December Memories

December has been a very full month for us. It went flying by as well. I have a rare moment of down time today. We are on Christmas break and enjoying Leon's family, especially the ones from the South, and while the older grandkids went bowling, I stayed back to be w/ the ones who are a bit sick-ish. Then we all plan to end up at Pizza Hut later. Pizza Hut has a long standing place in this family, mind you. Don't mess w/ the Pizza Hut tradition. :) As long as I don't have to cook, I'm not complaining.

So here are a few of my favorite memories from the past month...

• cutting and tying 6 fleece blankets with the help of my children and my Mom  for the youth Christmas gift exchange
• baking cut-out cookies and decorating them with Brooke
• getting frustrated over chocolate that wouldn't cooperate for turtles and mocha truffles (that's not exactly a favorite memory..)
• watching Logan's basketball games which they both lost, then missing the one where they won!:(
• coffee shop date with my special friend, Lori
• church Christmas banquet
• youth Christmas banquet and gift exchange
• sewing a dress for my little 9 mon. old niece
• Christmas shopping
• letting the children plan how we want to 'do' our family Christmas this year (more on that later)
• decorating the house
• enjoying the Christmas lights in our house at night and the cozy feelings it provides
• helping my Mom with Christmas meals
• watching the Live Animal Christmas Play, a yearly tradition
• singing 'He is the Lord' at church
• Christmas caroling with the church and the youth
• giving gifts
• receiving Christmas letters and pictures in the mail
• being reminded of the great sacrifice God made to come to earth as a baby in order to fulfill His Father's plan
• singing carols with my sometimes naughty Sunday School class last Sunday up front at church and hoping and praying that the love they feel from me makes them want to know True Love
• watching my 4 year old play with our manger scene and re-enact the Story over and over
• getting snow
• sending Jamison to SC for several days with his uncle to surprise his cousins

One of the things that has been impressed on me so much this year is that less is more, especially if the heart is right. Simple acts and gifts are priceless when we feel genuine love from the giver. Large gifts feel 'small' when given out of obligation or to impress. Oh, that I could get that in my children's heads, for it truly is 'more blessed to give than to receive'. I think I have to live it,  if I want to give it. The responsibility lies not in my knowing, but in my showing and doing and acting. oh, that my heart could be filled with genuine agape love and that it could flow through all that I do.