Christmas Time - 2016

I need to get better about posting more frequently so one post doesn't include dozens of pictures spanning 500 hours of life in the busiest month of the year! But alas, my days do not seem to afford me much computer time and lately, my alone time in the mornings is precious and never long enough to fit this in. So, here we are - Christmas 2016 in all its glory. And it was all glory because it was Jesus! A few of my favorite things not captured in these pictures is our advent book - The Greatest Gift - and receiving your Christmas cards. I LOVE getting Christmas cards, like check the mailbox every day til the mail comes LOVE. 

It was really a great month, and I love that the kids are old enough to understand and engage in what and why we are celebrating. It is fun and holy and Jesus all wrapped up when we focus on the right stuff. Not every moment is pretty, and sometimes there is fighting and yelling, but still there is Jesus. He is there waiting for an invitation to offer us grace and truth in the aftermath. Grace because we are still His and still loved. Truth so that we might change and do it differently next time. I love that. 

Grace was my word for 2016. The truth part and accountability and understanding right living isn't usually an issue for me. But falling down, messing up, unattained perfectionism, performance lacking? Yea, I'm not so great at giving out grace in those moments. To others nor to myself. But God offers grace with no strings attached. What a gift and what freedom has come to my life because of that! Wouldn't we all be a little more joyful, a little more kinder and a little less selfish if we just had more grace for one another and for ourselves? Give it out this year, y'all. If you know Jesus, the Holy Spirit is right there to help us. We can't do this alone. Bring more joy to your marriages, your families, your homes. GRACE - free and unmerited favor of God. We can be Jesus to someone in our world by offering what has already been given to us.

Here's us living a life of grace and stumbling and trying again in December 2016.

Hot cocoa by the fire. We consume large amounts of hot cocoa and tea when it's cold. Mmmm.

Breakfast with Santa at Grandma's church with cousins Eddie and Max.

Decorating Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas tree. More fun cousin time!

Decorating gingerbread men and sugar cookies with Emma.

Leila's grade at church sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home. 

Decorating our very first tree from our own land - a fresh cut cedar tree. This was mostly driven by my "budget Nazi" tendencies, but the quirkiness of this tree grew on us. Too bad we had to retire it on Christmas night because it was officially a Charlie Brown tree. But the kids made a paper chain with a hundred plus loops and we just went with the lopsided, thin, homemade look. 

Christmas pajama time (thanks Christian!).

Another momma from Mary-Michael's class and myself planned (ok, she planned and I just did) their class party. It was really fun and Frazier and Leila were able to join in on the fun, too. 

Candy cane fishing!

Riding the DC Metro to Arlington Cemetery for one of my favorite things we did this year. It was INCREDIBLY crowded, but oh-so memorable as you can see from their faces.

We participated in the wreath laying ceremony and paid a very special visit to my grandfather's grave whom I never had the chance to meet. 

We were able to bring his picture from home with us, and I'm so glad we did.

It was really cold and wet and involved a lot of walking. The kids tried really hard not to complain, and we talked a lot about the amazing sacrifices everyone made that was buried there. Military sacrifices always make me cry, and there's no place like Arlington to make you thankful for all they do and have done. I hope our kids get that when they get older.

Celebrating Eddie's 3rd birthday (December 16). 

All dressed up for Christmas performances at church. 

Those are some good looking kids right there.

We loved hosting my Dad and family at our house a week before Christmas. It was particularly special to have my 92 year old Nana come and to just simply be together.

Aunt Christina and Uncle Zach.

Glow-in-the-dark stars might be the best thing right now. They are literally sleeping in the Milky Way as we speak. Stars on the ceiling, the walls, the fan, the lamps, the doors and even the stuffed animals.  I'll be finding those things for the next decade.

My two handsome men.

This picture is for me - to remember my sweet Mary-Michael and her love of reading and writing and Jesus at age 6.

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Waiting for the present frenzy.

Apparently I said a BB gun was ok a long, long, long, long time ago (like when he was 2 and 5 seemed really old) and Uncle Kam didn't forget. Don't fret, it is currently in a safe. He can't wait to use it, of course. 

Delivering our annual food boxes from Soul Farms. The kids decorate the boxes and pray about where to go. We let them lead, and while they are far from saints, I am so thankful for their childlike faith and that they are learning that they can be world-changers and prayer warriors and examples of Christ's love even at a young age. We met two neighbors, and one couple even came to our New Year's Eve party and church the next day. So cool!

We enjoyed ChristmasTown at Busch Gardens with my Dad and Beth. We went after Christmas, which does not equate to less of a crowd. Wow, it was busy.

But it sure was beautiful. They really do a great job with the lights, themes and shows. This was my favorite scene!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.