Our Christmas Story

Hello friends! It's been a while hasn't it? We've had such a wonderful Christmas holiday over here with the kids and with my sister's families, that I've not had the time nor the inclination to sit down and get these pictures edited and posted. But they're here now and there are plenty of them!

Let's start with Christmas Eve, at our church service and then at my sister Daena's house. The whole family spends the night at her home every year and as our families grow, so we struggle to find a place for them to lay their heads! But we figured it all out and it was a blast. It's so lovely getting the kids all snuggled to sleep and then enjoying presents and yummy edibles with the adults for the rest of the evening. Santa also has plenty of help getting those not so easy toys assembled and we laugh enough to last us the entire rest of the year, should we need that - ha! And waking up all together is equally wonderful … well, I'll just let the pictures tell the story.

 {with cousin Aletta, who is just one month younger though several smidges taller}

 {Jude, Scarlet, Elliot and Charlie, munching on their shoes and clementines respectively}

 {ha! this cracks me up - everyone stop what you're doing and SMILE}

 {Christmas morn}

 {we laugh at how Aletta's headband is so Great Gatsby while Scarlet's is Vegas Showgirl!}

 {and later in the day we went to the other grandparents to open more presents, delivered by Santa himself, who we discovered waving from his snowmobile in the back yard}

On this last lingering day of 2013, I've feeling so thankful for an unbelievably good year. It was a dear one for me, as you all know, and my entire little family would say the same I'm sure. The birth of our precious little girl was an incredible gift to us! I pray for an amazing 2014, filled with quality moments together and oodles of laughter. These young years at home with my children will be the best of my life, so I want to cherish them and make them my priority (soaking it up) for the year ahead. I pray for health and protection for my family and God's wisdom as we plug ahead in raising His kids in a way that makes Him proud and keeps them sane. I will continue to endeavor to keep worry, anxiety and fear out of my mind and instead keep my thoughts centered on those things that bring abundant life and happiness to our home. Amen! Cheers to you all and Happy New Year!