Christmas Season Reflections

Friday, December 22, 2017

This special season of celebration started the weekend before Thanksgiving with the wedding of my brother Isaac.  We were overjoyed to be back stateside for this event and able to participate and join the festivities surrounding this couple that we love dearly!  Isaac has been a very special part of our lives and particularly an uncle who has invested significantly in Tristan and who has a soft spot in his heart for Gigi particularly….(we are holding him singularly responsible for spoiling her and her affinity to bubble gum!).

my guys clean up nice!

got a dance with my daddy!

Gigi was so honored to be asked to be a flower girl.   We’re so encouraged to see this new couple starting their life together.  Jamie is incredible with a huge heart for others and we look forward to getting to know her better now that we are closer!

Our tree went up before Thanksgiving because, well, I couldn’t wait.  This may have meant triple buckling kids in the back of the 7 seater Kia Sedona because mom thought it would be “fun” to take a whole Sunday and drive out into the middle of nowhere and get a tree all together!!  Safe to say, the memories (or at least the pictures) are more fun than the actual experience was!  Photo credits to Abi for documenting our little “flannel family”.


Absolutely loving having a real, pine-scented, needle-dropping, water-drinking tree in our home after 5 years of artificial in Thailand! This was Eden’s year to put the star on top!!


We’ve baked billions of buckeyes and frosted dozens of cookies.  Visits from my mom and sister over the holiday break have been fun impetus to mass produce baked goods and drink inordinate amounts of cider and hot chocolate.  Oh…and that fireplace!! Its been put to good use, whether its cold enough or not!!  Guests have graced our home in abundance and conversations have been deep and meaningful.  Abi and Britain have contributed Christmas music they’ve learned on the piano and the comfort of “home” has been felt keenly this year!

We are heading “over the river and through the woods” to Atlanta in the morning.  Christmas at my parents home and lots of traditions to be had!  Wishing each of you, near and far, a fresh realization of the wonders of his love!  A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices – all because of HIM!!
Merry Christmas dear friends from our Smith, party of 9!!

 

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