I'm blaming all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, my pregnancy hormones, and then getting back into the groove at work, for my delay in posting about our Christmas this year. I think I skipped posting Thanksgiving too... Well, it goes without saying what we were most thankful for this year, but it was a secret at the time :)
I had off from work this Christmas, so it was much more relaxing and enjoyable than last years. We attended the Christmas eve service at our church and then headed over to Justin's parents for a lovely Christmas eve dinner with them, Aunt Sandy, and the Benders. We had such a nice time visiting with them and little Sydney.
Christmas morning, Justin and I did our gift exchange at home. My favorite gift was one that Justin bought for the baby... I was so surprised by his thoughtfulness. The little puppy he bought is incredibly cute. We've dubbed him 'peter'. :)
That afternoon we went over to my parents for Christmas dinner and enjoyed spending time with the many Ecks and the many McLaughlins. Gordon had to work that day, so unfortunately, he and his fiance Katie weren't able to be there. But my newly engaged sister, Aimee and her fiance, Mark were! :) Santa also made an appearance which is always a highlight of the evening. It's truly one of my favorite Christmas traditions that we've had in our family. The kids excitedly recited Luke 2 for him and sang a few songs. It was adorable, and hilarious.
I'd like to think it goes without saying, but unfortunately today it definitely doesn't... The true meaning of Christmas isn't Santa, the gifts, or even being together with family. It's the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. Justin and I were talking about it on our way home Christmas eve as we passed all the homes decorated with Christmas lights... I think of it every year but it always hits me as being so awesome. When you celebrate a birthday, many people decorate... they put up streamers, balloons, etc. Maybe they decorate one room of the house or even put some balloons on their mailbox, etc. But for Christmas, every year without fail, people decorate the inside and outside of their homes. They put bright colorful lights on their houses, some decorate their entire front yards with colorful ornaments. Many neighborhoods participate in luminaries to light up the streets. While so many are not celebrating Jesus' birth, I can't help but think how cool it is that unbeknownst to them, they've decorated for His birthday. And what an awesome display it is. People decorating all over the world... the kind of decorating that's fit for the birthday of a king. So cool.
Belated or not, I hope everyone had an incredibly merry Christmas.... and a happy new year :)
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