Merry Christmas 2014!

While our family has been sick with the flu during Christmas this year, we've tried our best to make the most of this special holiday.  The holiday where we celebrate the birth of Christ...what a special time!  Although some of our family is still sick, we have cherished the time we've had to celebrate Christmas 2014!
We've spent time together as a family, built Gingerbread Trains, opened gifts, ate great food, and most importantly, we've celebrated Jesus!  Last night, before we went to bed, with our minds all excited about what Christmas morning would hold, we still had our minds and hearts to dwell where they should...on Jesus, on the birth of Jesus, and the Reason we celebrate Christmas!  Last night, on Christmas Eve, before we went to bed, Justin, the kids, and I still sat down and finding time in between coughs from those of our family who are sick this holiday, we read a great bedtime story.  This story was the Christmas story from our Bible.  Each of us took turns and read from Luke Chapter 2.  This is something we try to do each year, as our hearts always must dwell on the real Reason for the celebration...we want our hearts to dwell there!
So, yes!  We've focused on family and Jesus during this special time!
We have built Gingerbread Trains...








We've laughed and made memories...
















We've opened gifts...




We've relaxed...

And...once again the gifts are opened, and the floor underneath the Christmas tree can be seen.  There was one thing that I had to do for this Christmas to be complete though.  As we finished up the day, Justin and I went out to the cemetery to visit with my parents.  It's not the ideal way of spending Christmas with them, but at least we got to go.  
As I sit here reflecting on the day, and on the Reason for the day, I realize how blessed I am.  Yes, it's been a hard Christmas...some of our family has been sick, it's been a few years now since my Dad has celebrated Christmas with us, and this is my Mom's first year of not celebrating Christmas with us, so it has been a very, very hard Christmas.  I realize though as I look at the empty space under the Christmas tree where there were gifts earlier today, that we were blessed to be able to give great gifts to those who mean so much to us, and even more importantly, we got to spend time with some very important people who we got to give those gifts to!  And...we celebrated Jesus!  God is good!


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