Some Thoughts on Christmas

I feel frantic, and I feel rushed.

That about sums up this Christmas season for me. You would think it wouldn't be that way since retailers start marketing for Christmas soon after the 4th of July (or so it seems). 

And I haven't been able to pinpoint why I feel that way this year, but I've heard it from so many others as well. We all feel like this season is rushing by. 

The funny thing is, I've actually done less this year than in years past. We skipped going to the Nutcracker Ballet. I didn't do as much baking as I had planned. I have only wrapped one gift so far. And here we are on Christmas eve, with the season almost past. 

So today let's all take a deep breath, enjoy family, and express our thankfulness to God for why we do any of these Christmas activities in the first place. It's because of His great love for us that Jesus came to live, to die, and offer us forgiveness that we could not obtain on our own. He truly is the greatest Gift, so enjoy Him this Christmas!

Six

I'm still not sure how my little girl is already six. It seems like just yesterday she was this size:

Hannah is growing in to such a young lady. She is fun, full of energy, and willing to try new things. Unless that new thing is a food, and then she's pretty resistant.  She is compassionate, and if she see's me crying will go get me a tissue for my tears. She loves her friends, and will make friends with every kid at the park. By the time we leave, she's saying, "Bye Friend!" and doesn't even know their name.

Hannah loves her brother, and loves to tickle him. Yes, she gets frustrated when he gets into her stuff but the handles it so well. I love how much laughter and fun she has brought into our home.

It's been amazing to watch her grow academically in school. She now writes all her upper and lower case letters, can read some sight words, and is also sounding out and writing words phonetically. Hannah loves school, I think mostly because of all the friends she has.

So on her birthday they year Chris and I got to surprise her with a special outing. I picked her up from school and then we picked up Chris at work to take her out to lunch. She got to pick, and we ate at In-N-Out. Then we hopped in the car and told her where our next stop would be: The Build-A-Bear Workshop. Her eyes got as big as saucers and her mouth gaped open, and her next words were, "Drive faster Mommy!"
Hannah has asked us for several years to go to Build-A-Bear so she was ecstatic. We came home with a sparkly, rainbow colored bear and she could not be happier.

We got to have a family party on her birthday, and then a friend party the next day with a small group of kids.

 

 We love you Hannah Grace, and are so proud of the young lady you are becoming!