• This is the first Christmas that our children were able to pick out a gift for each other. They so loved doing something special for each other. It was wonderful to watch them focus on giving instead of getting.
  
• This Christmas, we laughed a lot and we laughed together and we laughed LOUD. Austin's laugh, especially, is infectious when he really, really laughs! It was refreshing and such good medicine for our souls.
• Anna Grace was a little soldier in the DTD's annual performance of the Nutcracker. She had the most fun and did a GREAT job AND she was able to get a date night in with daddy since mommy was terribly ill with a stomach virus for her 2nd night of performing. She LOVED having a date with daddy.
  
• This Christmas is the first time my daughter realized that I not only pick out and buy hers, Austin's, and daddy's Christmas pj's, but I also pick out mommy's Christmas pj's. She was so amazed that I do all the shopping and pick out all of the presents that she offered to pay for MY Christmas pj's out of her own money and she insisted that once they were wrapped, the gift would be placed in her room. Then, she and Austin would present it to me. It REALLY, REALLY touched me to see her moved (to the point of spending her OWN money) to give back to me, her mommy.
• Anna Grace wrote Santa a note and made special gifts to give him. I will have dedicate a post to that one subject very soon. It was precious. We left the gifts and the note with the cookies and milk. And, we woke up on Christmas morning to find that he ate the cookies, drank the milk, took the gifts she left, wrote a note back to her AND left them presents under the tree. She was THRILLED that he wrote a note back to her! She was almost more excited to see his note back to her than to see her presents!! (Remember, I did say 'almost' :) )
  
• Austin and Gracie were a joy to watch on Christmas morning! We woke up to Anna Grace singing... 'Wake up! It's Christmas! Wake up! It's Christmas!' They couldn't wait to be with mommy and daddy and share this special day together. They savored each moment of that day and they were so grateful for each gift that Santa brought. Austin even commented that, 'Santa brought me extra mommy! He brought more than I even asked for. What a nice Santa. He really didn't have to do that!' This simply made my heart smile!! :)

That last memory above, can't you just picture God, our Heavenly Father, saying that to us each morning, 'Wake up! It's a new day I made for you! Wake up! It's a new day I made just for you!'? Don't you know that our God is THAT excited to see us, hear us, and commune with us each morning? He can't wait to see us get up and see what the day holds, what He has in store, and what He created for us and around us! I pray that we value that and make the most of that in the new year! He is so in love with us, His creation, the imperfect, simple, small creatures that we are! But, He is our Father and He can't wait spend each day with us! Try to remember to spend time with Him today and in the New Year ahead!! He may even bless you 'extra', more than you deserve, which is what we call in our house His AMAZING GRACE!!

I have posted some pictures below of our CHRISTmas together! I hope you and yours had a beautiful Holiday season together and I pray you experience His joy, peace, and many 'extra' blessings in the new year!!