Christmas 2010: Ryan and Me Edition

Ryan, Baby Lee and I had our Christmas on Monday evening December 20. We went out to dinner at one of our favorite places-Olive Garden. To cut back on the total bill we always share a meal, which we are starting to realize seems strange to many people. But we believe this is a great way to be a good steward of the resources God has given us. To us, it just makes sense.

Then we came home to read the Christmas Story from God's Word and open gifts. I love that in our little family tradition we read the true meaning of Christmas before ever getting to gifts. As we continue making family traditions unique to us, we will not forget our Savior Jesus whose birth is the most important part of Christmas! Being pregnant this year put a new light on Christmas that I hadn't ever thought about before. I found myself relating with Mary, the mother of our Savior, thinking specifically what it would have been like to get up on a donkey at the end of pregnancy, travel a long distance, then actually give birth in a barn. It is truly incredible that she obeyed God and trusted Him, not just by accepting His will to be a virgin mother at the beginning of her pregnancy but to go all through it and endure even the last hours and minutes til our Savior was born. I admire her more than I ever have before. I want my faith to look like hers!

Some of my favorite gifts from Ryan include: Just Like You-a book we found in Family Christian Stores when we first found out we were pregnant, I was so touched that Ryan remembered how much I had loved this book. Homemade Clock-Ryan printed one of our maternity pictures that Angela Kleinsasser took (check out my Facebook page if you haven't seen them), pasted it to a foam board, bought the hands of a clock and put it all together. I absolutely love it! Choosing to See-an amazing, must read book by Mary Beth Chapman. I am not a fast reader but I read it in a week. I simply could NOT put it down! I highly recommend it to everyone-you will be changed!