The Joy of Christmas at the Christmas House 2016

Instead of exchanging gifts with my parents, siblings and our families for the past 6 years, we have rented a house for the week of Christmas.  It has truly been the best "investment" and worth more than the price tag of any gift I could have ever received.

We spend the week making memories and feasting on wonderful food while just "doing life" together.
Yes, we are smiling in most of these pictures, but no, we are not perfect.

Yes, we find joy in the small things, but no, we are not without our own trials and hardships.

Yes, we all have our flaws and differences, but no, we don't let those stand in the way of cultivating lasting friendships.

Yes, we are loud, we are messy, and there is never a quiet moment, but no, we don't care if you stop in on us and see who we really are.

Yes, Satan wants to tear all 16 of us apart because we try to be a light for Christ through our love, but no, we are held together by God's amazing grace, brought together by the bonds of Christ that are not to be broken.

Yes, we spend 7 days together, and no, we don't come home upset or mad at each other.

In fact, we all grow closer together.  It's a place where we are shaped and believed in and taught how to love deeper.

We are grateful for each other, for here is where we have learned to love, learned to fight, and learned to rise about it all to love back, fight back and share that with others.

I am so grateful for this gift-a gift gift of having a place to belong=FAMILY.