Christmas Part I

On the Friday before Christmas, my family and I traveled to my sister's home to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family.  My kids always love spending time with their cousins.  And it's always entertaining to have 5 children under the age of 10 in one house.

And for the record, Addison has no problem being the only girl in the bunch.  She adores all of the attention!

On Saturday, we celebrated my nephew Carter's second Birthday (who turned two on Christmas day)!

Sweet Carter, you are such a joy and I am so thankful to have you in my life!  I can't wait to see the amazing things that you are going to do with your life!

Addison and Finn got a quick nap in the car on the way back home.  We rushed home after Carter's Birthday party to go to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at our church.

Spunky and I had spent a lot of time praying for the Candlelight Service at our church.  Our church had went above and beyond to invite the community to our church for the service.  We had handed out invitations at the Christmas parade and we handed out ice scrapers at stores on the Saturday prior to the service.  So, when I entered the sanctuary (early) on Saturday, I was moved to tears when I saw the entire sanctuary filled to the brim.

The service was so so beautiful and touching!  

And after the service, I was hoping to get the perfect family photo (possibly for next year's Christmas card) and yeah...that didn't happen.  THIS is the best that we could get.

After the service it was time to go home and decorate cookies, feed the reindeer, read the Christmas story and open more presents.  But, more on that in the next post!

13 years...

13 years ago today, we said I do!

I was 20 years old and I had no idea what it meant when I said "For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer."  

We have been through so much on our little adventure.  

3 pregnancies, that resulted in 2 healthy babies.

4 operations.

3 homes.

And one love story that I would choose over and over again!

Thanks for being the Spiritual leader of our home, my rock, the best most hardest working father of my children and my best friend!

I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else!

I love you more each day!

Here is to 130 more years together!

My Tinsel Is In A Tangle...

There is a sign in my office that reads "Don't Get Your Tinsel in A Tangle".  We all laugh about it and say it a few times a day when we see a colleague beginning to get stressed.  However, I have read that small sign at least 5,000 times this week and I have thought to myself, that sign is talking about me....my tinsel is in a tangle.

A little more than a week ago I received a text message from a friend.  It said "Girl, I got your Christmas card today and it is awesome!"  Followed by "You must be superwoman!" She was referring to the fact that I actually had family photos made, sent out Christmas cards while working 40 hours a week, being the wife of a Children's minister and raising my little people.  I had to laugh out loud when she said that I was super woman!  I replied with, I'm not super woman....just sleep deprived!

This Christmas season has been busy.  I have expected too much of myself.  I have said yes to every invitation to each and every Christmas party.  I have wanted to spread Christmas cheer to all who are near.  I have wanted to help each person who has come my way.  I have wanted my children to have another "perfect Christmas".  I have wanted to bake the perfect Christmas cookies, have each gift wrapped perfectly and go above and beyond with each Christmas tradition.  However, I am broken and ragged and I am sick of trying to be perfect, and seeing the perfect postings on social media isn't helping.  I'm tired of comparing my attempts of being perfect to everyone else.

I have suffered.  My quiet time has suffered.  My family has suffered.  If you have been around me you have suffered.  And I am sorry.  I have done a crummy job of pointing you to Jesus during this Christmas season.  And that is what Christmas is all about.

I want to show my children that Christmas is about Jesus.  Christmas is about our savior who came to Earth to save us.  Christmas is about giving our gifts, our hearts and our time to those who need it. We can not help every charity.  We can not help every person who is cold or who is hurting, but we can try. If we can not physically meet their need we can pray to God, our creator to help them or to prick the heart of someone who can help them.

I am going to enjoy the next 8 days of this Christmas season.  I will enjoy the people that surround me and throw out the expectations that I have in my head of what Christmas is supposed to look like. I will help those that I can and I will pray for those who I cannot help.  And I will try and look like Jesus a little more each day.

Photo courtesy of alyssajhoward.com