A Merry Thankful Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We've been visiting with family and friends through the holiday and will continue until the end of the week when we have to get back to "normal". We've had a very simple Christmas... food, presents, Christmas story,etc! It's been very nice.


Lots of funny memories of making signs for a gift, candy cane cookies, Christmas morning hot tub dip, gift scavenger hunt, and definitely my new Clapper;) LOL!!


Making sugar cookies and painting ornaments with friends.

Christmas caroling at a local rehab center with the local home schoolers. The kids singing, Brian playing his guitar, passing out home made ornaments and cards.

Sweet moments watching the kids prepare for Christmas.... helping to wrap presents,and  packing gifts to bring to their Sunday school teachers or to grandparents' homes.

And sweet memories of Chris declaring that it's been a good Christmas after opening only his stocking with the new toothbrush, new underwear and some candy:) OR Lydia finally getting the toy horse shes been wanting. And Anna with her techy gift, she just beams:)

It's also been a mix of emotions. We've had two friends pass away in the last 2 weeks and then the tragedy in CT. Our hearts have been broken, we have shed tears, we've attended services and we've been confronted with the reality that sickness and death are real no matter what the season.

 
I was left with an overwhelming feeling of how blessed we are.... we have soo much to be thankful for.

That my kids needed underwear and I could just run to the store and get some for them! Or that my Dad was able to enjoy another Christmas with us... all 16 of us crowded in the living room with him;) We all were well enough to enjoy all the festivities of the season:)

Thankful!