Christmas 2012

This year has been a year of change - so our Christmas traditions had to change as well. For the first time ever we were the ones to pack up the presents, pack our overnight bags and pillows, pack up the food, and the dog, and drive for a couple of hours to celebrate Christmas with our family.
We left Sunday morning (Dec. 23) and arrived at our son's house just in time for the MN Vikings football game on Sunday - and it was a great game to watch. The Vikings beat Houston 23-6! We spent Sunday and Christmas Eve at Aaron's house with him and Jeff, our younger son, and our daughter Carrie and her husband Mardo. Aaron and Jeff were great hosts, and we had lots of fun playing a new game called Wizard. We helped them finish wrapping their presents, we watched a couple of movies together. We had devotions together and just enjoyed one another's company.
On Christmas Day morning it was fun to watch the "kids" open the Christmas bags that "Santa" had left for them.

After breakfast we packed the cars once more with presents, food, the dog, and overnight bags and headed to our oldest son's house. Brenton and Stephanie had agreed to host our family Christmas.
And what a delightful day it was!

   The huge pile of Christmas presents to be opened testified to the great love our family has for one another. It was so much fun to see how creative everyone had been with their gifts. The gifts were exactly right for everyone.

Our grandchildren - Jake, Izzy and Andrew -enjoyed being surrounded by their aunt and uncles, nana and papa, but they also gave the adults time to talk and play games too. We loved watching them play their new video games, try on their new jerseys, go sledding with Uncle Mardo, and play carols on the piano. We stayed overnight at Brenton's house, and headed back home today.

I realized several things when reflecting on Christmas 2012:

• Christmas is about being with people you love - no matter where you choose to celebrate
• I think it makes God happy when we give gifts out of the love we have for others - it's not the gifts that matter, it is the love with which the gifts are chosen and given
• There was no let down after Christmas this year - and I think that's because we had to travel to come home. In past years, after everyone left our house it seemed so empty and there was a time of feeling sad that it was over
• The most important thing in life is knowing that God has given each of us the greatest gift of all - salvation and eternal life through His Son, Jesus

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!