Bibles and Babies

Last night we started our Advent book. A day late I know, but nevertheless.

Its a big, hardcover Advent book with "board book" type pages... each with a beautiful, ornate door and a portion of the Christmas story behind it. It was a gift from my best friend a few years ago... it says, "To Ashley, Emily and Abigail" inside so... at least pre- Micah and Mabry's first Christmas. :)

Each night, we open a new door, but always starting with the first. So that by Christmas, the kids have at least the first several pages memorized and we finish with the 25th door. I can almost still hear Emily's little voice in years past saying, "Im-man-yell. Which means, God wif us."

So last night as we opened and read the first two doors, it occurred to me that Mabry was probably too little last year to remember the book.

And the sheer joy and excitement of this mysterious, glorious, beautiful book was almost too much for her to handle.

All the kids sat at my feet while I held the book and explained, yet again, that we'd only be opening two doors, because it was only December 2nd. And as I opened the first page, Mabry gasped as if I'd just showed her the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

And I read, "His name shall be called Immanuel-- which means, 'God with us.'" Mabry whispered, "Woooooooow...."

"God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in the village of Nazareth. The angel said, 'Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.'"

Closing the little cardboard door, I interpreted the words for the little ones. "Guys, this is Mary, and an angel came and talked to her."

Standing to her feet because she couldn't say it sitting, "YES Mommy!!! I LOVE angels!! Das MARY!"

"Shh, ok Mabry, sit down."

As I turned the page, she let out another gasp. And seeing the next door opened she screamed, "MOMMY!! Its an angel, an angel, an angel!!!" Now jumping.

"I know Mabry. It says, 'You will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and will reign forever; his kingdom will never end.'"

At hearing something she recognized, she screamed again in her mousy, high-pitched, Mabry voice, "JESUS?! Mommy, I LOOOVE JEEEESUS!!!" Still jumping up and down.

As I interpreted the words once again and confirmed that the older girls understood, Mabry closed her eyes, pursed her lips into a tight, knowing smile and began twirling around the room behind them.

I closed the book, and the kids all got up as Jake came back into the room with Abby (he left just as we started to change an explosive diaper). As I went over it all again with Abby, Mabry jumped up to tell Jake what we read. "Daddy, there's angels and baby Jesus and............. and I LOVE Bibles and Babies!!"

Jake and I looked at one another and laughed... "Bibles and Babies". Oh Mabry. You are too cute, what are we gonna do with you? :)