Merry Christmas to all...

Christmas.  One of our favorite times of year.  Since we made the decision to cut back on our gift giving (and even change the types of gifts we give), our Christmases have become much more about family and celebration of Christ's birth than they used to be.  There is a different feel in the house around the holidays.  We have not gotten away from "mainstream" gifts entirely, but it's definitely an improvement in my mind.

One of the great things about being in a house, rather than an apartment, is the ability to have room to put up our "big tree".  We can use all our ornaments (with all the memories that come rushing back as we put them up) and putting them on becomes a family affair where we can remember events and times in the past.

As is typical, the opening of presents entirely too early in the morning is every kid's favorite time at Christmas.

This might just be my favorite picture from this Christmas.  Jacob worked his way through an introductory (middle school aged) Chemistry workbook this past semester and really enjoyed learning about the elements and basic chemical principles and concepts.  Sarah and I decided to move him into basic chemistry and figured the best way to do it would be to get him an introductory chemistry set.  He was just a little excited...

So next semester, I will be working with him on going through the experiments.  At the same time, I will be teaching him how to keep a proper lab notebook since Jacob wants to be a professional scientist when he grows up (cosmologist, but they need to keep good notes too...) 

Here are his other presents.  Since he has been into The Legend of Zelda so much lately, we found a fleece throw with the Hyrulian crest on it as well as Skyward Sword for the Wii U.  We also got him a new book.  He got really excited about Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series, so we bought him the first book in the same author's Five Kingdoms series.

Meagan has fairly recently discovered Anime (which would make my friends Dana and Seth proud), and her favorites are Sword Art Online and Fairy Tail, of which she obsesses more over Fairy Tail.  So we got her a couple of seasons of the show on DVD, a pullover with the show's logo on it, and a key chain with one of the main characters.  For her book, we got her the next book in one of her favorite series, the Warriors series by Erin Hunter.

The kids each got new winter coats as well.  Yes, we live in Texas, but both of their coats have lasted for MANY years and it was time to replace them.  You never know when Lubbock might be under a Blizzard Warning...  like now.

Our family was also blessed to receive a DVD put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints filled with short videos depicting the life and doings of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament.  This will be great to watch with our kids, and I expect that we will have many Family Home Evening discussions about them starting in the near future.

I am blessed beyond measure with a wife who knows me.  This Christmas, she purchased One Eternal Round by Hugh Nibley, a book on different aspects of one of the Facsimiles from the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price that has been the subject of much discussion since it was interpreted by Joseph Smith Jr.  She also purchased a hand-made, leather-bound journal with dragon inscription (because dragons are freaking awesome), and a coiled dragon-shaped pen to go with it.

And Sarah?  Sarah got a new (for us) van with all kinds of really awesome features that she wanted so that we didn't have to worry quite so bad about the "health" of our old van while she shuttles kids to piano, clogging, tennis (practice and tournaments that are an hour or more away), and the occasional field trip.

We have been so blessed this year, and while we have had our setbacks, we have had our share of triumphs to go with them.  We are so fortunate to have a place to live, food on our table, and comforts in our lives.  These things are not, ultimately, important in the long run, nor are they the reason we celebrate this Christmas season.

The reason we celebrate is because our elder brother, Jesus Christ, came to earth to offer us the chance to return home to our Heavenly Parents once again. He satisfied the demands of Justice and the Law and offered Mercy to all who would believe on Him, make sacred covenants, and follow His example, repenting and changing our hearts when we made mistakes. His matchless love enables us to become who we were always meant to be, and offers strength and hope in an increasingly sinful and dark world. We are ever grateful for His sacrifice, and as we celebrate His birth, we are grateful that He who was without sin chose to come and offer redemption to all of us who are not, for He was not forced to do so, but did it out of love for us, his brothers and sisters.

May each of us hold brightly in our hearts the love and hope of He who gives us cause to lift up our heads in gratitude and joy. Merry Christmas to each of you, our friends. Whether far or near, kindred by blood or kindred by deed, of our faith or not, we are grateful for every one of you. You are our eternal family, and for that, we are truly blessed.

- Josh