Getting Ready for Christmas

We were a few days late this year, but we finally got our Christmas tree.

I have to be honest, it was a little sad getting our tree this year knowing that we were not having Christmas in our house.  The house we are in now is a great rental house, and it is very good for our family.  We are all very happy here, sometimes I just get a little nostalgic.  But I am always reminded that home is where we are!

 The kids, however, did not have the slightest trace of sadness.  

 They are very excited about Christmas 

and all that goes with it!

 I have said before that the Lee Kids love any reason to celebrate and in their minds decorations are a must for any type of celebration.  So, it was no surprise how excited the kids were to decorate the tree.  What was a surprise is that not only do they love decorating the house for any and all celebrations, they love the traditions that go with those celebrations.

 Egg Nog while we decorate the Christmas tree is a tradition that Murray and I started our first Christmas together.  This may be their favorite part about decorating the house for Christmas.

 Sara Wells is now a very big fan of Egg Nog!

 Christmas is not the only thing we are celebrating in the Lee House in the month of December.  December 1 marked the start of Miller's birthday month.  Yes, we celebrate the whole month.  So, with talk of an upcoming birthday, we have talked a lot about birthday parties.  

 Miller and Ella both had birthday parties at home last year and we played several games at the parties.  They were pretty much the same games with different themes.  When we started planning Ella's birthday, she wanted all the same games that Miller had just with a Strawberry Shortcake theme instead of Buzz  and Woody.  Somehow, they now think that these names are necessary for a party.

The morning after we decorated the tree as we were driving Ella to school, Miller announced that he wanted to have a party for Baby Jesus.  As much as we have been talking about parties, Baby Jesus' birthday, why we celebrate Christmas and all the decorating, it was really not a surprise that Miller wanted to have a party for Baby Jesus.

Then Miller and Ella started discussing what all was going to happen at this party.  Honestly, I really was not paying that much attention, I was trying to enjoy my coffee without anyone clinging on my legs, crying or whining.  

But when Ella started talking about the games they were going to play I started to listen, thinking this could be really interesting.  The next few minutes I listened (while trying my hardest not to laugh out loud) as Ella described to Miller how we were going to play Pin the Head on Baby Jesus!

Don't worry, we are not going to play Pin the Head on Baby Jesus, but it did make my heart swell to know that the reason they are so excited about getting ready for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  It is a reminder to me that throughout all the busyness that will come in this next month, I need to constantly remind myself that the reason we are celebrating is because of the birth of Christ and what that means for me, my family and the world.  It is only because of the birth of that tiny baby born 2000 years ago that was not just a tiny baby, but the Son of God, that I am able to spend eternity with the Holy God.  If it had not been for the birth of Christ and then his death and resurrection, there would be an eternal separation between God and man.  Christ humbled himself and became a human, lived the perfect life that God requires and died the death I deserve so that I can spend eternity in heaven with my Lord.  What a reason we have to celebrate!  God provided a way to wash away our sins and spend eternity with Him.  May this be the focus of all of our Christmas Celebrations this year.