Our wonderful Christmas began with our traditional candlelight Christmas Eve service. It is my favorite service of the year. I love the glow of the church under candlelight. My husband had another pastor build him a manger this year for the stage. I thought it was a perfect addition! 
I enjoyed my new, comfy cozy socks from my husband!
On Christmas morning, after a little coffee and opening stocking stuff, we dove into our gifts!
Bethany liked her new book!
Caleb was really excited to get a Jumanji Fluxx game!
Mallory got a new, green Hydro-Flask!
Rebekah enjoyed her gifts too!
Daddy opened a new beard/ facial hair trimmer!
I love all the kids on the couch together!
We spent the rest of the day at my parents' house. It was great to see my sister and her family there with another brother and my parents.
We followed my sister to her new home one day later for a New Years' get-a-way! The morning after we arrived, so did the snow! We were glad we weren't caught in it while traveling over the mountains!
We spent time with cousins in Joshua's family too! The girls baked together...
They enjoyed our gift of a new game called, "Whozit."
The kids played on their Nintendo some. Our big kids followed us later to accommodate work schedules.
We had a fun evening playing Bunco all together! Lots of laughs and silliness...
Bethany enjoyed playing with her cousins' kinetic sand.
Our New Year's toast at 11:00 p.m. before we climbed into bed...
Mallory got a neat hairdo from her Auntie!
We played lots and lots of games!
We spent another evening back at my sister's house. My nephew made a tree out of Bananagrams tiles. We played games there too!
While we were there, my girls and their cousins had a fashion show. This was one of the only pictures I took. I love her!
We had to snap a picture of the three of us siblings together. Can you tell who is the oldest?
How was your Christmas? Did you travel anywhere? I'd love to hear about it!
But Christmas is not about the gifts, or the tree, or even about family. This is what Christmas is all about... (I feel like Linus in "Charlie Brown's Christmas!")
Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, my readers!
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