Speaking of time flying by, I can hardly believe Christmas has come and gone. Ours was wonderful. As I mentioned in the earlier post, we went outside of our typical Christmas traditions and traveled this year. We really enjoyed it. It was such a blessing to spend time with lots of family, and I think our family was able to bless ours as well.
Although we had been celebrating Christmas at home for several weeks, we took some special time out to celebrate some more on Tuesday night (12/23) and Wednesday morning(12/24). On Tuesday night, we read the Christmas story from Luke, continued a tradition of acting out the nativity scence, talked alot about the meaning of Christmas, prayed, and finally allowed each child to open one gift we had for each of them. The gift was a game for each that we then spent the next hour or two playing together. Wednedsay morning, the kids each opened their main gift from us which for Luke was a BB gun, for Grace and Mary Ruth was a baby doll, and for Bella Peace was a book. We have made the decision not to include "Santa" in our Christmas tradition, which was especially helpful this year as with traveling it wasn't an issue.
After celebrating at home Christmas Eve morning, we joined Wesley's parents and his brothers family in Birmingham and spend the entire day. Heather had prepared a spread of finger foods even before I brought a couple contributions and also had made delicious chili. It was all very good!! The weather was great! So after grazing over food for a couple of hours, we all went on about a mile walk to a near by park to work off all those calories as well as let the children and doggies run off some energy. We then went back home, ate some more, and exchanged some gifts. We very much enjoyed the time with family especially our one and only neice, Glory, whose about 18 months old. Around bedtime, we bathed the our children, dressed them in PJ's and loaded them up to go to my Mom's which was about 1 hour away in Tuscaloosa. The kids had such a great fun filled day, they were out as soon as we got on the road and hardly noticed being transferred into a new bed when we arrived at my Mom's house.
Christmas morning we woke up at my Mom's, had a little breakfast, and opened gifts from my Mom. The kids were loving the routine that had been established of travel, eat, open gifts. Wesley and I also had stockings for them for the first time ever this year (can you believe we've never done stocking before!) which they got at this time. After playing for a while and finally getting dressed, we loaded ourselves back into the van and went to my Dad's for a couple of hours. Luke was so proud to show off his gun to my Dad and they had a good time shooting at some cans. It was so hard to leave my Dad's, but we had another stop to make. We joined all of my extended family on my Mom's side of the family for dinner at my Aunt Sherry and Uncle Chester's home on Christmas afternoon. I love being with family about as much as anything else so it was a really great time! Late on Christmas night after covering all of Tuscaloosa county, we finally made it back to my Mom's where we once again transferred sleeping children from the van into bed.
We spent a few more hours on Friday (12/25) visiting with my mom before having to load up around lunch and return home. Wesley had a game that he had to work on Friday night, so we had to return. Although it's always hard to leave, and we really had a great time it's always good to get back home as well.
Now that I've taken all this time to recorded all the specifics of this year's Christmas festivities, I have to say that it was really all for me to look back on. I realize I included more detail than most are interested in, and I completely understand if you are yawning about now. However, now's the time to perk up and read the good stuff! I want to share a few of the ways in which my "cup ran over this year"...
In the past, I've been pretty rigid about our Christmas traditions and not very open to considering other ideas. I couldn't have imagined that doing something different could be as good. I'm so glad that has now been shattered! I've been accused of not being flexible, and I have to admit it's sometimes true and acknowledge sometimes it causes me to miss out on blessings. Had I insisted on the Christmas the say way this year, that would have indeed been the case. Allow me to share....
Traveling this year, allowed us to see way more family than we ususally get to see. It was a nice change not to have so much responsiblity in regards to hosting and preparing. My sister-in-law, Heather, had the privilege of hosting in her home for the first time. Also my sister-in-law has been greatly grieving the recent loss of her grandmother who she was really close to. Heather admitted while we were at her house, hosting everyone this year was a really great good way to take her mind off of her sadness and grief. She was able to get busy and get into the Christmas spirit more as the result of having the privilege of hosting the family in her home. We got to spend more time with Matt, Heather, and Glory than we usually do because normally our house is just one of their many stops as they travel from home to home. We got to spend time with Glory in her environment which we don't do much. It seems to me that children are more comfortable and reveal more of themselves on their on turf. We got to spend time with my Dad on Christmas Day for the first time in many, many years. The final blessing that comes to mind in regards to traveing, is the fact that our 4 children were the only young children present at the Christmas Day gathering at my Aunt Sherry's. I don't know about anyone else, but to me Christmas just "ain't" quite the same without the lightheartedness and joy that little children bring. Indeed this was the case, our kiddos had a blast and I think they helped others laugh a little more as well.
A couple of other details that I can't fail to mention as I wrap up this recount of our Christmas celebration is that fact that although this was financially one of our toughest Christmas' ever, it was one of the most joyous Christmas' ever as well. From reports I've heard from others, I know we were not alone it this. We gave each child only 2 gifts to unwrap and some other little stocking stuffers, however hopefully we gave to them in more eternally significant ways. Hopefully they are learning about the real meaning of Christmas, about gratitude, and about the blessing and reward that comes in giving rather than receiving. Our family was blessed to be able to contribute in giving my mother-in-law, Pat, a new puppy. Her dog of about 13 years died of old age this past year. She has grieved his passing and has been both devastated and lonely for the companion of a new pet. We contributed in purchasing and caring for a new puppy in our home that we gave to her a little before Christmas. The kids were a big help in taking care of the puppy during that time. We went together with Wesley's brother and wife Heather, and we were able to find and give just what she had been praying for, a pure bred black scottish terrior (the same type dog she lost). We didn't know that she had actually been praying for this specifically (evidence that God is in all things big and small!). We were so honored that God allowed us to be part of his plan in giving to her. Participating in giving her that gift, giving my own mother something that was dear to her heart, participating in some charitable giving, and spending time with some homebound/assisted living residents was by far better than anything tangible I received. And as good as it felt to be part of those things, they pale in comparision to The gift given the first Christmas! When you strip away all the festivities, celebrations, and traditons that we all participate in each year the only thing that really matters is this: have you received the gift of salvation that only comes through Jesus and if so what are you doing with that gift! Once again, thanks for staying with me. I promise a shorter post to come soon!
Love,
Jennifer
