Merry Christmas

    Christmas is almost here!! I can't believe it. Our family has been so blessed this year from the purchase of our first house to the birth of our second son Reid! I have definitely seen Psalm 37:4 come to fruition in our lives. ("Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart") I have had two main desires this year and I am sitting inside on the couch in one and holding the other in my arms!  God has been so incredibly good to us!

   Milt and I had a conversation the other night about Christmas with the boys and how we want to make sure that the focus is always on Christ a not how many gifts they get. We shared stories of other couples that we admire and how they either put a money limit on each child, or a present number limit. Milt shared about how a couple that he knows give their children four gifts each year. Each child receives these gifts: something they want, something they need, a book, and something meaningful (a bible, devotional, or even a memory making gift) I LOVE this idea! 

   Christmas is such a huge part of my happy memories from growing up, but as I recount my memories I couldn't tell you more than maybe three gifts that my parents gave me. My happy memories are making Christmas cookies with my mom and sister, playing our annual Foosball game with my dad, brother, and sister, sitting with the whole family on Christmas Eve listening to my dad read us the Christmas story out of his bible. I cherish all of these memories and I want Cooper and Reid to have some of the same! 

   I am so excited to spend our first Christmas as a family of four in our home! I have loved taking the boys to pick out their Christmas ornaments, and making our first batch of Christmas cookies. I know we will have many more Christmas seasons here but for some reason this one has been so incredibly meaningful!

                                          ~ Merry Christmas from our family to yours ~