Christmas Memories || Discussion

Ahh...the days after Christmas.  Where everyone tries to force themselves go back to "normal" without being saddened as the lights and trees slowly disappear.  The presents are gone, and the gifts might not seem quite as appealing as before.  But even so, one of the sweetest blessings remain:  memories.

I can't imagine what life would be like without memories.  I'm not talking about short-term memories, but the ones from years long gone.  How cold and gloomy the world would be if we forgot fun times of the past!  It's incredible how God gave us so many amazing abilities that we take for granted.

Now that Christmas has gone, I would like for us to share those memories.

What were some of the hidden blessings that you discovered this Christmas season?  Does your family have special traditions to celebrate?  Did you give a gift to Jesus this Christmas?  What was different about this Christmas compared to ones of the past?  Did you learn anything special as you celebrated Jesus' birth?  How did you keep the focus on Him instead of gifts, food, and fun?

I'm excited to read your answers. =)  I have found that we all celebrate this holiday differently, yet alike.  I enjoy discovering how each individual and family uses their own special twists to make this day special.

I think our holiday fun started a week before Christmas even arrived...because some truly amazing missionary friends came over to spend several days with us.  We just love them so much, and it was a blessing to be encouraged by their example.  (I might talk more about their visit and lessons I learned in a future post)

On Christmas Eve, my family watched Big Hero 6, which wasn't intentionally to start out the celebration or anything, but the next morning we were quoting it all over our house.  Hehe.  That was pretty fun. ;)

My family started out the day by eating waffles with maple syrup (yum!) and reading Luke 2 – the story of Jesus' birth.  We talked about different aspects of it as a family.  After that, we exchanged gifts, but the catch was that we didn't know who was assigned to buy OUR gift!  It was all secret.  A lot of laughter, smiles, and excitement followed.  We ate lunch with our grandparents, relaxed all afternoon, and hung out with friends in the evening – talking and singing.  It was a calm day, but we were very tired by the end. =)  I enjoyed the time to be together as a family and to focus on Jesus. ♥

And now it's your turn...I'm eager to hear some of your Christmas memories. =)