My Christmas request was a photo of all 5. My kids do not enjoy photos - especially Joshua. (Who learned to protest pictures from his oldest sister. UGH!) So getting them to smile for my camera is a true gift.
2013:
Krissy 17.5
Jamison 16
Sierra 14
Brenna 10.5
Joshua 6
Christmas felt rushed this year. Hurried. All my routines and rhythms are off. Traveling over Thanksgiving, getting hurt, fewer weekends than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas, celebrating early with Chad's extended family, working the day before and the day after Christmas all made things feel blurred. Being back in the office today before 7:30 am has left me feeling a bit sad. Longing for the peaceful, cozy holidays I have enjoyed other years. (Which probably makes it a silly time to blog. . . but honest, too.)
The most meaningful moments of this month happened early in the morning. Several mornings this month I woke up really early, tiptoed silently into the family room, plugged in the Christmas tree lights, and sipped a cup of coffee while reading my Ann Voskamp devotional. Those moments were rich. Peaceful. Meaningful.
As Christmas should be.
They left me pondering this scene.
We love to picture the nativity as beautiful.
Angelic.
Peaceful.
Holy.
Really it was few of those things.
Though it was holy.
It was also messy.
Dirty.
Scary.
Lonely.
Shocking.
Unexpected.
Confusing.
I have spent a lot of time truly contemplating the fact that God chose to enter this world as a baby. It is crazy. The all-powerful God of the universe came as the least powerful of humans. It does not get more fragile than infancy. . . particularly an infant born to poverty stricken, teenage parents. Yet that is how and whom He chose.
At dinner on Christmas Eve we tried to guess why -
was He willing to be completely vulnerable to teach us about vulnerability?
was He willing to experience it all to understand us better?
was He willing to demonstrate that He would go into any mess to save us?
Yes.
Taking a moment to consider the story, to chew on it for an instant rather than simply regurgitating all that we have been told, was my favorite moment with our kids this Christmas.
We also had many more traditional moments.
Gifts were opened.
Toy packaging was wrestled.
Assembly took place.
New movies have been watched.
New games have been played.
And this momma took very few photos.
Instead, I sat back and pondered it all in my heart.
Cousins playing.
Dart gun wars.
Big hugs for Grandma and Grandpa Great.
Too many cooks in my kitchen.
My kids teasing each other constantly.
The belly laughs of darling nieces.
Hugging my tall son and fitting right under his shoulder.
My small son caressing his baby sister growing in my belly.
Daddy frying bacon. . . the good stuff.
Rushed or not, Christmas is an incredibly special time.
I am thankful for each moment.
