Merry Christmas

Last Christmas we were turning the air conditioner up, putting on shorts and bug spray and heading outside to jump on the trampoline. Yesterday we bundled up, gathered at church and ended the night with karaoke, Uno Attack, belly laughs and hot cocoa. What a difference a year can make. We always hear this phrase, however do we really ever stop to take the time to notice it.

While our year has had many visible DRASTIC changes—living back in the states, a new climate, the twins, having and hosting Christmas— I love just sitting and taking a few moments to highlight some of the intrinsic changes we’ve also dealt with.

What is the true meaning to this widely celebrated holiday season? What is the importance and how can we work to share and explain this to our children? Despite the decorations, holiday songs in the stores, limitless commercials, truthfully, this Christmas just felt different. Myer and I have been gearing our family up (asking for no plastic for Christmas, getting the boys to create giveaway piles, and making weekly trips to the Salvation Army) to focus on what matters most—relationships and giving.

This past week, our family dropped off six giant boxes and bags of toys, puzzles and clothes in an effort to practice giving and gratitude. We’ve been explaining to our eldest how there’s more to Christmas than what’s simply shown on tv. We are grateful to the Lord for blessing us with what we have and for giving us such and abundance to share with others.

Christmas is a time of celebration, rejoicing for the birth of our Savior, spending time with family and close friends and remembering what it means to have a relationship with Christ. While we still have presents to open, a Christmas tree and lights up, we constantly looked for ways to remind our boys of the true reason we celebrate. We are thrilled to have family closer to visit with us and pray earnestly for families who are apart this year, the service men and women who are away and standing the watch. We thank you.

This year we’re hugging our littles tighter, teaching them to value family and the importance of relationships. We are starting new traditions, taking pictures to cherish these moments and slowing down to live in the moment. These are the true gifts that often go unacknowledged. Today, more than ever, we are grateful for them.

Merry Christmas from ours to yours!