Wow.

This year was the first Christmas spent by our family at our home. I am lucky enough to have always had the most wonderful of Christmases growing up, so I definitely had some big shoes to fill in planning ours (more on that to come...). While I enjoy all of the planning, some of the best "wow" moments this Christmas weren't the planned ones, but the completely unexpected ones (as cheesy as I know that sounds)...

• Santa randomly showing up at our local weekly story time event earlier this week. That day we had a messy house, spilled breakfast, dirty diapers galore hectic morning, but I stuck with my decision to get us out for the day, so off we went! As soon as we arrived we were greeted by an elf (okay, the story time reader dressed up as one) who read Twas the Night Before Christmas. As soon as she finished the last line, we hear jingle! jingle! and just like a poof of magic, there Santa was. I'll never forget the look on all of the children's faces. Hearing my son say "Cited!" "Cited!" (for the word excited), and the feeling of surprise that even I as a grown-up felt by Santa's presence that day.

• My husband, husband's uncle, husband's step-dad, and Benjamin all having a BLAST playing with these remote control helicopters we gave out as our Christmas drawing gifts at my in-laws holiday party. I had many suggestions of other things to get them, but Bart insisted on these. Goes to show one is never too old for a remote-controlled something!

• Our two sons sitting on Daddy's lap watching their REAL train set (from their Grandpa) go round and round. We originally had it planned to do on Christmas Eve day, then last minute switched to doing on Friday night right when daddy came home. Loved all of their looks of wonder and eager discovery in figuring out how something works and how instantaneously our Christmas weekend began right then.

• Our barely 8-month old son standing up all on his own. He is truly WOWing us right now. Good thing he still has such a baby face, or else I'd say he's growing up too fast!

• Reminiscing how 5 years ago today my husband I became engaged upon a snowy mountain top. Love re-living that day and remembering how surprised I was. :O It's STILL a definite wow for us!

• These beauties. I'm in love with them, but love even more that my husband drove all the way to Ogden and back to get them so that I would have in time for Christmas.

• Today officially marking the beginning of the 2012 NBA season! About time, right?

Hope you all are enjoying/enjoyed special W O W moments this season!