Christmas Snapshots and Wishes

I have been a little bit absent from the blogging world these past few days.  And, I've noticed that I'm not the only one, as many of my fellow bloggers have put their writing on pause, as this time of year calls for the full attention of our hearts, minds and energy......honestly, it's energy focused on...

Wiping runny noses,

Answering the most important question of the moment, "When is Santa coming??"

Impossibly pushing mittens on sweaty hands and pulling boots off of frozen feet,

Baking things with way, way, way too much butter,

Reapplying ripped-off ornaments to the lopsided, needle-naked tree,

and watching the clock tick oh-so-slowly to wine o'clock.

Last week our family packed our bags and headed north to my parent's home (in an RV!....which is quite a story - one I will tell another time) to spend Christmas with my entire family. We all realize just how precious this time together is, as my sister Sara and her family have traveled all the way from Switzerland to spend the holiday with us.

In order to capture all of the craziness in living color, we asked our beautiful and brave friend, Ami, to come out and take some spontaneous family photos of our entire gang.  Her snapshots of us are nothing short of a Christmas miracle! How she managed to find perfect moments in between wild poses, nose picking, babies squirming, brothers wrestling and parents scolding, I will never know!

There are so many stories to tell, snapshots of love and laughter to share, and I can't wait to fill future posts with all of the best goodies and highlights of our time together.

But, just for today, this Christmas Eve, I want to wish all of you a 

JOYFUL & BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON!!

May it be memorable,

May it be safe,

May it bring you closer to those you love,

May it bring hope and healing to your soul,

May it remind you that you are loved, and that you are the reason for HIS coming,

May it lead you to a peace that only the Lord can give.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FRIENDS!!