Noel

Merry Christmas from me & mine to you & yours.

We’re grateful to have been able to celebrate the birth of our Savior, God’s redemption in the form of a baby, with joyful traditions and feasting.

Our Christmas jammies tradition is one of my very favorite. My step-mom was doing this before it was cool.

Festivities aren’t near as crazy as they used to be, years ago, when our holiday calendar boasted upwards of 30 engagements; but it can still be a touch zany– far fuller than when we lived in the quiet countryside of Montana. 

Our kids now have demanding social lives, so the season commenced with their respective holiday recitals & concerts, including Firstborn’s play.

Nana continued her new tradition of taking each grandchild shopping for their respective families. Her own mother, my grandmother, did the same with my much older sister and me when we were little.

Our little city has big traditions, like the fire department cruising down every single street in town, Santa riding along passing out candy canes; as well as an ambitious neighborhood lights display.

Cruising through the Keizer Lights like it’s the 1980’s (or Montana!), twelve to a suburban. Too rainy to ride in the bed of Husband’s truck this year.

When your mom makes you dress matchy-matchy to church so you can snap a photo afterward for your Christmas card…

Mostly we celebrated God’s provision, protection, and providence by breaking bread with loved ones, feasting and fellowshipping together. Ours hasn’t always been a kumbaya family, so we are grateful to spend our holiday together, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” Joel 2:25

We melded our traditional Gingerbread party with Christmas Eve, this year, for simplicity’s sake.

“This is love: Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”– 1 John 4:10