Christmas 2014

I tried to have everything done this year by the day before Christmas Eve so that we could just have fun on Christmas Eve.  I'd gotten a late start getting ready for Christmas this year and it was a hectic few weeks leading up to Christmas.  I felt like I had everything done though and the plan was to go to Melanie's house for Christmas Eve breakfast then head up to the ski resort for a few hours to pass the time while the kids were waiting for Santa.  Instead we were woken up early in the morning by Skyler throwing up.  So Jason headed off to the breakfast with the older kids and I stayed home with Skyler.  I felt so bad he was sick again after being sick on Thanksgiving and hoped it would be a quick 24 hour bug and he would feel better on Christmas.  Jason offered to stay home with Skyler in the afternoon so I could ski but I decided to stay home and just get an early start making dinner so they all headed up to the ski resort while Skyler and I stayed home again.  We were finally able to enjoy the evening together with clam chowder, Christmas songs and stories and the kids acting out the nativity.  Skyler was feeling well enough that he was enjoying hitting everything in sight with his shepherd staff!

After an extremely warm and dry December we woke up to the first big snowfall of the year Christmas morning with snow still coming down.  It really made for a picture perfect Christmas morning (although I never did take a picture of the snow.  It was a beautiful morning with lots of happy kids and we enjoyed just staying inside, watching the snow come down and taking our time opening presents.  Skyler was the new owner of more trains than you can count.  Kaitlyn was thrilled to join the electronic club in the house with an iPod.  Jared added a Lego set to his collection. (What else would he want?)  Andrew was soon dreaming up all the tricks he would be recording and showing off with his new Gopro (video camera he can attach to the top of his ski helmet.)

The finished project a couple days later.

Andrew with the quilt his grandma made him.  She is so talented!

It was such a wonderful day.  For some reason it hit me this year hard that we only have a few years left with everyone at home together.  Sometimes it feels like time just keeps going faster and faster.  I really kept feeling that something was missing this year as I prepared for Christmas.  I realized that I really missed how the last few years during all the busyness I found some time to go help my grandma with her Christmas preparations.  It was never anything big but now it is time that I cherish.  And when I was missing her so much I came to the realization that this is what Christmas is all about.  That our Father loves us enough to send His Son to earth in a stable.  And because of that we can have our families forever.