Christmas this year was a whirlwind and got here a lot faster than I anticipated, but it was a lot of fun! Aidan & Roman are old enough now to really get excited about all the Christmas fun that happens, and they were really excited about what Santa would bring them. It's fun being a parent and watching your kids eyes light up with the magic of Christmas...it brings you back to how magical and exciting Christmas was when you were a little kid.
Christmas morning at our house...the stash from Santa
Santa ate the cookies....Herschel did too! When the kids got downstairs the cookies were totally gone
Our REAL tree this year!
I can't believe I got crafty and made the garland for our mantle in the kitchen...thanks to my friends Sarah & Lauren! The fact we had any Christmas decorations up was a miracle considering our house wasn't totally unpacked from moving back in October!
Our fake tree is now upstairs and is our fun tree! (the top lights quit working right before Christmas...figures!). Every year our fun tree will be the tree we put presents under that are going to others (a family we adopt for Christmas, or things that the church is collecting for others that are in need, whatever...), we want our kids to know that Christmas is about Jesus first, and giving to others second. Ideally I'd love to have more presents under our "fun giving tree" than under our family tree. We have PLENTY. The Lord has provided us with an abundance and we don't need more. We need to use the resources He has so richly given to us and GIVE BACK to His Kingdom.
Cute burlap stockings :)
Every Christmas morning we eat breakfast as a family, pray and do a little Bible study going over God's Word, and then we eat a cupcake in celebration of Jesus' birth! The kids LOVE birthdays and blowing out candles, so we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eat dessert :)
Hi sweet Saylor girl! She loved her first Christmas!
Blowing out the candles. I love how his hair is blowing since he blows up :)
Two coffee lovers get two new coffee cups :)
Opening Santa's gifts and their stockings :)
Yay! Just what every mom wants their two crazy boys to have...NERF GUNS that are automatic and shoot 25 rounds!
Say loves her pink elephant :) It has the tag pulls on there that she loves to pull on
After we had breakfast and opened gifts with just our family, we headed over to Cathy & Mike's for more Christmas breakfast and gifts with them! Again, it's SO NICE to live 5 min away instead of 35 min away!
Aunt Em bought them a Hotwheels racetrack...I must say that Josh and I like to play with this :)
My poor Saylor girl. We gave the kids a bath before heading over to Grandma & Grandpa's and in the bath Roman poked Saylor in the eye...which resulted in an angry and teary eye all day :(
Baby girl wanting to keep up with her bros
THEN, after Grandma & Grandpa's house we headed over to Granddaddy's house to celebrate Christmas with everyone! This is Nima, Emily's boyfriend, holding Saylor girl
Sweet girl with a sad eye
She was still happy! It was her left eye...you can tell it's a little swollen. It got better by the next day though!
Roman & Benjamin...two freight trains playing
Boys are making a comeback!
Pretty baby girls in their dresses and bows!
Kaylee & Saylor
Granddaddy. His first Christmas in over 60 years without Grandmama...he has a lot of family around for support and someone is over at his house all the time so he always has company (and help if he needs it! He turned 90 in January!)
Sam & lil' Em! They used to be really little and were our cute little flower girls 6 years ago...
Jimmy & Nima
the boys and "Joanie!"
Grandma & Grandpa with their grandkids!
Outfit change! Her dress was uncomfortable so now she's in her cute pink sweats! They were a gift from Robin & Carol Reinhard (my parents really close friends)
I will never get tired of Saylor's huge bows...I love them!
And I will never get tired of how sweet our 3 kids are.
Roman and his towers :)
My babe
The living room at Grandmama's...we have spent SO many hours in this room! Our main hang out room on Sundays :)
Sisters in the kitchen...they've taken over making all of the meals :)
Santa!! Saylor was not impressed. The boys loved him though!
The whole gang!! Aidan (4), Saylor (10 mo), Roman (2...almost 3), Benjamin (2), Samantha (13), Emily (11) and Kaylee (1)
The front of our Christmas card this year...
and the back. My friend Lori (Elle B. Photography) did them for us and they turned out beautiful! She is an amazing photographer and graphic designer :)
These pics were too cute not to post! Nana & Pappy got Aidan & Roman a tent for Christmas, and Aidan LOVES sleeping in it every night! He wants to take it outside...
Cute boy :)
Christmas this year was great! There was a lot of change...new sweet baby girl, new home that we love, and a transition into not having Grandmama with us but knowing she's with our Lord Jesus Christ. Like always, Christmas was a whirlwind, but it was good. Lots of parties, friends, fellowship, gifts, desserts, laughter and love. It was a little crazy since we didn't feel totally settled when we started hauling out the Christmas decorations, but it was a fun break from organizing the house and fixing up rooms. With all the Christmas stuff going on, you can easily get sucked into the world's view of Christmas (stuff...buy more stuff, get more stuff, eat more stuff, overindulge, and be happy...do what it takes to make yourself happy...no mention of Jesus or His birth or the reason for the season). We prayed that we would stand firm and not let the world transform us, that we would keep our eyes on Jesus:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
Not saying that gifts aren't good (I mean, I would gladly accept a new Lexus in my driveway like all the Christmas ads showed!), but they won't "fill" you. Just like people won't "fill" you. Anything in this world will not "fill" you, will not satisfy you forever, will not fill that void that we all have yearning for more. The only thing that is capable of quenching your thirst for more is JESUS. He is enough. For Christmas, you could have been given everything in the world (family, friends, house, car, clothes, money, food, stuff, etc), but without Jesus, you have nothing. All of those things are blessings and are good, but can only be looked at that way if you are looking at the worldly things through the lens of Jesus. Christmas is so awesome because it shows how much God our Father loves us, His creation, to send His son to earth to live a perfect life and die for our sins. Crazy, amazing love.
We hope that y'all had a Merry Christmas!!
