Christmas Lights

 We went to a local Garden where they had put up over 700,000 Christmas lights!  It was beautiful!

 I went with Valerie & her daughters!

 Teh blue lights behind us were bundled to resemble grapes.  They were very cool!

 Here is Bridget..posing!

 Here is Gracen!

 Here I am with Addison!

 

 Addie was curious as to what was in the paper bags!  We caught her just as she peeked into it!  So cute!

 This photo doesn't do the garden lights justice!  They were very pretty!

These two ladies were in front of us the enitre time we were at the garden...and they walked SO SO slow!  Bridget expresses our feelings perfectly

Christmas at Mom's

 Christmas afternoon we went to my mom's house to celebrate Christmas.  Here is my brother and many of the grandchildren sitting on the couch.

 Addison reclining with Dad.

 Here is my Cecelia

 Addison posing

 Mom & Dad working in the kitchen!

 Cecelia & her mom Larissa

 My mom opening gifts from us

 Drew got his finger stuck while trying to open a gift!!!

Grandkids crawling all over mom

Corinne & Addison cuddled up in a chair!  So cute!  

Christmas

 A photo of our family before going to Christmas Eve Service

 Little Miss before church

 All the kiddos

 The boys opening gifts

 Look!!!  Lips gloss!!!

 Here she is cooking us some breakfast!!

 Addison got a new kitchen & shopping cart!  She loved them!

 Jack opening gifts

 Nick was relaxing in his new sweats

 Drew got his long-awaited golden headphones!!

 Ahh!!!  gold headphones. 

 Drew & Nick got new shoes

 Jack chillin with his new necklace & sweatshirt

 Addison playing with her kitchen

Dad helping Addison open gifts

Highly Favored

Luke 1:28: "And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!'"

Most of us have heard this passage taught or read. It the very familiar passage where the angel tells Mary she will carry the Jesus who will be conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is remarkable to think that this young girl had an angel appear to her and tell her she was "highly favored" by God. How would that make you feel? How you react if you were told you were highly favored by God? Wouldn't that be an incredible thing? Wouldn't that change your perspective on life, yourself, your future? How would you react? What would you say in return? Would you sign for joy, fall down in worship, or just allow the precious words to resonate in your mind? Well, God has said that to you - to anyone who is His child – anyone whose life is hidden in Christ through faith in His completed work on the cross. He said it in Ephesians 1:6: "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." You might be thinking, why that doesn't say the same thing, but it does! You see the Greek verb that means "highly favored "is "charitoo." This verb is only used on other place and that is in Ephesians 1:6. Here the verb "charitoo" is translated "has made us accepted." Although our English translations don't same the same phrasing, it is the exact same verb in the Greek. It is the exact same tense, same usage, and same meaning in both Luke 1:28 & Ephesians 1:6. Think about that. You, if you are a child of God, are highly favored, just like Mary - highly favored in the eyes of God. What an awesome thought. Merry Christmas.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15)

(Thoughts borrowed from Dr. Erwin Lutzer Moody church – Chicago)

Christmas at mom's

Here's Airyn. He got a new hat!

Addie, taking it all in.

Jacker; Santa's helper

Michael: hummm..not sure what to say about this one! :)

Daddy and his little girl.

Corinne.

Cecelia.

Drew: Also Santa's helper.

Christmas

All dressed up for Christmas Eve service.

Jack - Christmas Morning

Drew -opening his stocking

Addie didn't quite understand the concept of gifts. (...and she wasn't really awake yet)

She caught on, and woke up, rather fast!

She loved her microphone..and refused to put on clothes.

Here she is with her cute Christmas outfit and pigtails!

She loves her Daddy!