Christmas Joy

How I love Christmas! The music, the chocolate, the dear friends who so generously have their homes open to the many that attend their "Open Houses" (someday I will do that) and the excitement of my darling children. This year almost all of the gifts I am giving are handmade. Nothing too extravagant, but I am having fun sewing and crafting-one of my true passions that I never seem to have enough time for. (Not my season for doing that yet...) We are looking for a great deal on a cruise for the family as our main gift. We have done a family trip the past four years and LOVE it! I love that the shopping and wrapping are kept to a very minimum. The kids have all said they don't mind getting all the toys and junk, the trips are much more fun and we will remember them far longer than what we got under the tree. I still put a few things in their stockings, and a few gifts are under the tree, mostly that I have made. We seem to focus more now on the true meaning of why we celebrate- the birth of our Savior! We spend more time together as a family, and I really think my stress level is much lower. I need to download the cute photos with Santa- whose beard Truman ripped off at the Ward Christmas party. :S No, I didn't get a photo of it. I was standing two feet away but was too stunned/embarrassed to think! So, photos later. Maybe I can get Lincoln to do it tonight. He LOVES to be on the computer doing anything! And he is very good at it, and has been since he was about 3 years old!