It took me awhile to accept that Christmas would be different than the year before. I desperately wanted that beautiful feeling that came when I served others instead of buying gifts, but my time this year has been extremely precious. Once I accepted that I would not be able to give very many "gifts of service" and that all my energies needed to go to our family, I was a lot happier. We were still able to have a beautiful and sweet Christmas (and work in a tiny bit of service too!).
A few days before Christmas, Noah asked if we were going to go and visit the old people. Last year we had gone to a Care Center on Christmas Eve and sang songs to the residents. I was pleased that Noah remembered and wanted to do it again. So of course we went! It was neat for me to recognize that while I didn't have much time or money (as we are focusing on paying off all our debts), I could share my children with others. When we walked into the Center, an elderly lady was sitting in the lobby. We talked to her and as we introduced her to our children, she kept saying "Oh, how precious," over and over again.
A few days before Christmas, Noah asked if we were going to go and visit the old people. Last year we had gone to a Care Center on Christmas Eve and sang songs to the residents. I was pleased that Noah remembered and wanted to do it again. So of course we went! It was neat for me to recognize that while I didn't have much time or money (as we are focusing on paying off all our debts), I could share my children with others. When we walked into the Center, an elderly lady was sitting in the lobby. We talked to her and as we introduced her to our children, she kept saying "Oh, how precious," over and over again.
It was a wonderful reminder to me of how precious my children are. I was able to see them through her eyes- I imagined that her children were all grown up and maybe she didn't see them much anymore, and how she looked at my sweet little ones with reverence and delight. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate these little ones when there is never a spare moment, and the only break I get is when I go grocery shopping. With Gabriel staying up so late every night, I don't get the nightly kid-free break that I desperately crave. I love those moments because they rejuvenate me and I can actually reflect on my day and cherish the sweet moments. But alas, that has not happened, since after I put my older two to bed, I work the rest of the night trying to get Gabriel to sleep. So, I was grateful for the reminder that someday I would miss this stage of life very much and all the hard times would fade away into distant memories and I would miss those tender, innocent young ones.
The residents LOVED seeing the children. They especially loved baby Gabe and a 100 year old woman asked to hold him. How could I refuse? I was grateful that I could give the gift of sharing my children.
Later that night we acted out the account given in Luke 2 of the Savior being born. It was so sweet. Amalie wanted to be Mary and Noah wanted to be a wise man. And of course, we had our darling little baby Jesus. I am SO grateful that we celebrate the birth of our Savior- what a wonderful time of the year when we are focused on serving others.
Amalie as "Mary" Check out that belly!(There is a pillow underneath her dress)
Our Christmas Eve family picture
4 comments:
Sounds like you guys had a nice Christmas, I loved it the one year we took the kids to an assisted living place. I like your family picture!
Kate, very insightful post. I love how much you grow from your experiences and your honesty. You have always been pretty honest! Love the family pic. Hope Noah had a great b-day! Love ya!
Sounds like a very memorable Christmas. I love the picture.
That's a neat story! I love the sweet picture of your family- Christmas is such a beautiful time of year, and it has such a different feeling when you have a baby boy in the home.
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