Snapshots of Christmas

The holiday season has come and gone, but the kids and I are still regularly chatting about our favorite parts of Christmastime.  This trip home is one of the best trips we have ever taken as a family, which includes the 42+ hours we spent in the car together driving to two different midwestern states and back again. 

 I always feel a little nervous about buckling everyone in for the long, cross-country drive involved in going home but the more we do it, the easier it gets.  This time around I simplified things by only packing books and snacks for the drive.  No toys, no screens, just books, food and conversation.  It felt a little risky at first but the decision paid off in dividends.   I spent the vast majority of those 42 hours reading to the kids which ended up being a rewarding way to pass the time for all of us.  The kids alternated picking books which gave them countless opportunities to practice turn taking.  This new skill (especially for Jonah) has carried over into our daily life back home and has been a pleasant, peaceful and relational practice to have in place. 

As we mentioned last week, our first and last legs of our 3 weeks in the midwest was spent in Northern Indiana.  From there, we were only 6 hours away from where my side of the family was gathering for Christmas so we made plans to head that way. 

Our family gatherings are never a small or quiet affair.  This year all of my siblings and their families were able to come which meant we had two Grandparents, one loving Great-Aunty, one golden retriever, eight parents and seven grandkids all 4 and under.  It was full, noisy, fun and memorable.  Meals were shared, games were played, stories were read, conversation abounded and fun was had. 

One of the best parts about getting everyone together is sharing a common faith.  Like a forest of redwood trees, our roots are interlocked, bound and nourished by the truth of Gods Word.   My hope and prayer is that our roots continue to grow deeper as we each choose to serve and follow Jesus in our individual families.  And in turn, all of our children will choose to love God and allow their roots to grow down into the rich and fertile soil of truth and love.  We stand together, united and unmoving, not because of who we are, but because of Whose we are.   Sometimes our differences masquerade as more important than they really are, causing hurt feelings which threaten division, but our roots remain. We love one another deeply because God first loved us, and love covers a multitude of sins. 

We rejoice in the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for our family. 
I hope your New Year is off to a great start!
Love,
Erica