This year we did something new and rented a cabin in Blue Ridge for the week of Christmas, and we had such a great time.  My parents came the first few nights.  Irv stayed with  us the whole week.  We enjoyed relaxing and eating good food.  We put a puzzle together, went on walks in the woods, enjoyed the jacuzzi and drank lots of coffee while sitting by the fire.

I learned some things about myself while we were away as it relates to Christmas and traditions.  This year I didn’t buy them Christmas pajamas because it just seemed wasteful since they have enough pajamas; however, once I uploaded the Christmas morning pictures, I see that the kids look a little cuter on Christmas morning with new pajamas as opposed to ones they have been wearing for the last two years.  And I also missed our “Happy Birthday Jesus” cupcakes.  Those are really very small things, I know.  Overall, I would say that this Christmas we were, as a family, more focused on Christ throughout the whole season than ever before and less distracted with gifts and other things that tempt to consume us.  We actually did some things and gave in ways that were hands on and more biblical than years before.  We are learning and growing, and for that I am thankful.

There isn’t a clear order to the pictures, but here are some of the ones I took: