Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

as i awoke this morning and our family began opening presents together in front of our sparkly and colorful tree, the realization hit me.

this is my last christmas with my family.

but it's something to be excited about!

because next year, i'll wake up next to my husband and spend christmas with him!

what a wonderful life i live.

i have a family that loves me.

a grandma and cousins, aunts, uncles galore!

too many memories to count... so many good memories.

as i though back tonight over the 19 years God's blessed me with, i felt overwhelmed with joy. pure joy

He's given me

life

family

dear friends

peace

precious memories

people to hug

people to love

new beginnings

forgiveness

eyesight

laughter

eternal life with Him

i could go on and on.

suddenly, i felt completely overwhelmed with beautiful memories over the years...

exploring through the woods with our cousins and getting dirt under our nails and pine needles in our clothes

Christmas mornings spent with Grandma

laughing with each other until we collapsed on the floor

drowsily watching Christmas movies while a fire blazed in the fireplace
hunting Easter eggs and getting so excited to find each brightly colored one

splashing in the cool creek all day until Grandma called us in for dinner and coming in with sunburned skin... then gobbling up a summer dinner of grilled chicken, fresh tomatoes from the garden, buttery corn on the cob, and homemade cornbread

venturing through Disney World with our cousins and feeling like it was all a magical dream

dressing up like girls from colonial days and walking through Williamsburg, surrounded by the smell of shrewsberry cakes and ginger beer
going to the park on warm summer evenings and swinging on the swingset till dark.

i am thankful.

God is good!

i hope you had a merry christmas

always remember the first christmas thousands of years ago, when our Saviour came to earth in human flesh for the purpose of redeeming us from our sins.

this is the greatest undeserved blessing of all!