Christmas

I asked the kids:


Favorite Christmas Song:

S - "Happy Birthday Jesus" (3-5 yr olds were supposed to sing in church on 12/21)

R - "Christmas Bells" (also going to be sung on 12/21) and "Joy to the World"

N - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Joy to the World"


My Favorite Things:

N - "You" (Mom) Awww

R - Tea Parties

N - Playing with my friends

Mom - snow on the pine trees

S - Making a snowman

N - "Dad"

R- I like sledding on the sled

S - Drawing pictures

M - 2 hour delays and snow days!

N - lasagna

R - I like pizza!

M - Decorating sugar cookies with the kids

S - Hanging ornaments on the tree!

M - Aaron's big grins!


We're having a good time doing fun, Christmasy things - decorating cookies, moving the wisemen closer to the manger each day, wrapping presents (M & D), touching/shaking/poking the wrapped presents (N, R, S), attempting to unwrap the presents (Aaron), playing in the large quantity of snow (Dad + 3), writing & sending our Christmas letter, enduring the Alpine traffic just to buy a gift for Mom (Dad), singing along with all the Christmas songs (love the variety on 105.7!), etc.

There is much snow, and it does make driving concerning, but personally I enjoy 'hunkering in' and making soup, playing games, and having home be warm, cozy, fun, and safe. Isn't it crazy we need the snow as a reason to stay home? I am also glad the kids are old enough to send outside (after at least 17 minutes of preparing to go outside) to play and "burn off some steam," as my Mom used to say. :) This year I've told them I'm setting the timer for 20 minutes and they need to play until the timer goes off. Last year the record was set at 3.3 minutes for heading out and wanting to come back in.

We look forward to special family times - Christmas Eve with the Vanderwests (including the Belmont's from PA!), Christmas Day gift opening at the crack of dawn with our crew, then off to Grandpa Richards' for brunch, gifts, and fun, then to Kalkaska (i.e. "The Wintry North") Fri-Mon to celebrate my wonderful in-laws and their 50th anniversary!!! The entire immediate family (30+) is getting together at a ranch for a weekend together playing, honoring, eating, and just being together. It's a tricky thing getting families from Peru, PA, MI, college students, and all with busy lives/jobs/ministries away for a few days - and to be all together but not overwhelming one home will be awesome! We pray the weather will get us safely there and back again.

Oh, and here is a little humor for your Christmas weekend:
What if, instead of God sending three wise men at our Savior's birth, He had sent three wise women?
1. They would have stopped to ask for directions.
2. They would have been on time.
3. They would have prepared the stable.
4. They would have helped deliver the baby.
5. They would have made a casserole.
6. And they would have brought diapers as a gift rather than perfume.

"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'" (Luke 2:10,11). Amen!!! Rejoice in HIS birth today!