excited kids for the twenty-four hours prior! Joshua was so excited about Christmas and Santa's arrival--he tossed and turned and then he woke up at 5:45 this morning.

We had a fun day. After spending time as a family all morning, we went to the re-enactment of Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware. There was quite a crowd. Here's the "General" marching to the water's edge with some of his troops. Ready for a good story? The real crossing was crucial for the American army--Washington and his men had dealt with defeat and despair and desperately needed a win. On Christmas Day his entire army was ferried across the river in the middle of a snowstorm, making their way through the icy waters. The crossing started at 4:00 p.m that day in 1776 and didn't conclude until 2:00 am. And then they had to march the ten miles to battle the Hessian armies. Over the next ten days they won, preserving the cause of the Revolution with their victory.
Dan snapped the following picture from a distance. The actors didn't actually make it across today--they had to turn around and come back due to the rapid current. Good thing that the ferryman could get it done in 1776. Can you imagine getting an entire army (men, cannons, horses and all) across in these Durham boats? It really happened that way.
After the re-enactment, we returned to our house and enjoyed dinner with friends. Our six boys (all under the age of 6) had a great stretch of uninterupted fun while we chatted downstairs and ate. We're so grateful for good friends while we're so far from family.

We hope that your Christmas was wonderful.