My Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Thanks:

1. The Messiah, who was sent to save us all, is a Might God!

2. He is the God of all glory and all creation and is worthy of our praise.

3. His name is a straightforward declaration of who He is. There is no distinction between Mighty God and ALmighty God. He is supreme. And, I serve Him.

4. Mary, at a young age, obeyed God willingly.

5. A spirit of submission.

6. Joseph obeyed God.

7. Mary and Joseph didn’t care what others thought. They were sold out to God’s plan.

8. I love the fact that there was no room for Jesus in the town of Bethlehem. It just adds one more element to the coolness of God.

9. My family makes room for Jesus in our lives.

10. Jesus comes first in our lives.

11. God speaks to mankind.

12. God uses Angelic visitations to speak to mankind.

13. We have had a great time talking about baby Jesus’ birth with Judah.

14. Judah can tell us most of the story surrounding baby Jesus’ birth.

15. Science backs God’s amazing plan of salvation. The movie, The Star, is amazing.

16. The Wise Men took baby Jesus gifts. The gifts were perfect for a King, a Priest, and a Savior.

17. Jesus is our King, our Highest Priest, and our Savior.

18. We have an opportunity to give our very best gifts to Jesus.

19. Because He loves me, He chose to leave His throne in Heaven for a manger in a stable on Earth.

20. My mom and dad made a Christmas Eve run to the grocery store because we needed more baking supplies. I am so glad they got out instead of me.

21. My mom and dad found some land for sale in the OKC area. They are only entertaining the idea of moving this way when they retire. My mom would move today, but my dad-not so much. But, he is entertaining the idea. Praise God.

22. Big, baggy clothes!

23. We went to my grandma’s house for Christmas Eve. Its been a tradition for years that we would go over there and eat-lots of snack food!

24. I chose to not fill up on tons of snacks. I ate very reasonably.

25. My grandma was having a good day. She hasn’t felt well for a while, but she is feeling better this week.

26. Her great grandkids make her heart smile. She loves to watch them play. I love how she will talk about a brief moment that took place for years to come.

27. Even though I am 33 years old, my mom still brings me great comfort. There is something so special about a mother’s touch.

28. Gary worked Christmas Eve, so my mom stayed in my bed for a while. I miss late night chats with her. It is nice to relive those every now and again.

29. My mom is full of health information. It is a passion of hers. I feel healthier just talking to her!

30. We have had great conversation concerning healthy living and I have a great game plan. Now, I just need to execute.

31. The Holidays seem to be a perfect time to hear from distant family and friends. I love how the Christmas spirit brings people together again.

32. The phone-makes it easy to communicate with those far away!

33. Judah was so excited for Christmas. He woke up at 5:00 a.m. and jumped out of bed saying, “Mommy, it’s Mismas morning!” I quickly reminded him that we had to wait for daddy to get home from the fire station. He said, “Oh, I forgot that.” Then, he climbed back into bed and fell asleep.

34. Gary is home for Christmas Day.

35. He got home before Judah officially woke up and was able to set up a few more gift items for Judah.

36. I think the whole “Santa” thing is super cute. But, we chose as a family to not do the “Santa” thing. Gary and I work hard to buy Judah’s gifts and I want full credit. Ha Ha Ha…

37. I love the true story and the heart of Saint Nick. It should be all of our hearts at Christmas.

38. Giving is always better than receiving.

39. The sound of people wishing one another Merry Christmas.

40. Big bear hugs from my baby brothers.

41. Time sitting on the couch, snuggled between my mom and baby sister.

42. A Full House.

43. Excitement on the face of children as they open presents.

44. The smell of turkey cooking in the kitchen.

45. My sis-in-law, Meg, who is also an amazing cook, brought dishes to share.

46. Mom and I didn’t have too much to cook. We narrowed down the menu this year. And, we still had plenty.

47. My mom is a great cook. I love cooking with her. She makes me laugh. She has a great skill of throwing stuff together and making it taste wonderful.

48. My mom got to talk to her oldest brother on the phone. I know that meant the world to her to hear from him.

49. My grandma and my uncle came over for Christmas lunch. I am so thankful that my grandma can still get out and about.

50. The kids all played really well together and had so much fun.

51. We had a fun time playing Heads Up together. The guys totally beat the girls. It is too ironic-Heads Up is a word game. Who would have thought the boys would have beat the girls at a word game.

52. My brothers, my dad, and my husband crack me up! I have never laughed so hard watching them act out certain scenarios. Let’s just say…they are in it to win it!

53. Floors can be swept, kitchens can be cleaned, trash can be thrown away…the mess is more than worth time together!

54. Family. God loves family and I am so glad to be a part of His!