Christmas Eve

As we were putting Raelyn's gifts under the tree and putting her stocking together, I just couldn't help but think how different each Christmas has been the last few years. Three years ago, Jackson and I were preparing to go to Hawaii the day after Christmas with my parents. That had been a rough year for me for a number of reasons so it was great to have something so fun to look forward to at the end of the year. Two years ago, Raelyn was just a few weeks old at Christmas time. We came home for about a week and a half and enjoyed spending time with everyone. Last year, Raelyn had just turned one and we were super excited about going to Phoenix for Bethany's wedding shortly after celebrating Christmas. We also had just put our house on the market and were unsure about how quickly it would sell.

This year is just SO different from the past few Christmases!! There was no packing, no long drives in winter weather, plenty of time to spend with family, and in general less rushing and less stress. :) We are very excited to wake up tomorrow and have Christmas as a family in our home. I can't wait to see Raelyn's face when she comes out of her room and sees gifts under the tree from Santa. Christmas is so magical as a child and it is fun to start traditions that will hopefully last a long time. Santa told me he wanted brownies, not cookies, so we made brownies this afternoon and put them on a special plate before going to bed and Raelyn opened up her special Christmas pajamas and wore them to bed tonight.

This Christmas is not even over yet and I'm already looking forward to future Christmases!! Next year will be so fun having an 11 month old at Christmas and I am excited to see how Christmas changes each year as our family expands. As I am writing this, the baby girl in my belly is moving around like crazy, as if she is excited about tomorrow and can't get to sleep tonight :)

God has richly blessed me and my family in far too many ways to even begin to count. I am in awe of how he always has a plan for us, even when it may not match what we think we have planned (and as a person who likes to have a plan for everything, I have learned some lessons the hard way). When I think about how much I love my husband and children, I can't imagine how difficult it was for God to send His Son to earth. I am so thankful that my family celebrates the REAL reason for the CHRISTmas season!