The Month of December and Christmas

December is always so busy.  From sports to Christmas programs to Hunt's birthday to traveling to Christmas itself; it sure is easy to get totally distracted from Jesus.  Driving back from our Christmas travels, loaded down with lots of stuff, I felt like maybe, we got a bit away from Jesus.  With all our get togethers, the name of Jesus was scarcely uttered besides a quick prayer over food and a precious Happy Birthday song to Jesus.  Honestly, I felt burdened about it and I am already thinking how to remedy the problem for next year.

Convictions are quite personal things- where the responsibility lies solely with the one being convicted. (AKA- me) With that being said, any family reading this, please dont feel like I am slamming our time spent together over break (as we were all quite spoiled and loved on.)  Simply, I need to do a better job of focusing my family around Jesus... not just over Christmas but every day.

In November, I started doing a study on the Armor of God and I purchased a kid devotional study on the Armor of God that I am doing with the boys.  We put it aside for the month of December as we focussed on Advent with the annual reading of Ann Voskamp's book, "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift."  We will pick up our Armor of God book once we finish the advent book (we are a bit behind.) :)

As I mentioned December is busy!  Here are some pics of our happenings of the month.

Church Christmas play-  The play was called A Rockin' Royal Chrismtas and it was so good.... probably my favorite so far.

Hunter was King Herod and had a long solo that he nailed!

Hunter singing with soldier Bennett guarding him (never thought Bennett and Graham looked alike until this picture.)

Ashton had a sweet solo as well... He was the inn keeper.

Shepherd didnt have a roll since he was in 1st grade but he knew all the songs and sang loud.  

Bennett, again, as soldier.

Ashton is doing 3rd grade chorus this year and they had their Christmas program at school.  It was cute and short.... my favorite.

Chad's family over Christmas

6 of the 7 (dont know where Joey is)

The adults getting ready to eat.  This is one of my favorite traditions.  It is Christmas Eve Eve (23rd) and it is a soup supper.  Seriously, the perfect dinner leading into the heavy foods that happen the next two days.   Thanks for hosting us Sandee.

This... right here... is why I love my father in law.  Totally rockin' the onesie as he cooks us breakfast.

Like father, like son.  Food coma.

I got a new dog niece... meet Dolly.  Sandee and I went to pick her up on Christmas Eve for the girls.  

Opening family gifts

Uncle Tommy and Aunt Sandee got the boys fishing rods and instead of wrapping them, they wrapped a box inside a wrapped box, etc until they got this piece of paper.

Uncle Tommy wrote the note.

Moses enjoying the unwrapping.

My parents house

Round 1- Boys opening presents from Chad and me

Bennett is ecstatic that he finally has the Air Patroller

Each boy got a Kindle Fire... which Shepherd said is his favorite gift ever.

 Round 2- With Zach's family

Miss Eva sporting her scarf I knitted (thanks to Grandmdean for the knitting lessons).  I gifted four of my knitted scarfs this year.  :)

Cool gift from Owen and Caelum to Ashton (Wide receiver gloves)

Nolan and a keg ornament

My pretty mom in her favorite role as Christmas Cathy! :)  

Kid 1 and 3 sporting new hats.

Dog love.

A little football action.

Caelum gets run down by Uncle.

While the big kids played football, the littles ate and ate ate.

Just some funny pics... Hunter got virtual reality glasses from Chad's parents.  The top 3 are my boys trying them out... the bottom three are my brothers and mom trying them out.  People are hysterically funny when trying this for the first time.

Hunter

Ashton

Shep

Uncle Zach

Uncle Nolan

Queenie

We have had an amazing December.  Heck, we had quite a blessed 2016.  Many many many changes are coming up for our family this next year.  From a move back home to me going back to work to school changes for all the boys to moving in with my parents for a bit, it is shaping up to be an interesting year.  

Back home

Checked off Shepherd's bucket list... a trip to the Lego Store.  

Moses was tired from our travels.

Thank you family for a great Christmas break full of laughs, food, and sweet memories.  

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.... 

Oh, and what about those Tigers?!?!  Go Clemson!