Christmas-time & our trip north.

Well, Christmas has come and gone. It seems like the older I get the more quickly the season blurs by. I think I need to start putting my tree up at the beginning of November! :) I really enjoyed the season in spite of losing my Grandma right after Thanksgiving. Focusing on Jesus' birth and what it means helped me to keep my focus. I reminded myself constantly that this year my Grandma celebrated Christmas with her Lord and King...how could I wish her back? Oh I still miss her though...found the birthday card she sent me this year and completely lost it the other day. She had signed it 'love you forever, Grandma Johnson'. I will love her forever too. She was one of the best people I've ever had the privilege of knowing.
We spent Christmas Eve with my mom and siblings and had a great day with presents and our traditional Christmas Eve candlelight dinner. For the first time since we've been married, Mikey and I decided to see one family on Christmas Eve and the other Christmas Day. Our goal was to be able to have unrushed Christmas mornings at home, and not spend the afternoon runnning from one place to another. I really liked how it worked out, though it was a little weird to not see my siblings Christmas Day (my mom came and spent the night later that night).
The main gift that Emma had been asking for since summer was 'the big Shortcake house' as she calls it. Well, Grandma came through, and she was thrilled. we had a wonderful Christmas Eve!





Christmas morning we spent together at home, then went to church at 11. After church we went to Mikey's parents house where we had Christmas dinner and opened more presents!



It was really a wonderful Christmas! Having young kids brings back the magic and excitement I felt as a child.
We left the 27th to spend New Year's relaxing a few hours north of here. Not sure how much relaxing was done, since we were running around outside with the kids all week, but it was sure fun! :)