Happy Birthday, Jesus!!!

We had a restful, fun, easy-going Christmas this year! The kids were all at such fun ages and we really enjoyed every minute! Santa paid us a visit, and he even took some time out to play with Griffin's Legos and leave a special construction...
This takes skill...eating treats from stocking while examining toy in each hand...

Daddy has been playing with this race track as much as the boys have :)

It was no surprise that she was very excited about her stocking treats...

She got a little vanity with a play hair dryer, brush, etc. She's been blow drying all of our hair :)

Daddy got some new boots, and the kids have enjoyed trying them on!

On Christmas Day we went to Nana and Poppy's and all of Michael's family joined us! Nana and Poppy have cute little trees for each of the kids with picture ornaments of them from each Christmas!

Collier was most excited about her new baby doll!

Blowing out the candles for our Happy Birthday Jesus cake!

The kids with Granny and Papa Dave!

Five sweet cousins!

The kids with Nana and Poppy!

One of the most special moments for me this Christmas came on Christmas Eve. Every year Michael delivers presents through a ministry here to children whose fathers are in prison. In the past he's always gone with a friend, but this year his friend was out of town, so he ended up taking Griffin. At the second house they walked in and met a lady and her three sons. Their youngest boy asked Griffin what the bracelets were that were on his wrist (he had some of those silly bands on). Griffin pulled off a cross, bible, and star bracelet and was able to share how the star lead the wise men to Jesus and how Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we can spend forever with Him. He gave the boys the bracelets and told them he wanted the bracelets to remind them of Jesus (Michael asked him what he wanted the bracelets to remind them of). Griffin called me when they left the house to tell me about it, and I was so convicted because, to be honest, I hadn't been really fired up about them going. I knew it was a good thing to do, but I had my own plans for the day, which included making Christmas cookies with the kids. I was bummed we weren't going to be able to do that until I got that call from Griffin. How often do I let my own plans get in the way of opportunities God gives me to love other people and share Him with them?

Also, on Christmas Eve night before we went to bed I was looking at the presents laid out for the kids. For several reasons we scaled back on how much we bought and I was thinking it was a bit pitiful looking. The next morning when the boys came running in the den they were so excited and Griffin exclaimed, "This is the best Christmas ever!" God just reminded me that my sweet children don't need tons and tons of presents to be excited, and that His Son is truly the best gift we can ever receive!