Christmas Birthday?

Could it really be a Wii?
Finally, her own phone! (Sigh.)
Future Tiger? Who can tell.

The calm before the storm."I've been wanting an ipod my whole life!"
Dora, from Kyle. (The best present ever!)
Grandma and Grandpa McDowell
Meg and the gorgeous Shumway girls


December 25th is a crazy day in our house. Not only do we get to celebrate Christmas, but we also are lucky enough to have Meg's birthday fall on the 25th. While it complicates things a little, we still love that Meg shares a birthday with the day we celebrate our Savior's birth. It was a sweet coincidence and we'll always try to make sure that it's special on both accounts!





As for the presents, I think that the kids got a lot of great stuff and maybe even everything that they had their hearts set on. We even managed to come up with the elusory Wii (lucky timing at Costco), even though they spent their day playing guitar hero on their old PS2 and downloading tunes on their ipods.



For her birthday, Meg finally got a phone. (Did I say finally? I mean, she's only 12!) She was thrilled. We are anxious. I think we set a precedent with Josh last year, but having done it we also acknowledge that every child is different. Oh, I hope that we are wrong!



But really, the best part of Christmas is family. We spent last night with the McDowells and I think that I called home at least twice before nine a.m. this morning. I love being in Oregon for the Holidays, but sometimes it's just too hard to move the entire operation up there. I miss my Grandmas most of all. Talking on the phone isn't really the same, but it's a close second. I hope that everyone else had as fantastic of a Christmas as we did. We are so blessed in so many ways. My heart goes out to all those who couldn't be with those they love, especially our cute Kerbee who is serving in Iraq. I'm sure that there is nothing she would want more than to be home holding her sweet little Aroura and watching her rip through her Christmas treasures. I'm so grateful for Kerbee and all the rest of the soldiers out there protecting and serving us.


Lastly, I am so in debt to our Saviour. How do you express gratitude for the best present of all? I am a lucky girl, a very blessed girl who knows that I can never do everything myself. I know that my making it anywhere will require a great measure of grace on His part and that He was willing to do that for not only me, but my family and everyone else, too. I hope that this Christmas we all reflect on our good fortune and on the birth of a single baby who changed the course of all of our lives by what He did with His! Merry Christmas!