Moments from the Christmas Season

We took the boys on the Christmas cruise around Lake Coeur d'Alene to see Santa. It was freezing!! But they loved it. We stayed inside sitting by the window for most of the cruise, drinking hot chocolate and gazing at the biggest light display in the Northwest. The boat travels across the lake to the boathouse that belongs to the owner of the Coeur d'Alene resort. It's decorated with lights and looks like a sitting room in Santa's house. Santa gets the list of all the "nice" children from his elf and then reads all the names of every child on the cruise! The boys lit up when they heard their names; it was adorable.

Trenton was in his (and our) first school Christmas program. I laughed so hard, I cried. And then I cried plenty of real tears too. He was so proud of his first performance and loved telling us that he had learned TEN songs! I thought maybe he was exaggerating, but he truly did memorize ten songs with hand motions. Mom mom and Grandpa were especially sad to miss it, so I had to upload a couple videos for them. My camera's video quality is not great, but even so, watching them melts my heart. His face is so tender as he sings about our Savior's birth.

Commemorating our first program!

After every song, he caught our eye in the audience and did this:

We've had a wonderful month with the boys, especially as they get older and understand even more what's going on with Christmas. On the same note, last weekend at church, I heard a story that made me break down and cry right in the middle of the service. I wanted to share it with all of you.
   A little boy with cancer was driving in the car with his dad on the way home from his latest chemo treatment. He was bald and skinny; his t-shirt hung on his frame.
   From the backseat, he asked his dad, "Do you think they celebrate Christmas in Heaven?"
   His dad paused, muttering Lord give me the answer, before replying, "Well son, God put a huge star in the sky and sent a host of angels to announce the birth of Jesus. I have to imagine, if he made such a big deal of the first Christmas that he likes to celebrate it every year."
   "Good," he answered, satisfied, "that means we can celebrate Christmas together even when we're far apart."

I'm crying just writing this story again. I am so blessed to have my family surrounding me at this time of year and so grateful for a Father who sent his only Son.