Merry Christmas Eve!

This week has been so much LESS hectic than last week. It has been so nice to be able to slow down and focus on the birth of our Savior! I have been enjoying my boys and wrapping presents. Not much else besides the normal day to day stuff! Levi has gotten all his schoolwork done and is enjoying a few days off. Benjamin started reading Levi's Noah Webster's Reading Handbook from his schoolwork last year. He is doing great! I didn't know Ben was so ready to start reading! I am super excited which makes him that much more excited! I think we will have 2 kiddo readers in the family before long!

Anyways, I have been focusing on the reason we celebrate this time of year. Trying to sum it up into one word. The best thing I could come up with is LOVE. It was God's amazing love for us that that compelled Him to send His Son to live among us and eventually die for us. Amazing Love. And then there is the issue of commercialism this time of year. Not getting into the fact that a lot of people overspend and then that makes life stressful. Why did it get so commercialized in the first place? That too comes back to LOVE. No really, bear with me here. Is it not our love for our families that drives us to buy gifts for them that will make them happy? Now, I believe that we should not put ourselves into debt for this love. That is why many years we have given the boys a great Christmas but did handmade things or family pictures for other family. So, whether you are a Christian or not....the emotion behind Christmas will always be LOVE. I am thankful that both scenarios work for me....LOVE for God and His great sacrifice for me and Love for my family. Benjamin was starting to be a normal kid this morning and get into who got the BIGGEST present this morning....all I had to do is say his name and he quickly made this statement. "But I know what the BIGGEST present is mommy, it is Jesus....and do you know how He is wrapped??? He is wrapped up in my heart!" Wow, how do you say it any better?

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family out there reading this. May God Bless your Christmas and your New Year! I am truly blessed to have such dear friends.

I'm still here......

Wow, life has been crazy! I haven't had a moment to slow down! It kind of makes me sad a little bit because I really want to enjoy this time of year. Right now I am having fun despite of how hectic it is. The house is decorated and looks great. The boys love the fact that we went all out this year. We have had lots of fun making all sorts of ornaments! Coffee filter snowflakes, q-tip snowflakes and flour and salt ornaments! So much fun! Usually I am extra stressed this month because there is so much to do that Levi gets behind in his school work. The blessing this year is that Levi has been a self starter and hasn't really gotten behind! Thank you Lord! We have our Monday School Christmas Party and Play at our house Friday night and then Christmas Dinner with the people of our church Sunday afternoon. After that is all over with the only thing I really have to focus on is getting presents wrapped! I finally ordered Norman's main Christmas gift this afternoon! I know! It might not even get here before Christmas! He is sooooo hard to shop for, and I did try to get it done before now but had technical problems....Yeah, like $400.00 worth of charges pending on my account when the transaction didn't even go through! Thankfully the company I was dealing with was very nice and helped me resolve that one.....but I still wasn't able to order from them! Oh well, I found him something pretty cool that I'm not going to name on here just incase he decides to read this :) Anyways, if I don't get to post anything before Christmas I wanted to wish all my friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Forget the happy holidays, I still believe that Christ is the reason for Christmas! Now that I say that I am a little convicted that I have focused on so many other things than Christ so far this season....Please forgive me Lord! I will try harder!