Remembering December

It was a good month. It was a full month. It was a month of lowering my standards. It was a month to focus on people, not decor or presents.

We baked our traditional cut out cookies one evening. The plans were to bake them in the afternoon but due to my afternoon going to someone who needed to talk, Leon ended up helping the girls and I one evening. It was okay. In fact, it was a very special memory made because we let the 'real' one go.

I got to spend a very special afternoon with a young girl from the city. We tied a fleece blanket for her Mom for Christmas, baked kiss cookies, and played Dutch Blitz.

I made caramels and turtles one day when I had a little extra time. Annika helped me wrap the caramels.

I decorated very simply.

We hosted my sister's family for a Christmas Eve soup supper, which turned into a late night with special nieces and nephews.

We spent a wonderful day at my Mom's on Christmas with my family.

We enjoyed 2 whole weeks of delightful Christmas vacation from school. We played games, read, slept late, played with cousins, and enjoyed the schedule-less life.

Leon and Logan went deer hunting and Leon got a button buck.

The children had their piano recital.

Church was canceled one Sunday and we had a delightful day at home.

The children played in the snow.

We had our traditional family Christmas supper. We ate grilled steak and onion rings and other good food on china and by candlelight. We gave the children gifts.

I found the nativity set one day with all the people turned in. I thought about the significance. I wondered what 2014 would be like if I turned toward Jesus. I wondered what it would be like if I only cared about what He thought.