Merry Christmas!

Can you believe it? We're all looking at the camera! Actually there were multiple pictures where all of us were looking and I had to select this one based on facial expressions. 

We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent a few days in Iowa over the weekend and enjoyed time with Grandpa Don and Grandma Sue and our Iowa cousins, aunts and uncles and great-grandparents. With the new snow Iowa got last week, we were able to get in some pretty good sledding and had a great time. Sam preferred to slide down the hill on his tummy, head-first, and did not try a sled. Matthew got all dressed up, then played in the snow for a few minutes before going inside. Abby, of course, stayed inside as she refuses to wear a hat without extreme fussing. But Jason and I had a great time and with cousin Blakely, we were the last ones outside sledding. Matthew and Sam have both asked at least five times when we are going back to Iowa again. 

Our Christmas festivities then continued yesterday with Christmas Eve at Grammy and Papa's church (Abby didn't cry all through Silent Night this year...Jason had already taken her out!) and some yummy goodies at Grammy and Papa's with Uncle Brian and Aunt Stephanie and our cousins. Christmas morning brought stockings full of socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, stickers and some candy, more gifts, cinnamon rolls and lots of playing. After Abby's nap, we went back to Grammy and Papa's to open more gifts and enjoy a spaghetti Christmas meal. The kids got lots of great gifts and they bounce from one toy to another and none seem to have arisen as a particular favorite, although some toys get taken to bed. 

We are exceedingly blessed to have such wonderful family and that we get to spend so much time with them, especially around the holiday. We have been given so much, here on earth and eternally, more than we ever deserve. Merry Christmas!

Matthew 1:21And she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.