Our new neighbors... my favorite Christmas yet.

We now have neighbors. Quite the cute bunch, a mom that irons a dad that hunts with his bow and arrow and a baby that is a resident couch potato. I love the playhouse, the kids love the playhouse. They have been out there so much Deke and I have joked that we are the worlds youngest empty nesters. Christmas eve morning Deke and a whole bunch of family and friends put the house together again in the backyard while the kids and I went to his brother house. It was so great to have so many people willing to help and it went really smooth. We were gone all day at his brothers house and came home after dark. For awhile the kids were up and I was worrying that one of them were going to walk out back or peek out the blinds and see the surprise. Thank goodness of course none of them did and all three went to sleep not even knowing what lie right outside. Deke and I planned a whole mini skit as to what we were going to say to get them to look outside. Cheezy I know but of course as most things go it never ends up as planned. It is a tradition of ours to videotape the kids on our bed Christmas morning before they go out and open their gifts. We sort of interview them about their night last night, what they heard, what they are excited about etc. etc. We started to interview Avery about what she had seen under the tree when she walked to our room this morning. "I saw a big box under the tree and I think that inside there is stuff to build our own playhouse!!!!" she said wide eyed. Suddenly I could see Hunter's wheels turning as he slid off of the bed and went to our window. Avery continued to talk as in the background Hunter peeked through the blinds. "WHAT!!!! THERE'S A PLAYHOUSE OUTSIDE! THERE'S A PLAYHOUSE OUTSIDE!!!!" he started pointing and yelling. Avery flew to the window and peeked. Then more yelling and jumping up and down, "THERE'S A PLAYHOUSE OUTSIDE!!!!!" Deke and I at this point dying of happiness said, "Well, go outside and get it." In jammies, barefooted without socks or jackets they darted out back and started inspecting every inch of it. Ooooohhing, ahhhhhing and wowing at every little thing. "It's like a real brick house!!!!" Hunter admired. "A house of my very own!!!!" Ave squealed. Emma walking around smiling and touching everything. Hunter looked at the house numbers still not understanding until we pointed out that its numbers were their ages. "It has real windows!!" "Can we sleep in it?" on and on question and comments flying from them all at once. "I can't believe that Santa brought us a playhouse" Avery said and then I told them there was another surprise. I then told them that Santa hadn't brought this but that daddy had built it for them. That moment was the best. Big hugs, smiling faces of admiration. It was PERFECT. We went in to open the rest of the presents and pulled open the living room blinds to see it from the window. The kids kept going to the window and looking at it and pointing at it. "I just love my own house" Ave would say, Hunter quickly reminding her that it belonged to everybody. "Yep she said then added, but daddy built it just for me!!!" She also later asked Deke where she would park her Barbie car because there was no garage. Seriously kid :) :) After opening presents they piled everything that was going out to the playhouse in a pile by the back door they announced to us that today was moving day and began taking their furniture out and getting it all situated. It was so cute to listen to them figuring out the best arrangement for their room. Hunter came up and told us "Avery is the mom, I am the dad and you guys are the neighbors." It killed me. Technically we are now the neighbors. So for the rest of the day we kept getting knocks at our back door. We would open it to see the kids standing their inviting us to dinner or a magic show or to give us some cookies. Everytime we would open the door they would say, "Hi neighbors" or if we would come and knock on their door you would hear them inside saying, "honey can you get the door I think the neighbors are here. They played all day long in the house and have pretty much lived in it ever since. All day long you would hear little conversations coming from the house. "Okay Avery, you be the mom that irons the clothes and I will be the dad that hunts for food for dinner" Hunter said as he picked up his bow and arrow and headed out the door. "I am going to go get us an elk." Later that day I overheard Avery telling Emma how they needed to hurry and cut these vegetable for their dinner and she asked Emma to feed the baby real quick while she cooked. Avery was trying to vaccum the floor and started talking about all the things she had to get ready for their party. "Here honey, let me get that" Hunter said to her as he took the vaccum from her and started cleaning. It was precious. I hope he will someday talk to his real wife this way. It was everything I had hoped for them. It was so perfect, they loved it. They are going to have so many few years and memories in this little house. The next night with sleeping bags and a space heater we slept out in it together. We read a chapter from Hunter's first Hardy Boys mystery book by flashlight and then I told the kids it was time to go to sleep. I had just started to drift off when I heard Hunter's little voice singing "Have a holly jolly Christmas its the best time of the year..." then Avery and within a second we were all quietly singing together in the dark. I love spiritual moments like this with our children. The song ended and then the peace of the moment stayed, not another word was spoke and the kids fell asleep. It was heaven, the perfect end to a perfect Christmas day.