Christmas 2012

As our boys grow Christmas becomes more enjoyable.  As they grow up their faces seem to glow with more and more excitement through the Christmas season.  This year we enjoyed our favorite Christmas traditions: reading out of our Christmas story binder each night, decorating our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music, visiting the temple lights in Arizona,  wrapping a gift for Jesus with our service acts for each other, opening our new pajamas on Christmas Eve, and the latest and greatest...waking up as early as possible Christmas morning to enjoy the excitement of opening stockings / presents and seeing what Santa brought our children.

Each year this time of season is a great balance for us as parents to keep the magic of Christmas alive while ensuring that our children understand the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Although it is a time of service and giving it is also a time of worldliness and selfishness.  We just try as often as possible to ensure we focus attention on our Savior.  Each year I feel such a closeness with Him during this season and feel such a gratitude for the knowledge I have of His existence and all that He has done for us.  

On Christmas Eve we had a visit from someone mysterious who put these bags with lit candles out all along our cul de sac.  Then Santa Claus came and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.  Christmas day was so much fun.  We stayed in San Diego to enjoy a quiet day together as a family in our pajamas.  That way we can play with all of our gifts all day as we lounge around lazy.  The kids woke up this year at 5:15am, which is a personal record for us.  We had a lot of fun playing with remote control cars, helicopters, all different shaped sport balls, and watching Connor ride his scooter.  

The other gem we received on Christmas day was a live Google + chat with Elder Jared Curtis from Bolivia. So the whole Curtis family got online and had a video chat with Elder Curtis together.  It was so much fun to see him and see how he is doing in the mission field.

Overall Christmas was a huge success.  We were able to visit Arizona the week before and see our entire family and then spend a quiet Christmas day together just as a family together.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!