Striving For Simplicity: Highlights from Our (Mostly) Peaceful Christmas

I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas as much as we did! Things are starting to get back to "normal" around our house. Well, at least I think they will after one more Christmas party tonight, then New Year's with family tomorrow night! Anyway, overall we did have a simpler, more peaceful Christmas which was my original goal.

Although I must confess it almost wasn't that way! How is it the devil knows exactly how and when to push your buttons? I'd spent an hour Christmas Eve making sure everything was already loaded in the car-food, presents, change of clothes, Bibles - everything we needed so that we were totally prepared and wouldn't be rushed Christmas morning. So here we were after a relaxed Christmas morning, in the car headed to church. I went to grab my Sunday School lesson I was supposed to teach to look back over it when I realized a crucial part of the craft was missing! I KNEW I'd put it in the bag! I became a LITTLE panicky, digging through our bags of gifts, food, change of clothes, and said

Why do we have all this STUFF in the car anyway! This is ridiculous and not what Christmas is about! SO glad I spent all that time last night organzing everything! What am I going to do with all those little kids in Sunday school? It's Christmas I have to have something fun for them to do!

After my searching, ranting and raving for a couple of minutes, my husband very calmly replied, "I have an idea. Read them Luke 2." I'd already planned on this too but it was then I realized that reading from the Bible was enough! So I closed my eyes said a quick prayer thanking God once again for reminding me of what was really important and that if He wanted me to do that craft then let me find it. If not then I'd read from the Bible and leave it in His hands! As we were getting out of the car, I turned back around to grab "Miss Priss'" bag and there was the rest of the craft wedged between the seat. I'm thankful that even when the devil pushes our buttons God has ways of reminding and keeping us focused on what's really important!

We went on in church and had a wonderful service and Sunday School lesson!! The rest of our day was filled with family, friends, presents and good food! Thought I'd share a few of my favorite moments/pics from our Christmas:

Making a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake with GiGi. Let's just say after feet in the cake and them licking fingers and eating as they go - not much was actually eaten of the cake!