Christmas 2018

Merry Christmas! 
We are loving being with family as we share in this sweet time of year. Excited faces and giddy laughter have filled our days lately and we can't really capture it all. We sure love this family of ours.

FIRST TIME MEETING BABY HENRY!

Gingerbread House Contesting,
Eating, and Decorating!

Winners!

Baby Henry Snuggles
(+ finding ugly homemade ornaments
from when I was a kid)

Can't get enough of Uncle Ryan!

Baby Henry we are obsessed!

 Christmas Eve
We did our own family thing, and I have really made it more of our own family tradition. We had our special Bethlehem dinner. And discussed the gift of the Savior and the gifts we want to give the Savior this year. It is so sweet hearing them talk about Jesus, it will never get old. 
Afterwards the kids got new ornaments to place on the tree. Then we snuggled up with hot cocoa and watched the Santa Claus movie before bed.

Christmas Morning

We didn't really take many pictures because it was all a little bit of a blur. With the unwrapping, laughing, fighting, scolding, making up, jealous pouting and crying. 

That is what all good Christmas mornings are made of right?

Next year, Santa forget it, lets just do stockings. 

This child! I love her, but was she our punk
ALL day. We did find out the next day she was
sick with a cold so maybe that was the origin
of her Christmas woes. 

Christmas is so stressful as a parent. We tried so hard but still it was a little overdone and next year I hope we can minimize even more and enjoy the spirit of true joy more. 

We work really hard keeping the center of Christmas all season long on Christ. I remind and we tell the story over and over. But I don't think with little ones especially Christmas morning anything can really keep the focus straight. Every year I hope I get better and better at teaching the kids to let go of the greed of the season and focus on the Savior. Little by little. Am I right?

I know it all starts in the home, and I know that as they watch Shea and I they continually grow, for better or worse. I can only hope that we are grounding them in the true Church of Jesus Christ and that their testimonies are being built as we try to center ourselves, our home and them on the Savior. 

Happiness from things is fleeting and superficial; but the happiness we find in following and coming unto Christ is true, everlasting, and unstoppable. 

It is the happiness that will determine our eternities, and I know we can all do more as we strive for thee.