In His Grace: Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmastime is most definitely my favorite time of the year. Each year I eagerly anticipate all of the sights, sounds, and smells this special season brings. If it were up to me, December might never end! Our neighborhood is adorned with sparkling lights, blow-up Christmas figures, and nativity scenes. I enjoy taking the longer route home in order to soak in as much Christmas spirit as possible. Even if I've had a crummy day, the scenery makes me bright and cheery!

This year in particular has been especially wonderful for me. Isaac is old enough now to somewhat understand the reason we celebrate Christmas. As we drive throughout our neighborhood and look at the nativity scenes, he tells me about the characters in the Christmas story. He knows that baby Jesus was born as our savior, that He died on the cross to take away our sins. This year he learned that Mary rode a donkey into Bethlehem as Joseph walked at her side. He understands the wise men wear robes, (not jammies!) and the shepherds carry staffs to help them walk their long journey.

As I look ahead to our future as a family, my hope is for Isaac to cherish and treasure Christ above all else: above himself, family, friends, and even presents. This year we implemented a new Christmas morning tradition, which I hope lasts throughout our child-rearing years. Before opening any gifts, we read the Christmas accounts as told in both Matthew and Luke. We talk about the stories and think about what each character/person had to go through in God's perfect, providential plan of redemption. As Isaac grows into maturity, I look forward to his thoughts and questions about this part of Scripture. Hopefully, it will be a long time before he asks us what an "espoused wife" is!

As Christmas winds down, we wish you a blessed year with your family. May the Lord continue revealing Himself to you in new, profound ways. As you ring in the new year, remember to thank God for his perfect son, the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Here are some highlights of our Christmas:

Playing with some new presents with Grandma and Grandpa

Gammy gave Isaac a new helicopter. He likes spinning the propeller.

This is "Whac-A-Mole" - hysterical! The premise of the game is to thump all the moles on their heads. They laugh and say, "Miss me" whenever you don't hit them!