JOY!

I have not been able to get things together this year.  I feel like I'm constantly playing catch up.  Needless to say, we did not manage to get Christmas cards done.  We've been battling sickness and it seemed impossible to find a time to get a picture taken.  Then a friend of mine told me that she chose to not do one this year.  She said that they have lots of family pictures on Facebook.  I realized she was on to something.  You've all been inundated with pictures of us on this blog and Facebook.  I should not spend this season stressed, so I've decided to simplify my life. (Let me just say that I do love and treasure all of the cards that we have received.  You all have beautiful families and amazing photography skills. Next year I'll try to do a card, really I will.)

Honestly, I've tried to pare down a lot of our Christmas stuff.  I'm trying to find that balance between doing things from obligation and things that bring us joy.  We've done some of our favorite traditions.  We've filled shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We've volunteered at a local Christmas Store for needy families.  We've watched Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, and The Grinch.  We've gone to look at Christmas lights.  We've had Christmas music dance parties.  We've played games as a family.  Cody sang a solo in our church's "Sounds and Tastes of Christmas"... so sweet and hilarious.  We went to see Santa (yes, we do Santa.  Don't judge.  Check out my friend Lara's post on this... she echoes my thoughts beautifully).  And some time before Sunday we'll attempt some baking.  We'll attend Christmas Eve Lord's Supper service and Christmas morning worship. Granted since my hubby is the pastor, those are also sort of an obligation, but we'd do it anyway... one of my favorite parts of Christmas.

I'm trying to not go OCD over the placement of our ornaments.

She refused to smile, but wasn't crying, so we'll call that success.



Mercy was not impressed with Christmas lights.

Emma as "Jane Blonde" in the Christmas musical



I prefer the non-wig version, but when did she get so grown up???



Pretty girl showing off her new haircut.



So much sass!!

Everyone told me that Africa will mess with you, especially when it comes to Christmas. They were right. I experienced some of it last year, but not like this time. I don't know how to explain the inner struggle I have with all of it. There is part of me that would like to say we don't do any gifts, give all of our money away, and my children only think of Jesus when it comes to Christmas. On the other hand, I love to give my children gifts and see the glimmer of delight in their eyes. I love my husband surprising me with some gift I would never buy myself. I like to overeat on Christmas sweets and sing "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". I may have had at least one meltdown over all of this... okay, maybe a couple.. [Ok, as an aside, I'll tell you one funny meltdown story.  Cody decided to give me an early gift.  It was a box of Raspberry filled Krispy Kreme Donuts.  I've never been a huge donut person, but since I've been home, I've been craving them.  I've eyed them in the store several times.  But for some reason (calories or $5 per box for a pure indulgence when I know the kids would prefer sprinkles or chocolate) I could not allow myself to buy them.  So when my sweet hubby gave them to his hormonal, sleep-deprived wife, I may have cried... a lot.  I know it's weird, but somehow it hit me as the sweetest thing that he knew just what I wanted, but wouldn't buy myself.  And they were SO good.] 

Ok, back to the big questions I've been wrestling with... How much is too much? What else could be done with this money?  Am I teaching my children to be generous?  Do they really appreciate this stuff?  Is it okay to take part in some purely American folklore traditions? At what point does it all get ridiculous?  I think part of me wants to spoil the girls' like crazy because it's Mercy's first Christmas and I feel like Emma and Avery have earned it, and the other part of me realizes how much they have and need nothing. I'm still working through all of this, but I think we've figured out most of the answers for our family. I know I'm not alone in this.  I've had numerous conversations with people working through these same things.  Avery summed up a lot of it for me with this Santa letter she brought home from school... "Dear Santa, I want a smart board, but if you don't get me one, that's ok. I would like to spend more time with my family."  (Thanks goodness, since a smart board is not quite in the budget!)

Since Thanksgiving we've all talked about how different this year is from last.   How there was a sadness to the holidays last year since we weren't all together.  We were writing posts like this one, or this one.  We went to visit Cody's family for Thanksgiving.  After our 3 day trip, we pulled into our neighborhood and Mercy started cheering, "We're home, we're home!".  It meant the world to me that she knows she is home.


Our daredevil helping Daddy with the lights on our home. 

Today we got a very special gift. Kendra, a friend from our area and a fellow Uganda mama, made this video for us. She and her family came to the airport for our homecoming back in July with just 2 hours notice. I've had several people give us pictures from that day, but no video. I've often thought how much I wish we had some. She answered that prayer for me in a big way with this very special video.

I watched it at 5:30 this morning and bawled.  (Those of you who know me well are thinking, really Melissa, you were up at 5:30? I know it's hard to believe, but Cody had to take someone to the airport, which woke up me and the dog.)  Then I watched it again later this morning with Avery and Mercy and cried some more.  Avery said she wanted to keep playing it to see if I would cry every time.  Punk kid.  So grab some tissues, and enjoy.  My favorite part is how it captures the joy and excitement of the moment in all of our faces.  I cannot explain to you in words how that moment felt, but the video does a pretty good job.  Take this as our Christmas card.  This is a season of JOY, so I hope you can feel some of ours and praise the Lord , as we continue to do, for the work he has done and is continuing to do in our family.  May we praise Him every day, in our JOY and our sorrows.  May the awe and wonder of the season translate to awe and wonder that Christ came to earth to be our Savior.  Merry Christmas!