Our Family’s 5th Christmas!

My favorite holiday has finally arrived and I can feel the excitement emanating from my daughter! She is going to have a very difficult time falling asleep tonight. I love a 3 yr old’s perspective of Christmas: She doesn’t watch commercials, so it’s not very “commercialized” for her. Her wants are small: She’s asking for a “pony,” but a “My Little Pony” will surely do. She’s excited by gifts, but I think it’s more the anticipation of it all than anything. Santa is wonderful to her, but she’s eager to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday as well. I’m so excited to celebrate our first Christmas with a kid who sort of “gets it.”

I am thrilled for Christmas as well, but I haven’t thought much about presents under the tree for me this year. It’s not because I’m “above that” or anything, we just weren’t going to do presents for parents this year, but decided to do a few last minute.  I feel a sense of contentment for what I have and a desire to seek for things that aren’t tangible. As I ponder Christmas today, a few simple thoughts keep coming my way:

I want to focus on what is, not worry about what isn’t.
I want to appreciate today and have hope for the future.
I want to focus on all that I have, not on what I don’t.
I want celebrate faith, home, and family today.
I want to share the Good News of my Savior with my children today and pray that their hearts will be touched and their souls filled with the knowledge that “He Lives!”

I woke up feeling nostalgic this morning. My wonderful husband and I celebrated 5 years of marriage this year and this will be our 5th Christmas together. We started dating in January of 2004, we were married in September, and we celebrated our first Christmas in December.I took a glance through photos from Christmas past this morning and selected a few. So, if you have a moment, you’re welcome to humor me and take a walk down memory lane!