Monday, December 19, 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's been a busy and challenging few months around here.  Grandpa has been very sick and we've recently moved him here to Kansas to live near us.  This has added a lot to our weekly routine.  However, we are grateful for the opportunity to spend time with him.  We've had lots and lots of doctor appointments, Andy's knee surgery, 2 cars breaking down with very expensive repair bills, preparation for our bonus kiddos to move to their new home and then just general busyness.  It's been quite a bit and I must admit, I've been feeling a little overwhelmed with it all. 

But, we are so very blessed and are so thankful.   The last 2 years we've moved right before Christmas so our holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas was spent packing and unpacking and trying to set up a home.  The year before that, Andy was deployed.  And then, next Christmas, he will be deployed again.  So, despite all the recent challenges, this year is nice for us in that we are all home and able to celebrate together.

(I have never shared pictures of our 3 bonus kiddos on the blog in the past.  However, with them about to move next week, I thought it would probably be okay.  I would love to give you an image of their sweet faces as a reminder to pray for them-and us-as they transition to their new home.)

So, this weekend we were able to take a little break from all the hustle and bustle of late.  We decorated our home for Christmas--a time when our family celebrates the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  He alone is our reason for this season.  We celebrate Him by taking even more time than usual to reflect on God's Gift of sending Jesus to this earth.  God became man as a human baby for a season on this earth-a time specifically for making a way for us to go to Heaven.  It's a huge blessing and our sole purpose on this earth is to glorify God with our lives and to share Him with others.
Connor talking with Cousin Emma, wishing her a Happy Birthday.
We decorated our home, then did some baking and finished off the evening with reading in the Bible about how the Angel came to Mary and told her about how she would be the mother of Jesus.  We recently were able to walk through the Bethlehem Revisited production so the kids had a visual of what this might have been like. 
Daddy having fun with the camera
We baked some to share and then some to eat for ourselves!  Our favorite thing we baked this weekend was some homemade cinnamon rolls.  We thought we'd share a picture to make your mouths water and then I'll share the recipe in the next post.
Later this week, we'll do some of our other holiday traditions our family enjoys this time of year: a birthday party for Jesus, visiting local nursing homes, looking at Christmas lights and maybe even going out to eat somewhere this week.   How does your family celebrate this time of year?

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:14

2 comments:

Corina said...

LOVE the pic of all of you.....so precious.

RobandKathy Gandy said...

Thank you SO much for the pic of you all with the bonus kiddos. Precious!
Praying for all of you as the transition grows closer. You all will never know, this side of eternity, the difference you have made in the lives of those precious little ones. God bless each of you!

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