Christmas was a lot of fun this year. The kids are finally old enough to really get into it. We ate pizza and watched Polar Express together on Christmas Eve, read the story of Jesus and then set cookies out for Santa. The kids scurried to bed and Josh and I enjoyed the next few hours getting stuff set up... and eating cookies. =) The kids didn't wake up until 7:30am, which we though was pretty fantastic considering how excited they were. We heard Seth get up and tip toe downstairs... silence... and then the whispered, breathy expression that defines the magic that is Christmas... "wow." He ran upstairs and woke us all up and we all came downstairs to open gifts together. (except for Isaac, he had a cold and slept until 10am.That's why he is not in the pictures) The kids got some great toys this year and they have been totally entertained ever since Christmas day. We relaxed for the morning, ate some gluten-free pumpkin pancakes (interesting...) and then got ready to drive to Sidney for Christmas with the Newman family. We had a great time with nina and papa and uncle Dave and uncle Dan and Aunt Lauren. We really missed the Newman cousins this year and the kids were bummed when they couldn't see them at nina and papa's house to play with toys together. But overall, it was a great Christmas with family, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We spent the month of December really discussing the meaning of Christmas because I really see Christmas as a teaching time. Dec 25 is the symbolic day of the year that we can truly just celebrate Christ's birth and ultimately the gift of salvation He gave to us... and the whole world stops for it. It's magical. And I won't minimize the importance of that. Christmas is ultimately a unifying holiday that brings people and families together for worship of the Savior. Magical. The kids do enjoy gifts from Santa and we spend extra time throughout the month learning the real story of Saint Nicholas and his ministry and that the gifts are all a part of the celebration to remind us that JESUS was born to bring us the greatest gift of all, salvation from our sins for those who call Him Lord of their lives. So, I LOVE Christmas and I love passing down the fun, meaning, and magic of Christmas to my children. I hope all of our friends and family felt the magic of Christ's birth this last week as well. =)
"An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away. But God dances amidst the common. And that night he did a waltz." --Max Lucado
great post and such cute pics of the kids!
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