LOVE - JOY - PEACE - HOPE
Our December was full of these gifts ...both given and received!
That's what I yearn for Christmas to look like for us!
Nathan and Matt both brought home doe on
the first Saturday of deer.
Nathan was so proud of his first deer!
We were, again, part of the Live Nativity held at
Grace Fellowship Church here in Titusville.
It is a blessing to share The Greatest Gift
with the many people that drive through!
Mom and Grace made me this rustic star for on top of
our Christmas tree. So we decided to decorate our
tree a little different this year by ...
stringing popcorn...
make paper chains from strips of Christmas Carol
music from an old hymnal ...
and applesauce/cinnamon hearts with red ribbon.
I loved it!
Matt's school hosts a Community Christmas dinner for
the homeless and needy in Erie.
We joined in serving meals and blessing the people this year!
In addition to a nice meal in a warm place, guests
could pick needed items from a table of winter clothing.
We donated the hats and scarves the kids and I had made.
There was also a store area where children could go shopping
for a toy etc. and a craft/game area for the kids.
This was an amazing experience of "giving
Christmas away"!
We also had the opportunity to "give Christmas away"
by making and delivering Christmas cards to
veterans at the Soldier and Sailor home in Erie.
We also joined in singing Christmas songs with them
for the afternoon!
Matt's mom was up from FL for two weeks.
She came and spent a long weekend with us.
Then we all went to Butler to Ben's home to spend
Christmas Eve together.
My mom makes the kids new pj's to wear on
Christmas Eve (and the rest of the winter).
This year, I got a pair of pj's too.
I made the kids new slippers for in their stockings.
Here we are Christmas morning in our new pj's
and slippers!
Nathan and Grace love gifts like any kids, but I am so
blessed to watch them anxiously awaiting the time
to GIVE the gifts they have for others!
Nathan wrote Grace another story in the Ann series
he has been writing for her.
Grace embroidered Nathan's initials on two
dress hankies.
The kids want to build a clubhouse with the reclaimed
wood from our pool deck. So their shared gift for
Christmas was a book for kids about building
clubhouses, a bag of nails and two hammers.
When I was praying this fall about what to give our kids
for Christmas, the idea of "prayer blankets"
was on my heart. So I let the kids each pick out
coordinating yarns. I spent a lot of time
crocheting them each a lap size blanket and
praying for them as I worked.
I've seen them both cuddled up in the mornings
with their prayer blankets as
they have their quiet time.
(using their third Christmas gift - new devotionals
and prayer journals)
Matt has had this Coleman chair since before we
were a couple and he LOVED it!
But this summer, the sling part tore ....with
little hope of it being fixed, we sent it home
with my mom for the garbage man ...
and then mom surprised Matt by redoing
the chair for him for Christmas.
He is so happy!
After a quiet Christmas morning just the four of us
at home, we went to my mom's in the afternoon
for Christmas dinner and time together.
(yes. Grace wore her new pj's to my mom's.)
After Christmas, we have spent lots of time
playing our new games as a family!
And we enjoyed our traditional New Year's Eve
as a family ...bowling, pizza and snacks, movies.
I love our family time serving, loving and playing!
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