Our Christmas Day was a little different this year! Usually we get up, have our special breakfast, and then open presents. Well, Shawn had a gig this year and he had to leave around 9am. So...we switched things around and opened our stockings before he left. When he got back we had our breakfast of baked apple pancake, sausage, coffee, and cranberry coffee cake.
There is a little story behind our meal! The baked apple pancake was the 1st meal Shawn and I had as a married couple. We were on our Honeymoon at a Bed & Breakfast somewhere in Ohio. It has since been a yearly tradition! The coffee cake comes from my mom. She made it every year for Christmas morning when I was growing up. Ever since I have been married she has made it so that we can have a little bit of home as we have started our own traditions.
So...after we had brunch:), we opened our presents. It was a really sweet time of just enjoying each other. We got each of the kids 3 gifts, plus one big gift that they could share and 2 smaller gifts they could share. The big gift was the Barbie house! I have been waiting my whole life to be able to give one to my girls. My sisters and I used to play for hours and hours! Jen and I even made up a code name of XL22 so that we could play without Sarah! We were so mean! Sorry Sarah!:) I really hope the girls can have fun together with it. It has a flushing toilet, doorbell, hot tub with lights, fireplace, and chandelier. So fun!
It was actually one of the last ones in the city of GR! I looked on the Internet, and searched many stores to find one. We got a great deal only because we were quoted the wrong price so they had to give it to us and we had a coupon! I love great deals!
The whole day was really a sweet celebration of our family and Jesus' birth. We finished up our "What God Wants for Christmas" Nativity and our Advent. I pray we will continue to show our kids the anticipation of our Savior's return someday!
I was just thinking back to our month of celebration and anticipation and I realized how much God became more real to me this season. My eyes were opened to the complete wonder of Jesus' birth in a stable! As mom's, can you imagine what that would be like?! Imagine being 14 or 15 years old, riding on a donkey while 9 months pregnant, and being ALONE! Then imagine the pain and mess of childbirth, in a stable filled with hay! Do you think Mary and Joseph knew how to deliver a baby? Maybe they had seen family members or friends deliver, maybe not. They did not have a semi-comfy hospital bed with sterile equipment. The Creator of the Universe, the Creator of me, came to earth like that! Because he wanted to save mankind. Because he loves me! Because he wants to know me. Wow...is that humbling! I get down on my knees in complete reverence thanking God for loving me that much. It renders me speechless!
The exciting thing is, is that we can carry this with us all year! We can marvel at the sacrifice God made to send His only Son to this wretched world. We can have more motivation to share it with those God puts around us. Don't keep it back! Listen and look for ways to share God's love. Show it to your children, to those you see at the store! I know I will be praying that I will be aware of God's voice and ways He might be telling me to step out and be that light for other's to see.
So, Merry Christmas!
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